"I am a writer." - Q

Last year when my journalism professor, Dr. Dillon, ripped my writing to shreds, I pretty much wanted to shed tears; I wanted to quit writing. "Writing is the only thing I am good at and it is the only thing that makes me happy," I thought. Then Dr. Dillon came along to ruin everything.

He was the first person to ever read my writing at a critical level, and more often than not, he ripped in down. There were always flaws in my writing. Grammar and structure were wrong. Something was always wrong, and for the two semesters I had with him, I was constantly struggling just to get a B.

But, when I look back now, the only thing I can think about is that quote, “Whatever doesn’t kill me, only makes me stronger.” I look back now, and I can see the difference he made in my writing -- how much better it has gotten. I look back now, and wish that I could shake his hand and thank him.

Now, one year later, my professor, Ms. Iris Krasnow, author of several, best-selling, horribly trite, and pointless “self-help” novels, is trying to do the same thing that Dr. Dillon did to me -- tear down my writing. Whether it be by ripping a paper apart with red pen, or by being condescending in conversation, or by almost blatantly accusing me of alcoholism, Ms. Krasnow has tried to bring me down.

So far, she has failed. She may be bringing my grades down, but instead of tears, there are only smiles; she doesn’t make me want to quit writing, she makes me want to write a novel that will sell 1 million more copies than hers.

While I sit there in her class, surrounded my other journalist wannabes, and writing hopefuls, I don’t care that she gave me C on a paper that more than half the class got A’s on -- I hate to sound egotistical, but I sit there knowing I am a better writer than any of them are. I have more confidence in my writing than any of them do. I want it and love it 1 million times more than they do.

Dr. Dillon didn’t kill me, he only showed me how weak I was, and those grueling two semesters I had with him made me stronger -- now I feel like nothing can stop me.

Except myself.

The opinions and views of this diary entry reflect only those of Jason C. Mills, proprietor and sole-author of “ComesToMind.”