Write Around The Corner // Beth Turnbull

About a month ago I was walking through downtown Pittsburgh. It was a magnificent day. The sun was shining, there was a gentle breeze, and I was in a pretty good mood. I was walking from my dorm to Point State Park when I decided to stop at Dunkin Donuts and get a 99-cent iced tea (which actually comes out to $1.06 with tax by the way). I don’t like to carry change. It’s heavy, it rattles around, and I just prefer to use my debit card or paper money when I’m paying for things. (I am lucky I can be particular about how I use money, I acknowledge that.) So I left Dunkin with my tea in hand and my change in my pocket. I decided I would give my change to the first homeless person I saw. About a minute later I saw a middle-aged man with a paper cup outside of McDonald’s--a common sight--and I gave him my change. All 94 cents of it. I was proud of myself. I probably made that guy’s day, I thought to myself. My first instinct was to reach for my phone and tell my friends about the goo...

It feels good to be writing here again, I had a lot of ambition when I started this blog in September. But then my first year of college happened. It was wonderful, and wonderfully busy. I had great opportunities to write for my college newspaper, and I was able to write for The Odyssey Online during the spring semester. These platforms allowed me to grow as a writer, but I was limited. I had to write for the Odyssey once a week, and after a while it became very difficult to write an inspired and meaningful piece. So I quit. I wanted to take some time to think and write on my own. What I want most is for my words to be carefully chosen and thought provoking. I don’t want to care how many times my pieces are shared on Facebook. Writing is very personal for me, I feel like I am having a conversation with each person who takes the time to read what I’ve said. I want to be proud of everything I share. This summer I am going to focus on making this blog the best it can be. I am going ...