In to the real world

I had my first taste of a real deadline in a daily newspaper today.
I loved the adrenalin it bought but I am in no doubt that there two very different types of jounalists in a newsroom. There are the thrill-seekers that thrive when the blood is pumping and you are up against the clock, the limelight seekers; and then there are those who like to savour the ride, painters who revel in taking the time to carve a story. The hunters and the gatherers.
Both are equal in the dicipline it takes and each skill-set requires a very special commitment. I am in admiration of anyone who can do either well, but even as a very junior reporter I know which catergory I want to be in.
The job itself is nothing like I thought it would be: the highs are unimaginable and the lows are unthinkable. Everday brings something new, something unexpected and exciting. I hear a million different stories; some touch me in ways I can't explain and some I file away for later.
The other morning I almost ended up in tears because I missed the mark massively and received an email from my editor that was acerbic to say the least. It was my mistake and I had to not only suck it up but own it, and while it was bloody hard to do I think I did it.
Because no matter what I know why I got into this game and at the end of the day it is because I want to be a writer. I want to be able to tell a story that moves someone. I want to be able to share with the world things that I am to shy, and more than likely too tongue-tied, to say. I want to be able to change the world in my own little way.
So ends the first week of my new career and while I am glad it is over I can't wait for the next week (just let me have this weekend first).