Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Unequal Schools

There's a community in Illinois, across the river from St. Louis, Missouri called East St. Louis. For years it has been a dumping ground for chemical companies like Monsanto. The city doesn't have the financial ability to re-do the systems that need re-doing and gets thrown to the wayside because the state of Illinois doesn't want to throw any more money into suck a poverty-stricken area, saying that the money is there--they just need to "help themselves."

As a result, sewage lines the streets and the ground is contaminated from chemical spills, sewage breaks, and trash that no longer gets collected because the city can't afford to keep up with trash collection. It's a dump. The schools that do exist in East St. Louis are terrible; they don't have enough school supplies, aren't funded enough to get an adequate number of teachers, and dropout rates are nearly at 50%. Conditions in the school and the community are deplorable, and this place exists in the United States today. Not a third world country.

I read about East St. Louis in Savage Inequalities, a book that talks about problems in the public education systems. Talking about the conditions in this place in class the other day, one of my fellow students said "This isn't a real place, right?" Wrong. This place exists. "Then it must be pretty old." Nope. Published in the early 2000's. When conditions in some place in our home country are so bad that you don't think they are real, there's something wrong. How do people not know these places exist? Better question: why aren't governments and charitable organizations paying attention to these small places that get pushed under the rug? The community is essentially stuck because they don't have the resources to do anything about their situation.

This acts as a reminder to me. Pay attention to the communities around you. Acknowledge the privilege you have and don't forget about your neighbors.

Friday, September 22, 2017

A Writer Told Me

A writer told me to think about being a writer 24/7. He said that keeping your eyes open, your ears open, and being present in every day is how you practice being a writer. He said that stories you hear every day have the potential to blossom into a novel. He said paying attention to how you react to things, how you speak, and how other people carry themselves gives you insight into your own world and the potential worlds of your characters.

A writer told me to write every day. To get stuck in a routine of writing for at least fifteen minutes between the craziness of essays and the challenges of college. He said that routine will make it easier when you are eventually working on a book for hours a day.

A writer told me to fall in love with reading all over again. He said that reading books that make you want to write are the kinds of books you should immerse yourself in. He said that stories will surprise you, make you want to be the writer you've always dreamed of being.

A writer told me that it's okay to hate yourself. It's okay to think you're a terrible writer. He said that there are good days and there are bad days but you need to be willing to work hard at something and not give up, and eventually you will find your novel, your story, your calling. He said that good things will happen if you let them; that good things will happen if you work hard.

A writer told me to listen. He said to listen to what my heart wants. He said to listen to the people around me. He said to listen to the stories I'm reading and hearing and he said to write those down. He said that inspiration is all over the place, that you just have to run with it. He said this won't be easy, that it hasn't been for him. But he said it would be worth it.