Happiest Accident

"So, there you go. Turns out I've had the most terrible things happen. And the most brilliant things. Sometimes, well, I can't tell the difference. They're all the same thing. They're just me."

–Elton 

"Love and Monsters"

Doctor Who

Every time someone finds out that I'm graduating this April, they ask me what I'm getting my degree in. After I tell them it's English, they ask me if I'm going to teach. I say no, that I'm going into journalism. They get a confused look on their face and usually ask why I didn't get my degree in journalism. I then have to go through the story of how I started doing journalism when I moved back to Provo because I had no friends in the area anymore and I was bored out of my mind. Then by luck or whatever, I ended up being the Assistant Culture Editor before I had even been at UVU for five months and Life Section Editor before I had been there a year. 

This is essentially the same story I tell people when they ask me how I got into journalism. The truth of the matter is it was mostly sheer dumb luck. I was bored so I started writing. The old culture editor had to quit so his assistant became editor and I became the assistant. 

Even though my journey into journalism was basically an accident, it was the happiest accident of my life. I can't imagine doing anything else. I really love my work and, as it turns out, I'm pretty good at it too. It's funny. I never would have considered journalism to be my calling but it's a career that suits me, my personality, and my ethics so perfectly. 

The funny thing is I never would have even considered going into journalism if I hadn't had to move back to Provo. Before I left Cedar City, I had finally admitted to myself I didn't want to teach high school. This had been my plan for the past four years or so. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I figured I'd follow in the footsteps of my friend Joe and go to grad school and then teach in college. It was a tentative plan but it was my plan. 

Then it happened. The worst day of my life. The day I lost everything. 

They say hindsight is 20/20. I never thought I'd ever be okay again after that day. But the funny thing is if what happened didn't happen, I probably never would have gone into journalism. I would have no reason to. 

It's ironic, I guess. The worst day of my life eventually led me to the best decision of my life. The day that held the most pain in the world for me has led me to feeling so happy every day. 

I guess that's the way it works out sometimes. The terrible things and the good things. Sometimes they're just the same thing. They're just me. 

Love you.

Mean it.