If you see me walking around campus on any Monday morning, chances are that my schedule for the day is filled with interviews. It is a new exciting week full of new exciting stories. The week is nothing but potential. The world is mine to uncover.
When I first started out in the world of journalism, I wanted to soak everything possible up like a sponge. I felt like I found what I was good at. I felt like I finally found my place where I belonged. Every single opportunity was a new adventure.
Weeks go by, and stories become more frequent. Not every story can be special, so they start to lose fire. You give all of yourself on a piece of paper hoping that it will mean something to someone.
Every journalist probably has that piece that changed them. There is something about an artistic vision that sometimes clouds all view of anything else. I had mine a few weeks ago. I took a piece that I didn't have any connection to. At the beginning, it didn't seem like that special of a story. It was just another story to take. By the end of the week, that story meant more to me than any story I have every had. I talked to the people and met their family. I learned of their hardship and heard the crackle in their voice as they talked about different subjects. Their story was mine to tell.
You can't capture human emotion in a 400 word article. You can't capture pain and stereotypes. This was the article where I started doubting myself. To be completely honest I don't care how many people look at me and tell me that article was something I should be proud of. That is an article I am unable to look out or really even acknowledge. The story deserved more, and I know I am capable. But for some reason I wasn't.
It has taken me some time. I am learning how to bounce back from that. I am learning that maybe I won't always be the best at all times. I am learning that there will always be someone out there better. I am learning that I'm not perfect. I expect too much out of myself. I want to put everything I have into a story to let the subject shine. I want to be the best, and one day I will be.
It will be tough. There will be times when you question every bit of ability you have. There will be times when you look at others and don't think you can compete. There will be times when you feel like you should be at a different place than you are. There are times when you want to quit. Journalism is tough. But it is so worth it in the end.
