I'm reading The Glass Castle by journalist Jeannette Walls. While it's a compelling memoir of her life's journey, what strikes me about her story is how journalism found her.
Her parents were dreamers who cherished personal freedom. They passed onto Walls a love of learning, a sense of self and a fearlessness of facing any situation.
Her family was quite impoverished, mostly because of the parent's nomadic lifestyle. As a 12-year-old, she joined a school newspaper staff because there were no fees to pay or uniforms to buy. Her job was to proof pages and bring them to the community newspaper office where the paper was printed. There she saw the reporters and editors at work. She liked the excitement of the office, being able to go to places where things were happening, and "really knowing what it is all about."
That's journalism!
It was 1967 when journalism found me. There were war protests, civil rights protests, womens rights protests. I was struggling to find a major and journalism was my friend's choice. And his enthusiasm for affecting change affected me!
I agree with Walls: There's nothing better than being in the midst of the stuff of life, and then being having the privilege of writing about it.
So, will you let journalism find you?
