Whittling

10-11-11

Well, I've never actually whittled anything, unless you can count the times I used my pocket knife to scrape bark off ridiculous "walking sticks" that were never strong enough to be walking sticks. So, no, I've never whittled. Literally, anyway.

Metaphorically, however, is a different story.

I have decided that I don't particularly want to be a reporter. I like knowing new information, I like writing about people and what not, but I don't like having my story assigned to me, I don't like having people edit my writing (though admittedly, sometimes it needs it and I just need to deal with that), and I don't like the quick deadlines that others (aka, sources) don't have respect for.

I have a tendency toward perfectionism, and so, as long as I have to depend on other people for information and quotes and what not, I will be frustrated with my time constraints. And with editors who don't give me my assignment until over 24 hours after I turned in a beat report. (I don't really care if there's 'breaking news'; my grade depends on me having time to do what you've assigned, and so I can't do it until you've assigned it. I mean, it's only happened once, but still, I don't really find that acceptable.)

So I don't want to be a reporter. 

Joy. I've just whittled another possible career out of my illustrious future.

Which, of course, still leaves me with a ton of possibilities. I still will keep the News Editorial minor because I've now invested in half of the minor's classes, and I don't necessarily have to take Advanced Reporting (I don't plan to, thanks very much). Ah, well, good to know and good to have eliminated that possibility.

More later.