You say goodbye and we say hello
Telling someone to jump in headfirst is awful advice.
Most of us spend several years of our youth in swimming lessons learning about the dangers of doing so, especially when you don’t know how deep the water is. Rather than advising someone to jump in headfirst, shouldn’t we be saying, “feet first, first time” like most lifeguards would advise?
However, since taking on my new position as publishing editor at The Reflector, I have not been given the sound advice of a lifeguard. I wasn’t given a chance to test the waters by lightly dangling a toe in. I was simply just thrown in face down, feet in the air.
And I should add that I’m not a strong swimmer.
Like jumping headfirst into a pool, I was a little hesitant about taking on this job. After vacating my role as features editor, I not only have one section of the paper to look after, but the entire paper itself.
But the advice to take on this role at full-force is the best suggestion I think I could have received. There are plenty of things in life to be scared of, but embracing a new opportunity isn’t one of them. While there may be new obstacles and responsibilities, the rewards of challenging yourself to do something you didn’t think you could are abundant.
It’s also comforting to know that if I start to sink, I have an entire staff of amazing and talented people to keep me afloat. It would be egotistical to think that I am alone in making this paper every week. As a small staff of eight people, we really are a team, with every individual bringing their own capabilities to the table.
And we have recently added a new addition to this already stellar team, in the form of Gabrielle Domanski, who has courageously filled the spot of features editor. Much like myself, she was forced to face-plant into the water with little time to realize what she had actually taken on. Despite all of this, I have no doubt in my mind that Gabrielle will thrive in her new position and make a killer addition to the staff.
So to continue with this cheesy pool analogy, it’s sink-or-swim time down here at The Reflector and while I may be scared of the deep-end, I think I’ll make it. It’s a good thing I can doggy paddle.
