Proud of YA

I tweeted about this topic not too long ago after I read The One by Kiera Cass (good, easy read if you’re looking for some drama filled romance). After letting the idea simmer for a couple of days, I realize a tweet and a Tumblr post wasn’t enough. Thus, this blog post was created.

It’s taken me a long time (20 years to be exact) to be comfortable with the things I love. I know it sounds a little crazy. That I’m uncomfortable and awkward with the things I love the most—writing and reading YA. It should be the simplest thing for me to talk about. It’s literally a never ending topic, but up until the middle of 2014 I wouldn’t talk about it. And if I did, it was always in the vaguest terms.

http://bookriot.com/2014/05/22/30-diverse-ya-titles-get-radar/

Q: What do you like to do? 

A: Write. Read.

That is literally how I would answer my classmates. It wasn’t even limited to people I didn’t really know that well. I never really talked about how much I loved writing and reading with even my close friends. Don’t even get me started on talking about that subject with my parents or family. They all knew I was passionate about it, but I never really talked about it.

I mean I’m not a very vocal person to begin with honestly. I rather listen than talk—mostly out of fear of saying something incorrect. And I think you guys know that look you get when you tell people that you read YA—I absolutely hate that look. There were always more reasons to listen rather than talk. 

But this past year, someone or something turned the switch in my brain. I became more open. I learned that I can talk about what I love doing even if the person I was talking to didn’t share my interests. I’m the one starting conversations because I have to tell my friends about the latest book I read or the scene I recently wrote. I’m the one chatting away in the bookstore pointing out all the books I’ve heard were good to my parents. 

I really don’t know what happened. Maybe I’m just getting older, more mature, more comfortable in my skin, blah-blah-blah. I’m just more open about the things I love to do now. I have no shame for loving the things I do and it’s the best feeling. The freedom to talk about things I’m actually interested in and not the things that I “should” be interested in. 

I’m not ashamed of reading/writing YA. I never really was, but I was always cautious. The things I do to satisfy my passion it seems takes time for me to share. They take time for me to be proud of myself and speak about them. I can’t even tell you how grateful I am that I’m able to do it with my writing now. There are thousands of things I want, but I really needed this. I needed the courage to talk about what I love. 

And I’m not saying, I’m completely open about it. I will still probably answer that I write/read to people that ask me what I like doing in this new semester. And I won’t always be willing to expand upon it. (It really just depends on my mood for the day, honestly). But there will be more days that I will want to talk and talk and talk until the person regrets saying “What do you like to do?” 

Because I love YA. Reading it. Writing it. Just being in it. Considering how close I am to being 21, I know I’m not a “young adult” but it’s what I love. 

I will have no shame. I will be proud. And I will talk about it without fear of judgment. 

Have you guys ever had trouble talking about your passion? Have you ever had to monitor what you say around certain people? Comment below!