Revised Food Pyramid

I have a confession: I have never considered myself a good writer.  I failed my 4th grade TAKS writing exam because I couldn't pass the written portion.  I distinctly remember being taught how to write in a remedial summer class when I was 17.  It was a glorious moment.  Sun rays fell from the sky.  The Rocky theme song played in the background.  I was one happy girl.

As a member of the Millenial Generation, success is fleeting and instant gratification are necessary to my progress.  I came to college, focused on English rhetoric, and became a creative writer.  When I entered my doctoral program, I once again faced obstacles in writing.  Academic writing scared me.  No flourish?  No exaggeration?  No sarcasm?  :(  Intensive writing training became my future, and I have since learned a thing or two.

Since I have learned some of the nuances of academic writing and have improved as a writer, I find myself needing to write.  When I don't write for a day or two, something twitchy starts happening in my eyes and fingers, and I get this deep-rooted anxiety.  It isn't the same anxiety I used to get of "oh no, that paper is already due!?!"  It's more like a "oh no, I skipped lunch and my body needs nourishment!"  Once I sit down to write, whether it is for academic or personal purposes, I instantly feel better.  My soul has been fed.  My writing nourishment for the day is complete.

In hopes of continuing on my writing journey, I've been reading William Zinsser's Writing to Learn for the past month.  Two quotes have really spoke to me: 

1. "Writing can get into the corners that other teaching tools couldn't reach."
2. "Revising helps the students to rethink."

These quotes sum up why my brain now needs writing daily.  First of all, writing allows me to reach places in my thinking, analyzing, critiquing, and planning that I could not get to alone.  Secondly, the process of editing, or revising, my writing forces me to rethink.  I must constantly prove to myself why things are correct or not correct.  

A wise researcher once said, "good writing is good teaching".  I am fortunate to dedicate my writing abilities to some teachers who helped me realize what I could accomplish with healthy writing habits.  Writing takes me places I could not go alone.  Writing allows me to explore.  Writing opens my soul to the world around me.  Writing bridges the gap between what I read and what I think.  Writing is powerful. 

Thanks to Zinsser's book, my great teachers, and a need to write daily, I have constructed the following letter to be sent to the USDA.  Writing should be part of a healthy life!

Dear USDA,

I am writing to propose an amendment to the current dietary guidelines for Americans.  I feel that an important component of daily nourishment is missing from the standards: writing.  Please consider including a daily dose of writing in the revised guidelines.

Sincerely, 
Concerned, but not-writing-malnourished graduate student