LuminoMagazine.com

A Writer

Written by MELISSA E. KOSS

Monday, 08 January 2007

Every so often, I am asked to participate in an exercise of categories and names: A listing of all of the different categories I am a member of. This usually includes designations such as sister, aunt, daughter, friend, homeowner, pet owner, etc. Similarly, this topic is often breached when meeting new people in the form of a simple, yet mind boggling, question: “What do you do for a living?”

To some extent, these designations are established to put people into a category, a skill harnessed at a young age when we were asked to group all of the red squares and blue triangles together, where we determined which one of these things was not like the other. Also, it seems to be human nature, human inclination to say “You are x, so you must do y.”

When it comes to my professional life, I have tried to explain to people my job in different lights in the last three years. For a while, I was a technical writer – a title I wore proudly, but slightly inaccurately. Then, I acknowledged that I was in sales – a difficult confession for me personally. After not so long I converted to a project manager, and finally a writer. While all of these descriptions are true, they all complement each other to create a full description. It seems I need all of them to describe what it is I do five days a week; no single description hits the nail on the head.

However, the last word – “writer” – means more to me than any of the other words, and not by pure definition alone. I am a writer by trade, a writer by heart and soul. I am undeniably a writer. This takes me into another category altogether, not just a description of a job.

While my predecessors have been of the brilliant sort – Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Poe, Vonnegut, Shakespeare, Kerouac, Irving, Plath, to name a few from the myriad – we all share some common denominators. Just as politicians, professors and racecar drivers have their own reputations, so do writers.

According to a study by Scientific America, the traits that writers oftentimes share include depression and suicide. In fact, writers are ten to 20 times more likely to suffer from manic depression. Sickeningly, researchers believe that some writers are prone to manic depression leading to suicide as a means to an end, to know how their personal story ends.

So by assigning the descriptor of “writer” to myself, not only am I acknowledging who I intrinsically am, but I am also accepting centuries of irreconcilable common dominators between all writers, poets, storytellers and essayists. I am not saying that I believe these traits are innately instilled in my being for I do not believe I suffer from chronic depression. By no means do I make this statement to justify any immoral, rash, inappropriate or megalomaniac behaviors I may exhibit throughout my lifetime, nor do I expect any of those I love and care about and who love and care about me to not question my actions and reactions as they may be. However, it is true that people with certain characteristics are drawn to similar fields.

For example, perfectionists suffering from OCD and a severe case of gawker’s disease, are likely to be surgeons. Or, people with a fondness for Latin and always winning arguments are likely to be lawyers or politicians. Or, people who are 6’4” are drawn to being basketball players or rowers.

I have read about cultures (both modern and ancient) where children are assigned life paths based on the skills and interests they demonstrate at early ages. So if inclined to pick up a paintbrush or a hammer or a gavel (even if only a toy), this could seal a child’s life long fate. One of my earliest memories comes with me laying in my bottom bed bunk, my sister in the top bunk, telling her stories. Some of the stories were read from books, some were embellished from books, and some were from my deranged pre-pubescent mind.

My name is Melissa, and I am a writer. In the good times, the bad times, for sickness and in health.

• "A Single Serving" appears second and fourth Mondays every month, exclusively in Lumino Magazine. E-mail Melissa at m.koss@yahoo.com. Photo of Melissa by Anne Coloso.

Comments

loved this
Written by Guest on 2007-01-08 13:59:36

Yes, you are a writer - and a good one, I may add.

I am so glad you wrote this piece, as I can thouroughly relate. I understand the challenge in answering the question, "what do you do for a living?"In fact, I was faced with that very same question this past weekend and found myself saying, "I'm sort of a writer," and immediately regretted the "sort of" part. It is a quandry for those of us who don't fall into the neat and tidy categories.

Jules

Written by Guest on 2007-01-14 11:35:56

VERY NICE

nice work, again
Written by Guest on 2007-01-16 11:31:24

I agree with the labeling and the unease - I work at an elementary school, but am not a classroom teacher, however all of my duties are teaching - so I'm a teacher, but not by traditional standards.

Interesting also about the different cultures assigning jobs based on early skills and interests - reminds me of the book The Giver by Lois Lowry. If you're not familiar, become familiar, it's a great read.

Cheers!
-Joe Dorn

The inescapable question
Written by Guest on 2007-01-16 15:58:28

I've been writing a novel for two years and taking odd jobs to pay rent. I've been a teacher, a hotel event planner, an HR peon, a bilingual admin. assistant, a desk jockey for a school district, and now I edit papers and move stuff. At every turn I dreaded the "and you do?" line of questions. Even worse, when I tell people I write and hope to publish, they assign to me arbitrary timetables that fit the traditional American corporate mold. It's a vexing life. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Keep up the good work.

mom
Written by Guest on 2007-01-17 21:35:58

I am giving Connie the link for this one. She should appreciate your love of writing as she also loves it.