A Reunion with Risk
by Beth Wright
Vulnerable. Honest. Open. Truth-telling. Words you wouldn’t necessarily connect to your college reunion.
But over the course of a recent weekend these were the words that came to mind as I reconnected with my college classmates in one-on-one conversations, during discussions over meals, and at panels and other programs featuring some of my fellow alums.
For one afternoon session a large group of my classmates sat on stage and told stories from their lives. These five-minute narratives varied in theme and mood, but all were moving and memorable. Topics included parenting a child with autism, union organizing, and high school teaching. One classmate told a story about being confronted about his white privilege back when we were still students and how it affected his life for years afterward. It was one of the best examples I’ve seen of how a white person can model learning from uncomfortable encounters and working against white supremacy.
This wide range of personal reminiscences had certain qualities in common: honesty, openness, and willingness to risk being vulnerable in front of a group of comparative strangers. (Another frequent refrain that weekend was “Did you and I know each other as students? I can’t remember . . .” The joy of being in a group of people who are all nearly fifty is that you can laugh about your weak memory and move on.)
Another session that same weekend ostensibly featured a group of people talking about their career paths. It was ultimately much more revealing. The speakers collectively celebrated the ability to make difficult choices and pursue what feels true to oneself rather than attempting to conform to others’ expectations.
Most of the people I talked to or heard from that weekend aren’t writers. Some might do some writing as part of their job, but most don’t devote themselves to the craft. Nevertheless, as an editor and writing coach, I couldn’t help thinking about how these stories I was hearing would work as written texts. And about why they were so powerful and effective. It all came back to the risk the storytellers were taking when they stepped on stage or even the chance someone took when telling their story over dinner to a table full of classmates.
Vulnerability. Honesty. Openness. Truth. These are key factors in good writing of any genre for any audience. The overwhelming need to tell their truth while risking criticism, pushback, or even embarrassment is what can drive a writer to create their best work.
If you're a writer, you have to be willing to risk that your truth will be too much for someone to handle. But it may be what someone else needs to hear.
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