Today was like any other day.  The rain came tumbling down, and my feet were excessively wet from morning to night.  I prayed the papers in my backpack would stay dry.  Everyone on campus is wondering where the sun has gone.  Its in times like these that I promise myself that Spring always comes.  I know the cloud will dissipate when the good Lord desires.  Soon God? 

Today in chapel, Dr. Foreman spoke some inspiring words.  There were certain things that I've thought of before, but I loved his quote on the writers in the Bible.  "Inspiration wasn't without perspiration."  What a witty comment.  I think what I really honed in on was his personal reflections on his own writing.  He spoke on his bouts with writing essays that sounded good, but lacked understanding.  I find I trap myself in this as well.  I'm so concerned over whether it sounds good that I forget the meaning of the essay itself.  I remember my first big essay in high school.  I wanted my paper to sound extra-intelligent that I would find "smarter-sounding" synonyms instead of the simpler words.  I was embarrassed to receive my paper back with a comment that said something to the extent of, "Next time, try using a word you understand."  I was caught red-handed.  It was then that I realized me wanting to sound smarter, or cooler was hijacking the good things that I could write.  Unfortunately its a hard obstacle to overcome.  For some strange reason I convince myself that for my writing to sound good it must look fancy or have elaborate words.  I don't have the experience or credibility for that gift yet.

Simplicity is a beautiful thing.  I find that with a lot of memoirs, the people's lives are pictured in such a simple way and that grabs at my heartstrings more than anything.  The frills or fluff aren't there in the author's writing just the organic, real, and honest words.  It does an author no good to write something he or she can't even understand--the poor reader will have a harder time as well.

I was comforted by Dr. Foreman's words.  I don't think we ever stop growing in our writing style especially when working on creative non-fictional works. 

I suppose a good way to end this journal is with a poem by Vikram Pratap Singh on rain. It seems appropriate.  

Rain Rain Rain

Rain, Rain, Rain, come again and again,
In the winter, in the summer and in spring,
Come with joy, fall with happiness and go with sorrow,
Rain, Rain, Rain come again and again.

Rain, Rain, Rain come to relive earth's pain,
Rain, Rain, Rain come to make nature happy,
Rain, Rain, Rain come to make livings happy,
Rain, Rain, Rain come again and again.

Rain, Rain, Rain don't go away,
Rain, Rain, Rain i hope you will stay,
Rain, Rain, Rain come again and again.