Writing as My Hobby Cheung Chiu Shan

Recently a former classmate asked me, "Is writing your hobby?"  I was at a loss as to how the question should be answered.  I simply replied, "Reading is my hobby." Writing was not my hobby as I had not written any essays for four decades. On the other hand, with a number of my essays posted on our website,  writing might soon become a habit hard to break.

I noticed that Winch and another classmate had lavished praise on my essays. The generous comments from my former classmates allowed me to see my writing from a new perspective.  I couldn't help but think, "Maybe I can really write after all."

In college where I majored in English, writing was not enjoyable or fun. Research essays often involved taking a stand on an important issue and defending it against opposing points of view.   I spent many days making note cards, writing rough drafts, then writing the actual essays section by section, making sure there was logical flow from one paragraph to another.

I didn't like to study Shakespeare's plays, a course required for all English majors.  I was not interested in how Shakespeare used imagery to create a mood of tension, suspense, fear, and despair in Hamlet.  Analyzing a Shakespearean play's plot or symbolism was boring. Shakespeare's plays were written in 17th century Elizabethan dialog.  It was hard enough just trying to get past the difficulties posed by the language,  much less writing  essays on the plays.

When I was a sophomore, I began to realize why there was only one senior and two juniors in the English Department.  I often found myself staying in the dormitory on weekends, crumpling writing papers into balls and tossing them toward the wastebasket.   I was mired in frustration, not being able to put words on paper.

At one time, I told my father I wanted to change my major, which meant an additional year of study. My father disagreed  and  he thought I should just  stay the course. At a low ebb in my life, I struggled with the level and amount of coursework and writing assignments. On graduation day, I couldn't believe that I had made it through college.

As I have complete freedom to choose my essay topics, writing experiences are now fun and rewarding. I enjoyed writing about chrysanthemum, wild chickens, pomelos, my childhood,  my high school days, my love for the Lee Theater, and the most  gratifying essay of all,  "My Classmates in  Clementi,"  which was inspired  by  a  flurry  of activity on our website. Last night I dreamed of viewing a book containing an enjoyable collection of essays that I would write in the future. Creating a book of essays is an achievable goal, as long as I am willing to work hard at it.

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