Reflection . . .

By: Rochelle Ramay
Publication: The Voice, Vol. 6, No. 4
Date: September-October 2001

I applied to the National Writing Project Professional Writing Retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when I believed the coast was clear--when the calendar showed nothing looming on the horizon of teaching or family responsibilities. Besides, I needed to finish the paper I'd been working on for nearly three years, and the NWP's offer of time and location proved irresistible.

As the day for heading to Santa Fe inched its way closer, my life became complicated with family and profession. Honestly, ten days before my flight was scheduled to leave Sacramento, I nearly forfeited my spot at the writing retreat. But some words of wisdom reminded me that going would be far more valuable than not. And the idea of finally finishing my paper appealed to me in the rawest way.

The days spent in Santa Fe blur together. But what I recall most is the solitude. Even in the midst of construction, there was quiet. There were only 25 of us, but, as with most other writing project occasions, we knew each other even before we arrived. We all know those invisible ties connecting us to the ideals of teaching writing. What made this time different from other events is we were writers chiseling out our stories and crafting our ways through them. I believe all of us began in one place and wound up at a different place as we wrote, met with our writing groups, and then rewrote. We worked hard, but it wasn't hard work. It was rich and moving, and I bet all of us found something to say we hadn't even suspected we knew.

So why was going to Santa Fe worth missing a family backpacking trip, forcing my brother to run the Western State 100 Mile Endurance Run without my help, and not being there when my mother moved to her new home? Because, although I sacrificed incredibly important events, I had never before put writing above anything else. Because I gave in to thinking only about my paper and learned what I was trying to say. Because I heard everyone else struggle with their work the way I struggled with mine. Because sometimes we don't think that writing is an important-enough priority to place it above other aspects of our lives. Because sometimes we need other ears to listen to us and other voices to help us work our way out from underneath our burdensome profession. Because, as teachers, we think we don't have much that's important to say, and if we really said what we're thinking, we'd have to fear the backlash in response to our words. Because writing is fun when it works, and because when we finish carving on and out an idea and see it as finished as it can be (given the nature of writing), we are content for the moment--and that's what happened in Santa Fe when I went to the National Writing Project's Professional Writing Retreat.

Because going gave me direction in my writing.

Next year's NWP Writing Retreat will take place June 27-30th, at the Sunrise Springs Conference Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Applications are due during March 2002. Check the NWP Web site this winter for an application and more details.

Other Articles About the 2001 NWP Writing Retreat
"Writers Retreat," by John Dorroh, The Voice, September-October 2001.
"Reflection on the Sunrise Springs Writing Retreat," by Gayle Morgan, The Voice, September-October 2001.
"Slinger of Mortar," by Pete Shaheen, The Voice, September-October 2001.

Articles About the 2000 NWP Writing Retreat
"Gathering Around Our Writing," by Tim Gillespie, The Voice, September-October 2000.
"Retreat Eases Writing Struggle," by Terry Mobley, The Voice, September-October 2000.

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