One Step Back, Two Steps Forward

I get stuff done early. It's kind of my thing. For instance, during my first semester at college, a five-page paper was assigned in English class one day. We had more than two weeks to work on it, but I decided to stay up until five o'clock the next morning... finishing it.

Over the last month, I've written 40 pages of jock talks (one-minute monologues to be read on my weekly radio show) that will last me almost all of this semester. Don't believe me? I have a 10,000-word Document that will back me up.

Another thing I've done this summer is write six editorials for the sports section of the newspaper this year, way ahead of time.

The main thing that I try to do ahead of time is get experience. I started working for a newspaper at age 15. I was on staff for my college's newspaper before I was even a college student. I was hired as the sports editor for that same paper before I turned 19.

But you know what Peter Parker's uncle says: "With great power comes great responsibility."

Not all of this experience has been something I enjoyed writing in my journal though. There have been several times where I have been humbled as a journalist and a writer. And some experiences where I have just been outright wrong.

One thing I have always told myself is that I'm just paying my dues. I said this mostly on the cold, rainy nights in high school while covering soccer games or track meets.

Now I say it on the all-too-frequent occasions when I mess up.

But, as I always try to convenience myself, better to learn now and get those mistakes out of the way while I'm still young.

Is it ever good to make mistakes? Normally, my knee-jerk reaction will be a resounding "hay-eck no." But after I think about it, maybe it isn't so bad. Especially when you're young.

Personally, I learn more from my mistakes than I do successes. Because I remember them more. I taped a less-than-stellar research paper I wrote to my door last year so I would see it every day. It reminded me to work harder and do a better job in the future. Simple as that.

If you think this is just about my career as a sports writer, you obviously need to read my blog more.

I'll say one final thing: I know I make mistakes, and I make them often. But you will never meet anyone who wants to become better after making those mistakes than me. It may take time, but I will right my wrongs, and I'll be glad for my mistakes in the end.