A lot of people have revalations while sitting on the can. I have them as I fold laundry. And by god, tonight’s was big.
My job might be frustrating from time to time. It might be emotionally draining. It might make me doubt my own abilities. And for the record, it’s been/done all of those. But I’ve never hated it. And you know what I realized tonight? That’s awesome.
I have one of the few jobs in the world that will almost inevitably get people to go, “Wow. That’s really cool.” when you tell them what you do for a living. You don’t say that about accountants. You don’t say that about copy editors. You don’t say it about podiatrists. But reporters? “Wow, that’s really cool.” Why? I think it’s because reporters always have a story to tell.
And I’m not just talking anecdotally. Experience tells me this. A lot of my interview subjects ask me about being a reporter. My friends ask me about it and I can keep them entertained for a while. Heck, even I ask reporters to tell me stories about being reporters.
That’s the best thing about this job, I reckon. I’ve been a reporter since my freshman year in college. That’s five years. And in that five years, I’ve accumulated a lifetime’s worth of stories and tales. Not too many 23 year olds can say that.
