My History as a Writer - Essay Example

My History As A I am from Jordan and I came to the United s with my parents when I was 20 years old. My parents were convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the United States was the best place for us to start a new life and make something out of ourselves so we packed out bags and head out for the land promise. We settled in the United States and started a new life. Living in a foreign land has its advantages and disadvantages. On of the main problems that I came across during my first few months in America was the language barrier. I have learned how to speak the English language while I was a student in Jordan but what I learned in school was not the same as the language used in the streets of the United States. My American friends thought that my English sounded funny and that my choices of words were often awkward. Because of the language barrier, I found it hard to get my message across. Many times, I had to explain at length to my friends what I really wanted. Luckily, my ability to communicate improved with time. After living here in the United States for sometime, I became more proficient at expressing myself in English. Yes, there are still times when I find it hand to express myself and communicate to my friends what I really want but my communication skills have improved considerably since the time when I first arrived here. Even today, my problem with the English language has tremendous effects on my ability to write. I am not a native English speaker which makes it even more difficult for me to translate my thoughts into words. Writing has never been one of my strong points. Unlike some people who can put their ideas into words easily, I spend hours looking at the screen of my computer hoping that somehow, I will be able to write just a few pages of essay to pass my class. Writing a technical paper or an essay for that matter is what you might call an “excruciating experience” for me. Since my English is not perfect, I often find myself looking for the right words to describe something. You see, writing is very much different from talking. During a conversation, when my listener does not understand what I am saying, I can always explain my point by using illustrations or hand signs and gestures. My facial expression and my body language can also help convey the right message to my listener. On the other hand, my listener can also ask probing questions to help me clarify my point. In writing, things are different. I do not have the luxury to explain to my readers what I mean using hand signs or illustrations. Moreover, since I do not get to see my readers face to face, my readers will not have the chance to ask me questions if they do not understand what I am saying. As it is, my inability to use the English language correctly to express my ideas clearly makes it difficult for me to reach out to my readers. When my readers do not understand what I really wanted to convey in my writing, my message will probably be lost forever. My inability to communicate my thoughts properly in writing has resulted to misunderstandings in the past. A classic example of this is an email that I sent to a colleague with detailed instructions on how to work on a certain project. At that time, I was still grappling with the use of the English language and I had problems choosing my words correctly. Since I did not use the correct words to express my ideas, my colleague had a hard time deciphering my message. Being unable to understand what I meant in the detailed instructions, he was not able to start the project right away. As a result, we were not able to complete the project on time. While composing an essay or a technical paper is very difficult and time consuming for me, writing a computer program is not. I love computers and I do not have problems learning computer languages. Binary codes are my thing and I don’t get confused with the correct usage of certain numbers as I am sometimes confused with the correct usage of words and punctuations. As a computer programmer, I see myself as a technical writer. I could not really see myself writing anything that is not related to computers. Does learning computer languages and writing computer programs and manuals qualify me as a writer? I hope so. Otherwise, apart from using my writing skills to write a few emails, the whole idea of writing would be a lost cause for me. As a computer enthusiast, one of my favorite people is Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. He influenced my way of thinking to a great extent. Steve Jobs is not exactly what most people would call a writer. In fact, most people would see him as a computer guy who made some revolutionary innovations in his field. However, for me, Steve Jobs is more than just an iconic figure in the computer world. I see me him as an inspiration. His message to the class of 2005 in Stanford University inspired me to stay focused and reach for my goals. In his message, he said that “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Dont lose faith. Im convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did…” Mr. Jobs’ message resonates well with me. I strongly believe that every person has great potentials to do something and when these potentials are harnessed and put to good use, we can create a better world. Yes, my way of thinking may sound naïve at times but then again, naïve and foolish people have done a lot of great things for this country. If Steve Job had not been foolish enough to drop out of Stanford and started a computer company in his parents’ garage, the world