Two years after marching down that vast, grassy land at UPLB on a sunny April day, here I am, working on a cold press office inside a highly-secured police camp.
You see, when you have what you want, you become clueless on what to do next.
Yes, I am still young and I can still do a lot of things. And it's not right for me to get bored. But now I am BORED. And this is not good. Especially that I'm in a job that's supposed to excite me, mesmerize me, and stress me every single day.
Unfortunately, life can be monotonous at times. I wake up, switch the radio on to monitor the news, leave the house and go to the beat or somewhere the editor assigned me for that day. I interview people, I write the news, take some videos if I could, then sit, rest a bit then wait/search for the next story I could write about.
If it's a good story day, I would be out in the field and let adrenalin rush take over. Like the Manila Pen, Glorietta blast, Congress explosion. But of course I don't want disasters to happen just so I can say I had a blast at work.
If I was lucky (lucky it is! grr), I'd be walking from Guadalupe station to MMDA under the scorching 12 noon sun just for one metro story. But hey that's PUBLIC SERVICE. You tire yourself, you walk more than you should, with you getting underpaid by the day just so you could inform the public.
And I'm not the only journalist experiencing this. Everybody in this industry can rant because we all rightfully can!! (As much as those in the corporate world, I bet). And I don't blame those who have left this noble job. I perfectly understood why they bid us goodbye.
Whew, I think it's about time I set up my own communicatins firm. haha. Or I should start looking for alternative jobs. hahaha.
On second thought, do I really want to leave? I bet you know the answer. I'm addicted to this job, despite of and in spite of. And that's why I hate it!! The journalistic bug is indeed poisonous, can somebody find an antidote?
I think I was just restless today. I want some action!!!!
Still, watch out! Because five years from now Jun Veneracion, Alcuin Papa, Christine Roque, and Thea Alberto will set up a firm that will make us all happy! hahahahaha :)
lahat yata ng tao bored sa work ngayon. maybe because it's summer and we are not used to heavy workload during summer. hehehe.
ReplyDeleteBurnout I must say. We experience it once in a while. Take a break... a loooooooooong........ (long enough that they will miss you but not that long enough that they can manage without you).......... nice break.
ReplyDeleteAfterwards you'll be back in your fighting form...
It always help. :)
thea, if ever you want to look for a prospective job, im just a text away. Hahanapan kita ng work na baka magustuhan mo.
ReplyDeletePero baka nga kailangan mo ng break kahit sandali. Kailangan mo ma energize.
Lahat tayo dumaan diyan.
Sa totoo lang kasi, hindi naman dapat forever kang reporter.
Sa media, either magkaroon ka ng sarling show, sariling newspaper space for your articles, sariling dyaryo, etc etc, para umasenso.
Jusko, kahit masarap mag reporter, minsan kailangan mo din isipin future mo.
If in case you want to discuss your future, text mo lang kami ni lia and baka matulungan ka namin. Pero hindi naman yun ibig sabihin encourage ka namin mag resign.
Wala lang usap lang and explore other possibilities habang di mo pa natatayo communications firm mo kasi nasa ibang mundo rin ang pagiging pr. ;)
try traveling somewhere.it might help :)
ReplyDeleteHi Thea. Hang in there, ayt? We all gotta.
ReplyDeletedear...gusto ko sana isuggest and law school kaso baka it would pale in comparison with what you do...
ReplyDeletejust the same...kung gusto mo ng heart attack almost everyday...law school would be your thing =)
It's all about making choices, thea.. kahit saan naman, mabo-bore ka at some point.. =)
ReplyDeletei am surrounded by lawyers almost everyday, but ive never been attracted to law, takot siguro ako mag-aral ng mahaba hahahaha. some people are cut out for it and i dont think i am :D i feel this way kasi iba talaga kasi pag working na, hay. :(
ReplyDeletetake it from me. boredom is normal. it's right what you wrote here, that people get bored with what they do, lalo na kung nagiging routine na siya. at hindi lang ang mga nasa media ang dumadaan dun. lahat ng tao sa kahit na anong trabaho.
ReplyDeletehowever, boredom is different from getting tired and losing that passion to do what you're doing.
i strongly believe you still have it. so don't quit.
just take a rest. =)
darating din ang araw (kung darating man yun sayo) na malalaman mo really what you want to do. until then, when you're 100 and over and above 100 percent sure (naks parang may ganun hehe)... that's the only time you leave.
but until and unless you're super duper certain, don't. =)
"Everybody in this industry can rant because we all rightfully can!! (As much as those in the corporate world, I bet)."
ReplyDelete- true, agree with you here. hay... but then again, you're still luckier you get to see your bylines in your articles. this year, at the mag I'm in, we started not to put the editorial names of the editors on the ed bix and add our bylines to our articles... looking forward also to some years from now. :-)
now you understand why we call journalism a "calling"? it's a vice we cant just simply kick overnight.
ReplyDeletei agree with her. it's a calling. being in the media is a calling. so those who are left to stay for long are the ones who deserve to be there. =) i think you have that passion, thea. so go for it. =)
ReplyDeleteas for the others, like me. i take my journalism to another level. as my prof said, journalism is not just about the news. =)