It would be a safe bet to say that getting here, to this very seat in fact, has been quite a journey in itself. From a young age the simplicity of capturing a photo - of anything from my family to my unfocused thumb - had found me an outlet that truly made me happy. However, I have learnt that with age comes a certain responsibility; a responsibility to look after yourself, support yourself, etc, etc. As soon as you first step foot onto the ground of your new and overly-intimidating high school, the teachers stop teaching, the parents stop encouraging you to chase your dreams, and instead both teachers and parents unite in indoctrinating you with what is said to be 'essential preparation' for the 'real world'. You begin to lose sight of your dreams and goals and instead focus on a safe and comfortable path for the future. Your parents are happy, your teachers are happy, your friends are happy, and you're happy. You're happy because they're all happy, and also because you are about to set foot onto the path of a fail-proof 'journey of a lifetime', in which you will encounter nothing of any real satisfaction or happiness. At least that's what I thought this time last semester when I was instead sitting in a business lecture discussing Maslow's Heirachy of Needs.
Fortunately, in a very small space of time I had a change in heart, however mine had to be broken and hurt several times in order to take a chance with my future. Before you decide to read no further, I must tell you it is not the kind of broken heart that seeks recovery and comfort from several family size blocks of chocolate and Bridget Jone's Diary. As aforementioned, all your parents are concerned about when you leave school is that you'll be able to support yourself. The answer is simple. Get a degree you have no interest in, hold a job you are far from passionate about and a live a life not worth living. It only took me until the moment my father left and my grandfather died to realise the only thing important in life is to be happy. Thus very quickly, with sparks of enthusiasm and passion I dropped out of business, enrolled in journalism, began photography, and became so sensationally inspired, in awe at the place I had found myself in. Finally blessed with the realisation that I can do whatever I want to do. And for me, if that meant taking the opposite path in which I was meant to travel, then so be it. I was and still am willing to drop everything in the hope to find happiness in writing. I want to share my passion for this world full of such wonder and life. My unattainable dreams of becoming a travel writer now seem so close and so real; and then for me to think - the journey hasn't even begun.
Bruce Redman included the following quote in his lecture.
"I became a journalist to come as close as possible to the heart of the world." - Henry R. Luce
I remember as each and every word rolled off his tongue, every fibre of my being was ignited by a flame of self content and happiness. The joyous, overwhelming feeling that came of moulding into my surroundings and feeling such comfort from where I had landed was unfathomable. At that point, those words spoke the truth, my truth. They detailed my reason for being, my passion and motivation, but more than anything, they spoke of my love for the world, it's knowledge, it's people and it's history. At that moment I wanted to shout out everything I knew and I wanted every soul on the planet to hear it.
Aside from initial introductions and the outline for the coming semester, nothing much was said in the first week. Although the talk of assessment no longer has me trying to run away and escape to a remote island in the middle of the South Pacific. Now, I just want to start. I want to write about things and blog about things and speak of such things that deserve to be spoken. Things that deserve to be shared and admired. I want to tell people of the beauty of their world and explore it until every square millimetre has been admired.
As writers, we can make life extraordinary.
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