One of the questions I have been frequently asked is if writing isn’t boring or time consuming. My response: Boring? No. Time consuming? Hell Yes!
It should not be time consuming, but it is with procrastination – there I said it. Hi, my name is Jairo Rodrigues and I am a procrastinator.
But it really is not my fault. I mean, I find I just cannot write without the pressure. Since high school days I became a night owl from burning the midnight oil and it is a habit I never broke out of. I love sleep though! But I just cannot bring myself to write during the day; unless of course, there’s a deadline staring me in the face.
The simplest things distract me and even when it is still and quiet in the dark night, I sit in my room, head out the window and just stare for minutes till that voice says: “Ey! You aint geh wuk fuh do?”
I concentrate better at my desk at home and even when I do have all the time to spare in the world I always write and submit my work a day or a night before the deadline when I literally have five preceding days.
Procrastination is a terrible hindrance to good journalism; it holds back your potential to excel. Writing under pressure means you are far more likely to make mistakes. Procrastination becomes a terrible habit. The fact that I know this means it’s not or should not be an excuse but it is a habit I am pulling away from.
Procrastination really is the thief of time.
Is journalism worth it though? Is it worth the heavy responsibility, the fighting to make deadlines, the pulling out of hair when something does not go as planned, disappointing yourself at times, fearing the possibility of disappointing your editor, screaming when you make a blunder, gasping when your work gets cut or even regretting those sleepless nights.
It is. It is worth every pain and sacrifice when you see the impact of your work.
The influence your words can have, the encouragement, even the criticisms can build you.
It is an art and a writer is like a painter who splashes paint on the minds of readers wanting to share a piece, and sometimes all of his/her soul.
It is always about learning, never the gains. For me it is about using your talent, being inquisitive and interested in the world around you, being expressive and most importantly having a thirst for knowledge – always wanting to know more. It never is about being the best but bettering your product; that is your writing for the benefit of true expressions.
For the sake of being true to myself, I take my job both seriously and humorously. Seriously because I have responsibilities, when I am on an assignment I am focused on getting the job done.
Humorously because as the old adage says, ‘all work and no play…’ you know the rest. That’s part of the reason I tend to write at home. The office can often be too much fun.
However, learning is always the goal. I have so much to learn and I am eager to do so. Last week’s column and this week’s are just a small piece of the story of my job. That story is currently being lived and will one day be written. (Jairo Rodrigues)
