Sometimes, what you despise can change you for the better if you actually try it. I don’t know why, but I used to hate writing. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. I was always a practical kid, surrounded by close-minded people, so I never really got a chance to explore what writing was. Despite being a hardcore introvert (and I still am), I never enjoyed writing. When I picked up a pencil, it was only to solve mathematical equations, not to create strings of words that made sense only to a select few.

I used to bottle up my feelings, crying inside. On the outside, I was just your normal, put-together school kid until 3rd grade. Inside, I was falling apart, but no one knew – not even my parents, let alone my so-called friends. I was smart, and people befriended me only to use me for their benefit. It was rare for me to find real friends, let alone ones who understood writing.

COVID-19, for me, was a blessing in disguise. Cut off from the rest of the world, I finally had the chance to explore myself. I spent hours late into the night, reflecting on the choices I had made, wondering what might have happened if I had made different decisions. That’s when I really got into writing. My own experiences and feelings became my inspiration. I began to question why I was different from other kids, and as I looked deeper, I found so much more beneath the surface.

That’s when I wrote my first poem. It was about space, the galaxies, and the stars – since my dream is to become an astronaut. Though it wasn’t brilliant, it was something – something worth writing and reading. From that point, I just kept going. I wrote more and more, mostly poems, which quickly became my favorite form of expression. I started reading hundreds of books, and with each one, I found new meanings and new topics to write about. I wrote about themes, characters, and so much more.

But I could never bring myself to tell my friends that I loved writing. My parents were thrilled, of course, but I was known as “The Nerd” in my class, and I didn’t want to add to that reputation. The people around me were close-minded, and many of them thought writing was cringey. But I didn’t care. Once I love something, I love it wholeheartedly.

Sometimes I’d wonder whether I should continue, but I always ended up saying, “To heck with people. I’ll do what I like.” This was me – the real me – not the smart, sporty, put-together Shranya Goel that people thought I was. After I started writing, I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t one to talk much, because it often led to problems, but I started pouring my emotions into my poems, letting my tears and pain flow through my words. I kept challenging myself to improve, and eventually, I did.

I have faced many hurdles and writer’s block along the way, but I have never stopped. I don’t plan to make writing my career or become a professional writer. Instead, I want to keep it as a talent, hobby, and passion – something that will always belong to me, no matter what anyone says. The journey from being a narrow-minded kid to someone who loves writing has been enjoyable. I have learned so much along the way, and it’s changed not just me, but my entire outlook on life.

Author: Shranya Goel, 12 years old from Yadavindra Public School, Mohali