I remember the day my dad told me to drop out of college.
No, he wasn’t crazy. He was actually encouraging me to pursue what I loved more than anything else—writing. He told me I didn’t need to go to school if I wanted to write for a living. I had to just do it and go. So, I took his advice.
Well, the first half anyway. I dropped out of Arkansas State University Mountain Home in 2004, right before I got married and moved to Ohio. I didn’t go to college for four years, but more importantly, I didn’t write. In fact, I didn’t do much of anything.
In early 2007, I got pregnant and lost my job (a sad coincidence). Three months and one temporary job later, my husband and I decided I needed to go back to school.
I didn’t enroll in Sinclair Community College until Fall 2008. I took a prerequisite and a couple electives, but one class made a bigger difference than all the others: Journalism 101.
When I started studying journalism I knew I had found what I loved. I didn’t fall in love with keeping democracy free, nor did I feel ecstatic about the freedom of information, at least not at first. More than anything, I loved that I was writing again.
I was hired by the Clarion that fall, but writing was only the beginning.
I’m learning that in journalism there is so much more I can do than write a story. I can also record a story, photograph a story, animate a story or simply speak a story. I can print a story, or I can publish a story online. My love for writing grew into a love for storytelling in every way, shape and form possible. All of these possibilities keep journalism fresh and new to me, just like a love affair should be.
I don’t say this to reflect on myself. Instead, I want to encourage you to find what you’re passionate about. Whatever you do, love it. Embrace it. Chase after it with everything you’ve got. It’s when we chase what we love that we make the most out of life.