It’s really easy to overlook the hard parts of a job when you’re having daily fantasies about the future.
I thought that becoming a journalist would be the most exciting career in my life, however, all it left was a case of post-traumatic disorder and a deep desire to stay as far away from journalism forever.
In my years of wanting to be a reporter, I never stopped to consider how I would react on those days that would test my resolve. There are horrific murders, terrible accidents, and disgusting acts that have to be reported every day regardless of how you feel about it inside. My breaking point occurred when I was asked to interview the family of a high school athlete on Christmas, who died in a tragic accident the day before. I was selected to write the feature story for the local newspaper, and after being chased away, I realized that this kind of work was not meant for me. It tested my moral resolve on a higher level, so I decided to become a production manager instead. For years, my sister Ruth was a criminal attorney for the state before she reached her breaking point. Like me, Ruth has strong ethics and morals and is seriously bothered by injustice and the emotional suffering of others. Since all people—even the bad criminals—have a right to legal representation, she had to represent more criminals in her career more times than she could handle. After a few years of being miserable in her job as a criminal attorney, she switched practices and became an estate lawyer. She makes more money as an estate attorney, and feels like she’s doing something good with her life every day.