Recently, I attended the 50th anniversary celebration for the college student newspaper I was on staff for, “The Runner.” It was a beautiful evening – Saw a few familiar faces, a few new ones and we had a chance to celebrate the journey we've all taken with it. There was a collective spirit and passion we all share for that time in our lives.
For so many of us, it was everything. It launched us to where we are now. It gave us the confidence to lead, make bold decisions, to be adaptable, to work as a team, to hone our craft of writing, video work, podcasts, photography – Essentially finding many ways to tell a story.
The founder of the newspaper spoke for a few minutes of the journey she started on. She was a trailblazer, pioneering something out of nothing. She made a way for the rest of us to come years after. I didn't know much about her story and it was fascinating to hear! It was the beginning of a beautiful time on campus - a time that students would be encouraged to use their voices and inform their classmates of what was going on at the university. It's a legacy that would continue down the road.
Sure, she was talking about how journalists are pioneers.
But, I think we all are. Or have the potential to be, no matter what field or industry we're in.
I thought of the 20-something I was then. I ended up going on an entirely different path than the one I'd had in my mind. And I heard God just sort of whisper to my heart that night, ‘it’s brave to do that, too.'
Sometimes I question whether I've made the right decision. Or wonder if it's been too safe. I've never moved out of my hometown.
But, it's brave to say ‘yes,’ not knowing what comes next.
It's brave to choose something that wasn't part of the plan because it's what's best.
It's brave to take the path that wasn't necessarily what you thought you would have wanted, but definitely needed. God has His reasons, and some I may never know or understand this side of Heaven.
And it's brave to stay when it feels like it might be easier to just pick up and go somewhere new. But, to lay down real roots? Make real relationships over the last decade? You can't put a price on that.
Nothing happens overnight; things take time. Most of the time, much longer than we want it to. I don't know where I'll be in the next 10 years. No one can know, no matter how much we plan and map out.
The night reminded me of the dreams in my heart and reignited a new kind of passion for where I'm at right now. It also made me proud of the work my peers and I did on the newspaper during our reign on staff. We celebrated and planned the 40th, and it hit me just how much time has passed. How much everything has changed, not only in our personal lives, but in the way we tell stories - social media is the leading medium, there are more resources for video and podcasting. Yet, some of us were part of those early days in the trenches when we were still figuring out what these tools were going to look like.
It was so exciting to see the new generation; the charisma, excitement, talent and love they have for the field and the future they are carving out for themselves.
