When I first launched this blog in 2007, I was both a new Christian and a zealous urban fantasy writer. At the time, I was seeking a space to blog about both of my passions at once. That didn't quite pan out, and FatM has almost always been an exclusively introspective spiritual blog.
Tonight, though, I think the revelation I had in the shower (surprised?) manages to nail both topics squarely.
My bio at the top of this page is outdated now, and even inaccurate in some ways. I'm no longer an amateur journalist--to call myself such would be downplaying the experiences and skills I've gained through my college years thus far. I'm now 367 days away from my bachelor's degree, having already spent countless hours in both university and professional newsrooms. Next month, I'm honored to begin an internship with my local Gannett daily. In September, I'll assume the role of head copy editor for my university weekly. Both are huge steps up that I am blessed to take on.
This brings me to the whole point of this post. I've been writing since I was about 12 years old, but it never developed into a potential career path until I was a sophomore in high school. Beyond that, I didn't discover my love for copy editing until I was Editor-in-Chief of my community college's paper last fall and spring.
When I interviewed for the internship two weeks ago, my supervisor asked me why I was so interested in copy editing. It's an immensely tedious job, and it takes a special kind of crazy to do it, let alone enjoy it.
I told him that I found it soothing. That's bizarre, yes, and I've never really been able to explain why I'm so content while editing. In the shower, I think the reason finally came to me.
As a copy editor, it's my responsibility to read all the copy--raw text--that will go into the paper, and check it for errors. We go over each piece for grammar and spelling, adherence to the Associated Press Style of writing, and also check all of the names and facts for accuracy.
Essentially, it's a job for perfectionist control freaks. And I think I can own up to that.
Life is such a mess. So many things happen that are out of our control--bad economy, family issues, sickness, death. In my darkest moments it can appear as if I'm just a prisoner to it all, out of control with no idea where I'm going to land. That's terrifying.
Nothing in life is 100% certain. But when I edit, I have the full assurance that messy things are going to be made right, errors corrected, and all under my control. Like Pilate, a good journalist asks herself, "What is truth?" and sniffs it out to the end. I'm not sure about God right now. I can be sure that the facts I check are accurate, however.
That's why it's so soothing. It's a perfect outlet for my imperfect, uncertain life. :D
My confessor asked me Saturday where I thought my talents as a journalist came from. He was trying to illustrate that God is in charge of making our strengths into something much more...and now, my sick obsession with grammar is turning into a career. Like balm for my soul, it all makes sense. And that's a beautiful thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment