My Class Assignment

This is an introductory speech that I had to write for my Speech class. Figured it was something worth sharing.


Growing up, I was one of those children that wanted to be any and everything that there could’ve been to be as an adult. There were those typical ones that every child chose and then there were those unusual ones that made you raise your eyebrow. Ultimately, it wasn’t any of those things that I settled on becoming when I grew up. Even though I am currently in college to pursue a Bachelor’s in Software Programming a couple of years after receiving my Associate’s in Web Support, I grew up to do what I love best and am still doing it to this day; my name is La Kata and I am a writer.

There are two authors that inspired me enough to want to become a writer, more so a poet than anything else, and those two people are Dr. Seuss and Maya Angelou. I remember the very first time I ever read or even owned a Dr. Seuss book! I was living in Japan and must’ve been about 5 years old. The book was “The Cat in the Hat” and that must be my favorite story even to this day; decades later, I still have that book. I loved the way Dr. Seuss rhymed and how it seemed so melodic as you read the words upon the pages, almost like a song of sorts.

For Maya Angelou, I must’ve been in the 5th or 6th grade, I can’t remember. However, I can remember that reading her work made me want to cry. Some of it filled with such a heavy emotion to be a young child that I couldn’t imagine actually being in her shoes. I loved how it seemed like she poured her very being into her work and exposed her very soul to the world without ever seeming to hesitate about it. She, was how I wanted to be when I became a writer.

I like to believe that I have come a long way as a writer and that if I were ever to have met Dr. Seuss or meet Maya Angelou, they would be impressed with my writing but most of all, they would be proud. I’ve embraced the catchy rhyme schemes and the “expose my soul” style that both of those phenomenal authors are known for and I’ve begun to build a fan base for my work as well. Most of all though, I’ve stayed true to myself. I’ve stayed true to who I am as a writer and what I stand for; when you’re a writer, I feel that is the most important quality of all.

If there were nothing else in this world that I could do, I would at least like to be able to write. Writing is a form of art and art is a form of expression and I feel that we should all be able to express ourselves somehow. When a person can’t express themselves verbally, I find that it is always easier to express yourself through other ways; writing is mine. The one thing that I enjoy most about writing, is receiving feedback from my readers. I value their opinion and I take into consideration what they have to say about the things that I have written. I don’t think I’ve really received any negative feedback and I take that as a compliment. If there was ever something that I wanted to grow up to be, I think I would be content to grow up and be me.

And Just Like A Raging Thunderstorm...

It was over.

Nothing ever lasts forever; certainly not our hardships. They either make us or they break us and it ultimately all depends on our state of mind.

I've said this multiple times before, but I had quite a year this year. I was tested beyond my wildest imagination and I was humbled more than I could've ever thought possible. I learned a lot about myself and those around me, but more importantly I learned about myself.

When you're standing looking in a mirror, you are faced with your flaws. Dead on. Smack dab in your face like "BAM!". We can't hide them and we damn sure can't deny them because they are what makes us US. They define us and they show what we've been through. Our flaws are even there to help us get through some thing that is yet to come. Deny it all we may, but we are not perfect.

When you put your feet in the dirt and drag along, you will come to find that your hardships drag on and seem to last forever; I've actually found that to be true too. Instead of being stubborn or complicated, open up your heart and mind to the reality of what's right in front of you. Open yourself up to the lesson that you are being presented with and allow yourself to take in every moment but all the while make sure that you are learning something from it. When you do this, you will find that life will become much easier and your clarity will become even clearer.

Trust me, I know.