I love my job. I really do. It’s been a hop, a skip and a jump from Marian Academy’s The Pendance to a one-off publication in the Catholic Standard to this. Some days I still marvel at how it all happened.
I had started attending the University of Guyana, but coming off a hectic school routine, I felt I was not doing enough and that’s how it all started. That was just over two years ago.
Today I remember the trivial things, like forgetting to wear socks the day I went for the interview and not remembering the name of the person who was to interview me. Nerves, I know. Now I fit right in like the pesky younger brother in a tolerant, large, happy family.
I had interviewed for a hard news position, but was offered the opportunity to write for The Scene instead. I thought it would be oh so easy. I was so wrong.
For instance, I beat myself up if I get as much as a word wrong and I mope around as if it is the worst thing to do, because it really is the worst thing to do. Having all the time in the world, having the resources at your fingertips and everyone just buttons away, would you still make a mistake? I hate mistakes although I am prone to them, aren’t we all? Still, that is no excuse.
My main responsibilities are the weekly features of local personalities, whether they’re here or in the Diaspora, this op/ed column and supplementary reports (as I like to call them) on local shows or exhibitions or upcoming events.
The most difficult is this column. How many print readers actually know that the name of this column is ‘Culture Box’? And that is exactly what it should be about: culture, entertainment, the arts.
As you can see, I often drift off course and you might find politics, socio-political or pieces like this one. Apart from sometimes holding myself to that requirement I find it hard to really pick an issue to expound on every week. I often wonder how daily columnists manage when I sometimes struggle to write a weekly. Sometimes an opportunity presents itself; like last year, when I reviewed local eating houses over a period of a few months and they were published over July/August.
And then there is the easiest part of the job which is the supplementary reports. These are the easiest to come by. Although going to shows to report on them is time consuming and my least favourite, it has its perks – the write up is a breeze.
This is possibly the only reporting I do. I have a problem with that word ‘reporter’ since I hardly report. I do more creative writing and expressive pieces rather than what “reporting” formally boxes you into.
You might be wondering by now whether there is a point to this diatribe; there is. What I have learned so far is that you always have to be self-motivated, believe in yourself and work towards accomplishing your goals. While at Marian, I was hesitant to write, but it eventually became a hobby I enjoyed and grew into a job I love. I’ve learned too that sometimes you might forget your socks, but you should not let that become a setback. Know what you aspire to and keep pushing forward. Most importantly, be open and willing to learn because you never stop learning.