Marcie’s Discovery: My Purpose in Writing

This has been a very enlightening weekend for me. Yesterday I attended a workshop given by the Ethnic News Media a division of the Community Media Workshop at Columbia College on covering youth violence. And I just left the Tavis Smiley & Cornel West’s Poverty Tour at St. Sabina. The common theme of both events was “Poverty.” There needs to be more conversation locally, nationally and internationally. Poverty is not restricted to the United States. Those stories need to be told, too. This global epidemic needs to have a faces, so we can see the impact.

Remember in a previous post I said that I need to find my purpose in writing? Well, hot dog! I think I found it. Actually, there are three of them – at least.

My Purpose Plan

As you know, there is a link between poverty and violence. And that’s one of the major factors in the huge level of youth violence in minority communities across the U.S., but no one is really discussing it. There are whispers, but no shouts! Like all other issues, no one really cares until it hits close to home. In that respect, I am going to start interviewing parents of young victims of violence. We only hear about these stories when they happen, but we never get follow up. I had thought about covering such stories years ago, but I thought it would be a depressing issue. After hearing a personal story of a young man who was shot and is paralyzed for life at the workshop, I realize that this topic is a necessary issue.

The second thing I will do is find those people who used to be employed; who used to own a home; who used to be “middle class,” and get their stories. I’m sure I will hit jackpot within a 4 block radius.

Third, I am going to coach people to completed books. I have so many people sharing that they want to write their books. All I have to do now is develop relationships with divine connections that will them complete the process from editing to publishing.

And last, I will teach people how to write. I haven’t selected a group yet; I don’t know what I’m going to teach them to write.  All I know is that there is a need, and I’m more than qualified to meet it.

I feel a bit better about that part of life. Now, I need to do what I have to do.