Respecting those who seek glory and risk humiliation

Fifteen years ago, I found myself faced with a difficult decision. Back then, I worked in the real world. But I had a notion of becoming a journalist. In order to make the leap, I had to quit a job, take a loan from the bank, and return to full-time education.

I am not a natural gambler, so I was anxious. I wanted to try my hand at journalism, but if things didn’t work out, I would have wasted a year, gone further into debt and I’d be on the dole.

In urgent need of wise counsel, I rang an old-timer. A retired journalist, my advisor knew the trade inside out. His guidance was unequivocal. He begged me not do to it. He implored me to see sense. “You must be stone mad,” were his exact words. “Stick at what you are doing,” he said. I listened to him. To be fair, he made a lot of valid points.