Why did you first get into writing?

This morning I thought about all the experiences and impressions of my past that led me to an interest in writing: inspirational teachers, great books, and lots of other tiny moments that added up like a bunch of little pebbles that eventually combined into an avalanche. I know it sounds odd, but I still remember the thrill of discovering adjectives as a kid and how they could alter my perception of words on the page, i.e. how a door or a gate suddenly came alive on the page when I referred to it as a red door or a broken gate. The way simple text could evoke an image in my mind fascinated me. 

Of course, reading and writing go hand in hand, and every writer I know is as much inspired by a fascinating series of books as they are by experiences in creative writing. But there are so many other kinds of great writing many of us apply in our daily lives as well: journals, diaries, poetry, screen-plays, brainstorms, and even blogs!

So what first got you into writing? I want to know what events transpired to make you into the quirky would-be writer that you are now. What pushed you over into the madness…err passion for writing? What about it changed your life for the better?