When I was a practicing therapist, I had to write letters of medical necessity. I had to justify why an elevating leg rest was more appropriate for a child with knee extension contractures as opposed to the standard footrests; or why a four-inch seat cushion made of memory foam was important for a child with little feeling in the lower half of their bodies. Medicaid wanted to know their money was being spent wisely and my job was to make sure the child got what was physically best for them and would last them the 3 to 5 years they thought a wheelchair for a child should last. Thankfully I knew how to write and could carefully craft such letters.
I had been encouraged from a very young child to read, read, read. Because of that, I had learned about writing. Once I started writing – grammar, spelling and sentence structure was drilled into my head. I soon figured out how to craft stories that made sense.
In this age of texting and emails; the art of writing, spelling, and grammar is not forcefully taught in schools, nor held in high regard by those who are connected to their phones 24/7. But it is important to learn to write. Take my friend who, with his computer wizardry, helped to make this website happen. Before he became proficient in computers, he was an English teacher. Now he is highly prized in his job because not only is he a computer ‘geek,’ but he can do things like write grants and construct training programs.
One of the most glaring recent examples of this was when James Comey, the former FBI Director, was testifying in front of Congress recently. He was praised by several of the Senators for his cognizant and clear written opening statement. Here was an FBI agent who had learned to write clearly and it made a difference as to how he was understood in a very important setting.
Therapist, computer geek, top dog policeman, or writer of tales – it doesn’t matter what you do, that fact is, that it is important to learn to construct clear, concise written words. Writing matters.
Do you have examples of why writing is important to you? Share below in the comments.
Chasing The Tale 