“What are you an authority on?”

As I drove my parakeet to the vet for what feels like the hundredth time, I listened to podcasts on WordPress; one theme occurred repeatedly:

What are you an authority on?

The concept was about search engines; they want to see where your expertise lies, to show the very best content, the most relevant… but perhaps not the most trusted. See: the bullshit *** News shows and other “authorities” of that content.

But what, then, am I an authority on? My first thought was, “Very Little.”

…But that isn’t necessarily true.

I know a lot about teaching people how to write; on inspiring others to find their voices. On teaching English. I’m excellent at spotting different ways to accomplish the same task… but perhaps more efficiently, or with more fun involved.

I’m not a doctor, yet I’ve helped friends advocate for their own health and discover underlying health issues that impacted their quality of life. I kindly informed a lovely someone that, perhaps, they should research supplements they take rather than relying on TikTok for their medical advice (and why they shouldn’t take Tylenol when they’ve been drinking.)

I’ve advised friends who were in terribly dangerous situations in their relationships, and helped them find their way out of them.

Perhaps this is really just my imposter syndrome manifesting when I wonder what I am an authority on.

I do know that if a student of mine wanted to write, but found themselves hesitating for any reason, I would tell them to write. Write every day. Freewrite. Whether they share or not is up to them, but just… write.

Write with all your heart, for ten minutes a day.

So, in following my own authoritative advice, here I am–a ten minute freewrite.