Spare time well spent

Staying idle is not really my kind of idea. As a child, I would read, write or walk around in quest of adventure, even if it was a small one.  But more often, I would render a helping hand to my mother in her farm works. When I graduated as a journalism student, my first thought was to work for a newspaper, preferably Kuensel. 

Preparing for the exam with my friends...

But with my mother bent on having me work for the zhung, government, I opted to sit for the Royal Civil Service examination. But that required a long wait, so I decided to try my hand at what I always wanted to do: work for a newspaper. But, being financially challenged, I had to make my calculations on how to make ends meet during my stay in Thimphu.  I borrowed some money from my friends, put up with an uncle and began interning at Kuensel.

Everyday, I would walk to the office.  Before I knew it, I was engulfed in a whirlwind of assignments.  There were story ideas to look for, people to meet, interviews to make, articles to write and of course, rewrite.  The first month was the toughest.  At times, I found myself completely lost with the story I was pursuing.

In just a month, I learnt so much.  The experience of working with media, that too with a daily newspaper, was overwhelming.  It was definitely not easy.  Each day posed its challenges.  Producing a story was just one part of it.  There were also repercussions of your stories to worry about.  You were accountable for every single word you wrote. But it also came with a reward.  I felt very proud in helping people have their voices heard.  Big or small, what bothers them is still an issue.  And it is only through channels such as media that they can reach the authorities concerned.

On a personal front, if I’d remained at home, I wouldn’t have the slightest idea of what it is like to work for a media.  Today, I made it through the RCSC exam, and I attribute it to the experience I had with the paper.  Soon I will become a civil servant.  Civil servant… well, the words speak for themselves.  We are there to serve people. But I feel it’s not the nature of job or the positions that determine how well you serve people.  It’s the right motivation one should have.  Afterall what I have lived through in life, I know there are many people in our society, who need help and support.  So the profession we take up in life must reach them. It’s easier said than done, but we don’t lose anything by trying.  I am going to play my part well.

This (my article) was published in K2, last page, of January 11,  2012 issue under the same heading.