your opinion here

Dear blogdom, I call upon thee to give me a straight answer. I was involved in a debate today. A mild and non-political debate, but a dialogue of disagreement none-the-less. I want/desire/crave/yearn for your opinion.

Background: I was a journalism major when I started collage. I have litterings of "See you at the New York Times" all over my senior yearbook. Footloose and fancy-free, I was not. I took my role seriously. Others more so than I. And therein lies the loose string that unraveled my initial plans. Journalists I encountered were of a vicious and highly competitive nature. At the tender age of twenty, I decided (after spending a semester abroad) that I was not that sort of person and decided history was the real path for me. My reasoning was backed by a Glamour Magazine editor (Kirsten Golden-Something-or-Other) who told me that many magazines were looking for someone with a flare for writing, but with a well-rounded background. So, my new plan was to become part of the staff of magazine that would find value in someone well-versed in Early-Modern European History. Why? Because I was twenty.

So forgive me for taking this topic to heart, but it wields a certain power over me. Here is my question for you: Can someone learn to write or is a talent you hone-in on?

I maintain that you can teach someone how to properly use grammar, but being able to convey your message to the world - indubitably crafted to tell your story, or evoke specific emotions or opinions - is not something you can learn. It is something you are born with.

Forgive me, dear readers, if I am being harsh. I want to be persuaded otherwise. I would like to believe that I could sing like Norah Jones, if given the right vocal teacher and practice. I know that God gave each of us certain gifts and some people are ridiculously talented (eh-hem, Jen and Darlene) at one thing, like writing, while the rest of us find our gifts in other arenas. We can't all be good at one thing, or this would be a really boring world.