When I wrote my stories in elementary school, I signed them all 'Karen E. Bender' with the squiggly 'E.' I wanted, from an early age, to be a writer, and that name - that E - was a way of pretending I knew how to do it.

When I wrote my stories in elementary school, I signed them all 'Karen E. Bender' with the squiggly 'E.' I wanted, from an early age, to be a writer, and that name - that E - was a way of pretending I knew how to do it.

📖 Karen Bender

🌍 American  |  👨‍💼 Novelist

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This quote beautifully captures the early aspirations and identity formation that accompany childhood dreams. From a young age, the speaker shows a desire to become a writer, and the act of signing stories with a distinctive 'E' signifies more than just a name—it symbolizes an aspirational persona. The squiggly 'E' reflects the imaginative and playful nature of childhood, a time when boundaries between reality and fantasy often blur. By adopting this signature, the young writer-in-the-making was experimenting with the idea of presence and authorship, creating a persona that embodied the qualities they admired or aspired to have.

The process of pretending to know how to do something as complex as writing at an early age reveals the importance of self-belief and the human desire for recognition and validation. It underscores how children often imitate and internalize the symbols of expertise long before they fully grasp their meaning, which is a vital part of learning and identity development. Moreover, this act of signing with an elaborate signature can be seen as an act of empowerment, a declaration of dreams even before they seem fully attainable.

Reflecting on this quote, one recognizes a universal truth about the importance of nurturing early passions and the role of imagination in shaping future aspirations. It also serves as a poignant reminder that the stories we tell ourselves about who we are—whether as children or adults—are often crafted with the same mixture of innocence, aspiration, and pretend play. Such childhood expressions are the seeds of genuine ambition, eventually growing into real skills and accomplishments as we mature; however, the initial act of pretend and imagination remains a vital part of our creative identity.

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June 23, 2025

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