Ego, Igitur Scribo

I stuttered badly as a child. Really badly. I couldn’t even speak an entire sentence fluently, leave alone hold my own in a debate or other verbal activity. Growing up in the 70s and going through the rigors of education by numbers, I developed an extreme form of shyness and preferred my own company.

This shyness and preference to be in a shell made me gravitate towards the written word. I found books (not textbooks of course) to be a convenient and easy escape from the taunts and “sticks and stones” as Shakespeare put it so nicely. Books also allowed me to think – which I could without stuttering.

I also discovered a flair for languages and found French to be a wonderfully expressive language in which to put down ardent words of love and desire (though these were never delivered to actual living persons). And most importantly, I didn’t stammer at all when I spoke in French!

From reading to writing was a natural progression (though the third R wasn’t, and isn’t, my forte at all). Writing allowed me to express myself fluently, without halting, hesitating or pausing. In school, I delighted in writing essays, short stories and other pieces of prose. Esoteric topics like “The Autobiography Of An Umbrella” or “A Trip Through The Rain In India” were easy as pie for me. I could write, and keep writing, without fear of breaks or mockery. Long form essays and literary critiques in college were finger-snappingly easy!

I discovered a few channels on which to write - no digital platforms then but essentially the “middles” of prominent newspapers and some newsletters recommended by friends. The newspapers of course rejected my submissions without grace or gentleness. But I still treasure (and framed) the first ever rejection note I got – at least they bothered to reply! I also got opportunities to do English-French-English translations and earned enough to pay for my ticket to France for higher studies.

I started working in advertising and found myself doing more copy work than client relations. The opportunities to meet writers in different languages who could weave magic with words was exhilarating beyond…words! I also got opportunities to work in PR where I could use my writing skills to generate a lot of content such as press releases, white papers, ghost articles for clients and so on. This also helped me learn how to shape my thoughts and writing flow into coherent content and not just confused rambles on a page!

I moved to Dubai in the early naughties and continued to work in advertising. One of my core functions was to manage copy and content for all my clients. I thus got a chance to practice my writing skills on a wider canvas and explored industries as diverse as foods, airlines, telecom, medical services and financial services. The growth of the internet, social media and digital channels, and the development of the “smart phone”, gave me innumerable opportunities for pithy, silly or plain thought-provoking content which could be published at the click of a button.

I also started a blog to document the quirks, delights and tragedies of everyday life. You are reading this on my blog!

To conclude, my motto is “Ego, Igitur Scribo” – I Am, Therefore I Write. I can think of no more fulfilling activity than writing and I can’t wait to put down all the ideas jostling in my head on to paper till the ink dries out!