would not have apple computers or Macintosh (Young, Jeffrey 2005). No, I am not trying to influence people to get out of school and start working in their garage. Not all people are as talented as Steve Jobs and certainly not all people who work in their garage ever make it out of the garage and into one of those lofty buildings in Silicon Valley. What I want to emphasize here is that people who are foolish enough to take that leap of faith and do something that they really love are not doomed to fail. In fact, those who believe with all their hearts and with all their souls in what they do may actually succeed in their field and be famous. Jobs and Bill Gates have proven to the world that college dropouts like them can rule the computer industry (Lesinski, Jeanne M., 2006). According to Jobs, when you love the things that you do, you will always find a way to conquer the obstacles that will come your way (Young, Jeffrey 2005). In applying this statement to my writing, the fact that I am very interested in computers makes it easier for me to break through the language and write about computers. Of course my attempts at writing are quite feeble and I probably would never win a Pulitzer Prize for writing even if I spend an eternity on it but just the same, my interest in computers makes me strive harder to communicate my thoughts to my readers. The fact that people in the computer world often use jargons to communicate with each other make it easier for me to express myself more clearly to my peers. You see, computer jargons are considered as universal language for computer programs (Young, Jeffrey 2005). With the use of jargons, we programmers are able to understand each other better. Yes, people who are not techno savvy may find it hard to understand the jargons that we use but since my target audiences are mostly from the computer world, I don’t really have to worry so much about not being understood. The ideas of Steve Jobs did not just influence me to follow my heart and reach for my goals; they also influenced me to proclaim my uniqueness. In his message to the 2005 graduates of Stanford University, Jobs said that “Your time is limited, so dont waste it living someone elses life. Dont be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other peoples thinking. Dont let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary…” I would never be able to write like Shakespeare or Hemingway. I am not that good and frankly, I even find it hard to understand the writings of these noble writers. I have no desire to be able to write like them. I simply cannot see myself writing novels and plays no matter how interesting the topic may be. That is not me. What I really love to do is write computer programs and come up with some really cool technology that I can share to the world. Since time is a very precious resource, I want to use it wisely, thus, I would prefer to focus my energies on the things that I am really good at than try to learn new things that are not in line with my interest. As Jobs had pointed out, we do not have to live with the results of other people’s thinking (Young, Jeffrey 2005). We need to think for ourselves and bring forth new ideas into the world. We should never be afraid to be who we are and what we are (Jobs, Steve, June 14, 2005). Yes, breaking barriers may not be easy and there is always a possibility that we will fail on the process but then again, breaking barriers is the only way to move forward. Come to think of it, if the likes of Jobs and Bill Gates had not been foolish enough to venture into unknown territories, we probably would not have personal computers have computers today. Will my interest in computers have any positive impact on my future as a writer? Yes, I believe it will. I believe that computers are the way of the future and sooner or later, our industries will all be computer driven. Since computers are the primary tools of the future, there are lots of opportunities for technical writers and computer programmers. New technologies will have to taught and explained to its users (Lesinski, Jeanne M., 2006). Since the public will need to be educated on the features of new technologies, technical writers will always have a job. A computer programmer who knows how to write will have an edge over those programmers who are not proficient in writing. Since a programmer understands computers more than the average non-techno savvy individual, he or she is in a better position to explain the new technology to the users. If the computer programmer knows how to write, he or she will always be in demand. As for challenges, there will always be a lot of challenges for technical writers and computer programmers. The computer industry is very competitive. As we speak, software architects and engineers are working hard to come up with new technologies. Companies like Apple Inc. and Microsoft will always have something new for their clients. Another challenge for writers is that the use of printed materials and books is slowly being replaced by electronic reading materials and audio-video information materials. If a writer does not go with the latest trends of communication, he or she may not be very successful in his or her chosen field. Works Cited Lesinski, Jeanne M. (2006). Bill Gates (Biography (A & E). A & E Television Networks Steve Jobs (June 14, 2005) “Youve got to find what you love.” Stanford Report. February 17, 2010 http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html?view=print Young, Jeffrey 2005, Icon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business, John Wiley & Sons Inc. Read More