PEN AND PAPER

BY EJ SECILLANO AND EURFY MACARAEG

Pen and a Paper: Unfolding Her Dream Sitting and day dreaming, smiling while thinking, unfurrowed brow under her glistening eyes, Sher Pauline Palola started writing what’s on her mind on a piece of paper, tik-toking her pen to her temple.

A decade ago, she wasn’t aware it was the start of everything – the foundation of her dream. Walking on the side of the school corridor with confidence for she holds the title of being a “hero”, she noticed a teenage girl reading her own piece of poem. She got to realize, the girl was exactly like her a few years ago – both a young lady opening their dream of becoming a good writer.

She sat beside the girl, smiled and said “Can I also read it?” “Yes?” she said with discomfort “but… I don’t think it was a good one.” And that was one reason Sher opts to start giving a story. “Once, you’re not really a writer if you don’t have the plan to let the other people read your craft.” She flashed her sweetest smile cheering up the girl and said “Can I start reading it now?” The girl comes at her ease and handed her notebook full of poems and short stories.

The startling Sher Palola loved and told and for which she have red was a work of passion and skills. “Maybe you would like to join our school paper organization and continue building what you have?” The girl nod in return with her face full of excitement. “See you around, bye!” Truth be told, it would have taken some determination to start out writing good stuffs.

You start out writing crap and thinking it’s a good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it and it is called persistence. Many would say writing is a nowhere. “But what you just need is to continue practicing and try a thousand times to let your works out for the mass and you’ll see, it is leading you somewhere – nearer to your dreams.

” Later in the afternoon, Sher and the student unexpectedly met again and have the time to continue what was started in the story. The teacher said with her eyes gleaming, “You know what? Being a good writer, you don’t write just to gain recognition, rather you write because you want to express, inspire, and touch the hearts of your readers to open their mind through the issues opened included in your own work of art.” The girl came to her emotions and started dropping her tears out of nowhere. “I know, but somehow… you really can’t imagine how to face the challenges you’re going to face in being a writer.” The girl concluded with her voice crackling because of too many disappointments with the encounters she’s just starting to face. “It’s hard – yes. There also came in moment for me where in I experienced a really hard time trying to write but I can’t because I lack motivations and burning out from my work. I lost my passion but eventually I get a hold of it and bring it back.” Sher looked at her student and said in addition “Remember not to give up when that also happens to you. Don’t stop dreaming, young lady.”

They part ways while Sher was so happy that she summon up all her hardships has now came to its burning point. She had two articles published in a famous newspaper, blog articles written online, her poems inspiring Filipinos, and soon – her biggest dream to publish her own books.