She asked, "Why Do You Write?" I replied, "Why do you breathe?"

I get asked this question a lot:

"Brooklyn, why do you like writing so much? It's so boring, I hate it!"
I hear that from everyone. Teachers, friends, family, strangers, acquaintances...
And it really bothers me because
a)Why does it matter to them? I like it. End of fucking story.
b)Does there really have to be a specific reason? Can't I just like something for the hell of liking it? That's like asking someone why they like apples. They like them because they taste good. Duh.

Of course, there's more to my obsession with creating poems, stories, songs, and anything that involves words other than the simple fact of liking it. But that's my business. Not theirs.

I've always been, and will most likely always will be, a very quiet person. I prefer to keep to myself and watch what's going on around me rather than throwing myself into it. Now, that being said, don't think that I'm some kind of weird loner who sits in the back of the classroom and carves things into the desk. No. I have a lot of friends, and I have fun every single day of my life.

But I'm so self-conscious that it's ridiculous. I can't be myself around anybody except for the friends that I've had forever. And I can't fully open up to someone until I've hung around them enough to know exactly the kind of person they are. You could say that I have trust issues.

And through writing, I'm able to freely express myself. When I'm writing I can make myself anybody I want to be, create the life I imagine. It's like when I have a pencil in my hand(or I'm sitting at a computer) that pencil becomes the key to the shield I seem to put up around myself. It unlocks my soul, no matter how corny that may sound.

I know this is a very long journal entry and I apologize, but this was something that I had to get out.
Does anyone else feel this strongly about writing?

Passion For Publication,
Brooklyn