Why do I write?

Do I write to earn a name or to write and earn a name

The lockdown took me down the memory line. While studying in Mangaluru, I was neither studious nor genius. My penmanship was not legible. Many of my neighbours, including girls who studied in prestigious college used to mock at me and my handwriting as Kori and Kakke kal (The legs of hen and crows). Their prediction was that a person with bad handwriting would one day become a rubbish writer.

I was inspired by a gift. It all began one day when I commenced writing using the new Reynolds (original) ball pen, which was presented to me the previous day by our neighbour who had returned for Christmas from Gulf. It was in 1980. I started writing in inland letters to the ‘letters to the editor column’ to a Kannada daily. Newspapers were our inspiration. The other inspiration was College Times scheduled for Monday. The happenings and incidents taking place both inside the college and outside, the strike here, the dharna there, fighting here, dance everywhere influenced me.

My skills improved, thanks to the appearance of my name in the letters to the editor column in a popular Bengaluru-based English weekly. Every Thursday, I would buy a copy, read a lead or an article, buy an inland letter write and promptly post in the post box.

Come Thursday, I would buy a copy and show the same to my friends in college, and the neighbourhood. Some seniors who considered me as a budding writer took me several times for a coffee in the nearby Shetty Ice Cream Parlour. Those who commented earlier also came and said sorry.

An incident which took place later influenced my ‘writing’. A lecturer who taught us the English language called on me once. I told him, “I am writing to earn a name”. Instead, he advised me to write and earn a name. A senior came to my rescue. He explained to me the difference between the two while walking past Hampanakatta, Light House Hill road, Central library.

The difference between the two, the advice and the explanation given and the role of my seniors from my and other colleges all came to my mind when I was watching Gulf returnees on TV during the lockdown and also the gifted pen. The lessons I learnt still remain even four decades later. Now tell me whether you are writing to earn name or the other?