Diversion

Last night, I was up until 3 in the morning working on a travel writing essay. I'd decided to write about my home country, Malaysia. Since this was a subjective essay, my focus was supposed to be on how the place affected me. I intended to write about the cultures, festivals and food; basic things that defined Malaysia's uniqueness. However, I soon discovered my essay was going to be entirely different from what I'd planned.

This wasn't a peachy, flowery essay on how amazing Malaysia is. For one, I wasn't writing a guidebook on Malaysia's main attractions. I couldn't ignore the things that came to mind as I wrote.

I started writing about the things that bothered me, things that were hidden beneath layers of the nation's pride. I wrote about the cultural conservatism that framed most mindsets, the rigid education system and the nation's corrupted politics. As I wrote all that, I wondered if I had strayed from the parameters of my assignment. But I couldn't stop now; I was so far in, I had to continue and finish what I'd started.

I love Malaysia, and I honestly believe it has the potential to be a great country. But this country, like many others, is deeply flawed from unresolved mistakes of the past. Sadly, instead of actually treating these issues, the leaders are merely putting band aids over the wounds and ignoring the protests of the people. After all, the leaders aren't the ones getting the rough end of the stick; the people are. When exactly will the citizens stop paying the price for their leaders' mistakes?

If only the leaders would listen to the people - and I mean, really listen - justice and harmony would be restored to their rightful positions.

I can't say this is a great essay, because I don't know if I pushed the boundaries too far on this assignment and spiraled off into a different zone altogether. I don't know if my lecturer is going to scribble all over my 5-page paper in red ink and say: SEE ME! I don't know if my classmates are going to enjoy reading about the dark side of a country they'd never been to.

But I wasn't trying to put my country in a bad light; I was just being honest about my opinions and how growing up in Malaysia shaped me.

Well, a renowned American travel writer, Rick Steves, came to campus today. I attended his talk and at the end of his speech, I was the last one to ask a question:

"When you write, are you sometimes drawn to take a different direction, one that wasn't planned for?" I asked.

He said, "That's a good point. Yes, it happens. But whenever it does, you should always stick to your guns and do what you believe in, even if it doesn't sell a lot."

He proceeded to talk about the time he veered off what he was supposed to write about, and instead wrote about what struck him. It ended up being one of the worst things he'd written, among his collection of amazing travel books, but he said he didn't regret writing it.

"When something like that happens," he said. "You just have to change the direction of your focus and go with what you feel is right."

I drank in every word he said, and right then, I knew I didn't regret writing that essay. It might not have been what I initially planned to say about Malaysia, but it was definitely something I needed to say.

That's the thing about writing; sometimes you start off with a message you want to get across, but along the way, you notice more important things worth including, and suddenly the focus shifts and you're writing about something entirely different. Sometimes, your thoughts may lead you into another journey and you find yourself exploring new themes. I'd say go for it, and see where you end up. Like an adventure, writing can surprise you.