By Lauren Kane –
The past few weeks in Syria have been devastating for not only civilians, but for those working abroad in the country. Journalists have lost their lives working to report stories of injustice to the world. One tragic story especially caught my attention.
Anthony Shadid, a reporter for the New York Times, died in Syria on February 16, 2012. Shadid died not from missile fire or a machinegun, but from an asthma attack. I almost could not believe the irony of a person dying from an internal affliction while reporting from a place with so many external lifethreatening dangers.
The death of Anthony Shadid pulled at a special place in my heart, and also inspired me to start thinking about what his death could teach us. As an English Communications major, hoping to someday become a journalist and work abroad, the very real danger of international reporting has always been a factor that is a part of the job.
My parents warn me about the potential dangers of my dream profession. They have also warned me about the shrinking job market for communications, and essentially how chasing my dream is a risk. Well, I must say that the tragic passing of Anthony Shadid really drove home a point that not a lot of parents like to reinforce. That point is that life is completely unpredictable. We could be in a situation with so many known risks, and be blindsided by something completely unexpected. So why live in fear?
College students have so many decisions, and the safety of our choices often comes into play. Majoring in Business and Finance is a whole lot safer than majoring in Art History and Philosophy, even though you may truly love Da Vinci and Socrates. For graduating seniors, the choice to go into the working world or to pursue grad school may be tearing them apart inside. Although such a saying it’s cliché, sometimes students need to do some good old soul searching and just listen to what their heart is telling them to do.
Yes, it may be risky to go with what one really wants in life, but it is true that you only live once (or, for the abbreviation-savvy, “YOLO”). As for me, I’ll be pursuing my dreams with even more valor. If I have to go abroad to write about what is happening in the world, I will. There is no way to predict what will happen in life, and sometimes you have to take the risks that make you happy.
