Why I Write

The business major in me really cares about efficiency. What will give me the highest marginal utility with the lowest opportunity cost. However, my business-oriented mindset does influence how I write. To quote a former Ross School Dean, “business is the most powerful force for good in the world”. I believe this, and it’s ultimately why I chose to create this video about organ donation in America. My goal is to give a voice to the voiceless and bring awareness about an issue that affects so many who suffer in silence. Awareness is the first step in effecting social change, and what better way to do that than through words both spoken and written? I did not always enjoy writing. In fact, for a large portion of my life, I rather despised the thought of putting pen to paper. Ever since learning how to write in elementary school, I remember always dreading writing exercises. My underdeveloped brain just could not comprehend the depths of creativity one can create with just their ideas. I did just about anything to get out of these class activities. Make excuses. Take an excessively long bathroom trip. If you told my first-grade teacher that the student she once knew is now taking on a minor in writing in college, she would be shocked. Then again, I feel as though my life has been a series of odd-defying event, so it’s only appropriate that my passion for writing followed suit It was not until later in life (high school, for me) when the tide started to turn. My high school track and cross-country coach mandated that we keep a log of all of our workout through our four years on team. Reluctantly, I acquiesced to his requests. It did not make much sense at the time; this was not an English class! I figured there was a method to his madness. My daily logs started as impersonal and short. However, after seeing some of my teammates’ entries, I decided I needed to match their efforts and make them longer. It was here that writing is something meant to do be done in community. While I do keep a “journal” that I would rather keep to myself, the honesty and transparency that comes with sharing thoughts through writing is simply unmatched. Although I did not realize it at the time, my teammates were inspiring me to be a better writer. And, hopefully, vice versa. Beyond anything, having an audience other than yourself really gives me motivation to write. It is simply the most efficient and impactful way to convey information. It was not until that proverbial asteroid fell from sky and decimated life as we know it in March of 2020 that writing really became something personal. Although we all shared similar experiences of anxiety and uncertainty, I really felt very alone and not seen by others during those first few, dark months. Without the connection to others that I thrived on, my sources of motivation seemed to completely dry up. Keeping a journal was the only thing that helped me maintain my sanity. In fact, the biggest jump I made during quarantine was detaching writing from who I was a runner and letting writing become who I was as a person. There was no business reason and no peer pressure to make performative acts of pen to paper. I simply wrote to write, and that was good enough for me. This is why I chose this topic of organ donation for this project. It is a topic that I can simply write about without any external expectations breathing down my neck. While I am not on any organ donor list, organ donation affects my familial community. And therefore, it impacts me. I am passionate about the topic and have the privilege and opportunity to bring awareness to a topic that does not receive the attention it should. Steve Prefontaine, one of the best American runners of all time, once said, “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”. I have the gift of writing ability, and this project is my best attempt at using it for the greater good. I hope you all enjoy this project, cheers!