How Dreadfully Risky

Are you ready for this? It's about to get deep.


Now, what did I risk with that opening? I risked you (the whole two or three people who read my blog) analyzing my post for deepness and then judging me based on said deepness. News flash: it might not be, and judging is bad. So there.

In all seriousness, I think the best risks to take are when they are about yourself. Especially when they deal with who you are. For example, on Thursday, I had an APUSH  presentation-y-thing in which I had to dress up like a certain historical figure. I wore a button up shirt, tie, vest, and nice pants. Oh, and a pocket watch. After my presentation, I very well could have changed into normal clothes. But I didn't. I felt awesome wearing it, so why would I change? I strutted down the hallways with my head held high and a smug grin on my face (okay, maybe not, but it creates a nice image, yes?). When I walked into my next class, my friend looked me up and down and said "You look like a guy."

I was very proud to wear that outfit, but there was a small part of me that was super nervous. What if people thought I was weird? What if they talked about me? But you know, I risked it because it's who I am. Yes, I do like wearing stuff like that. I shouldn't be afraid to hide it. So it is great to take risks when they deal with who you are.

In writing, I think it means showing your quirkiness. For example, I started this post in a pretty weird way. But that's just who I am. I do actually say stuff like that in regular conversations, it's not like I'm trying to be superficial. Also, risking in writing means sharing not only stories but also your feelings concerning those stories (or just your feelings in general). When you say "and then my brother ate my sandwich", it's kind of flat. But if you say "and then my brother ate my sandwich which made me so mad because I was starving not to mention the fact that it was for me and it was my favorite kind so I was really upset!" it adds something - it risks something (not including the risk that the people reading will get mad at your extreme use of run-on sentences).

So yeah, if you're just trying to show who you are, then those are the best kinds of risks. You can get real voice and heart into your writing (or just in general) when you do that. Don't be afraid to shine. As a favorite teacher always used to say "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy" (this teacher may or may not have had a magic school bus and a lizard and may have not actually been my teacher. Maybe)

There, was that deep enough for ya?