Old writing

A few weeks ago, I pulled out a ream of stuff I'd written in grade school and high school. It was not your standard fare, essays and assignments, but it was a good sampling of creative writing I'd churned out back in the day. It was nothing spectacular, no evidence of being a child prodigy or anything, but it had something...some level of confidence that I really was going to be a writer or something. Oh, to be young again, to not know too much about the publishing world or the stiff competition, to never doubt yourself, to dream big...

I had that file out to share with my kids, to inspire them to write down the stories and ideas that they have just oozing from every pore right now. (I was also hoping that writing would help them with their horrific penmanship, but they saw through my guise.)

I still find some nuggets in my old writing, whether it's from grade school or just last year's blog post. I surprise myself all too often, say to myself, "humph, I didn't know I could write that!" I wonder if anyone else is impressed with Themselves Past, like I tend to be? I don't think much of the present person now blogging, but when I review his work years later, it's got potential, man.