Writing may be the place where the two impulses can coexist more honestly. It is useful in the sense that it may reach somebody, explain something or give meaning to an ordinary life that might otherwise pass without being properly noticed. It is also something I do because the words require a place to go, whether or not another person is waiting with a visible need. Writing does not remove the burden, but it allows me to examine why I picked it up and whether I have mistaken its weight for proof of my worth.