Before I Was a Teacher

A looong time ago, before I started teaching little humans, I pursued a career in journalism...


It was the first big goal I went after as an adult, and it was exciting!  When I got my graduate degree from Emerson College, I soon accepted a job in Lawrenceville, Georgia at a small cable station.

For those of you who don't know, when you first start out in broadcast journalism it can be very hard work. You're considered a "one man band" if you start out in a tiny station, and that means you are everything and every role! The camera man, editor, and on air talent! It is not easy. I can't tell you how many times I sweated through my clothes, lugging heavy camera equipment, getting footage, recording interviews, lugging the heavy gear back to my car, then racing back to the studio to edit my assignment and appear on air...all while trying to make deadlines. It was fast paced, exciting, and I learned a lot. To be able to study something in college and realize a dream I had had for a long time was a real accomplishment for me. By the time I left Gwinnett News and Entertainment Television (GNET), I was still a one man band, but I had worked my way up and anchored all the time slots...the 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. newscasts.

Two years later, the station shut down. Most of my colleagues, hungry for more news, took other jobs in other states. That's what you have to do when you first start out. Move around. Jump around if you really want to make it in this field. I didn't. At the time, I wasn't hungry enough. I wanted a change. I wanted to make a difference. At least that's what I told myself.

Eventually I pursed teaching. Equally challenging and rewarding, but in different ways.  I'd be lying if I said I don't ever wonder what could have happened if I had kept going in the journalism route. I love writing. I love talking with people and asking questions. I love adventure, getting out, and seeing and trying new things. It's ironic that while I am making a difference everyday in teaching, I'm not doing a lot of what journalism would allow me to do.

So there you have it. Just putting into words the nagging journalism bug that's occasionally been in my ear. You never know where life will take you, but I'd certainly be open to consider new opportunities. Now that this is out in the universe...they say be careful what you wish for.

I'm hitting "publish" now before I change my mind...