Tough skin is important.
I had a few tough college professors, you know, those ones who don't let things slide and who challenge you. It was a pain while I was going through it, but now almost seven months after I graduated college I am immensely grateful.
I had a college adviser who had a reputation as a harsh man. Once I realized I could graduate a year early, I went to him to ask for his signature on some paperwork. He didn't believe me that I could do it, graduate college in three years that is...
You see, I've been surrounded with doubtful people my whole life. People who don't push themselves or others. People who have no faith in accomplishment or desire to succeed. People who couldn't fathom to say they were proud of anyone.
Perhaps it was that environment that pushed me to be driven. Perhaps I wanted to make someone proud. Perhaps I wanted to make myself proud.
I'm not sympathetic unless there are a million reasons for me to be and you won't hurt my feelings by insulting me. I'd say both of those things play into a lot of journalists' personalities.
I knew I wanted to write as a child. Then I knew I wanted to be a journalist. That never changed. I wanted it as quick as possible.
My adviser doubting me was probably the best thing that happened to me in college. I went through every loophole necessary to prove him wrong - to prove that yes, I
could do it.
And I did.
Overcoming a challenge is one of the best feelings in the world.
And now that adviser still helps me out. He could have rid of me seven months ago when I graduated, but he, as a master of many newsrooms himself, he still keeps in touch with many previous graduates who have entered the
ever-changing field of journalism.
Just the other day in an e-mail, he told me he was
impressed by me.
Monday while typing my life away, a woman called to thank me for my "great writing in the paper" that helps her feel
connected to her communities.
Yesterday while conducting an interview for a story, the man I as talking to told me that a city
needs a newspaper the same way the newspaper needs the city.
Today I received a phone call from someone who needed to tell me something in complete confidence. This woman told me that her boss didn't want her to contact me solely because I'm a journalist, even though the issue had nothing to do with my profession. She said she trusted me and still called. I promise, you can
trust most journalists. We're not out for backstabbing contrary to popular belief.
Journalists aren't heartless, old or young. We care. We want to succeed. We push ourselves and maybe sometimes that comes across as pushing others, but we want the story. We want to prove something. We want to show you that you can talk to us, for public knowledge or in confidence. We want to learn about everything and teach everyone what we know.
Journalists want to prove something, that yes we can. We want to make you proud and we want to succeed in everything we try. Labels: college adviser, heartless, journalists, tough skin
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