Time is precious. The hour that we spend on something is the hour that we’ve chosen to forgo other priorities. Often we hear, “Oh, time flies. She is growing up too fast.” Not to mention about the current pandemic period when many children are missing out hours of learnings from schools. Maybe parents have been busy keeping children’s learning up to speed. According to Teachers College of Columbia University, children have the ability to learn faster than adults because the working memory is more developed for adults than children.
This probably explains how I have such vivid memory of my childhood episodes.
Growing up in a small town of an emerging country, the exposure to the outside world can be limited. I’m talking about during the 80s. I didn’t realise how big the world is until I earned my own wings at 20. Even so, I was not exposed to the myriad of university degrees available to sufficiently decide what’s best for my future. It was more like instinctively driven rather than being objective. Blindly, I enrolled myself into Marketing specialisation thinking it was the closest to my interests in public speaking and writing. Not knowing that mass communication or journalism existed back then, how silly.
Years passed, more and more I realised how much I enjoy being on stage, and how much I love writing despite they give me goosebumps all the time. To date, I am still in doubt if I am foundationally equipped to write a good piece or speak in public. How would I know if I am ready?
I just did it anyway.
Confidently, I step up despite being nervous, minutes before going on stage.
I started my blog website two years ago not knowing what readers would think.
Having said that, I am always conscious of my audience out of respect.
Honestly, I do have courage. Just at the back of head, I query if a relevant degree would provide me with more confidence? This explains why I shy my blog website away from family and friends, fearing of being judged. I could have become a certified journalist. I could have become a host of an entertainment industry. My ambition could have taken a different turn. Some say a degree in journalism wouldn’t make much of a difference. A degree is just a passport to the employment world and the rest is up to how we make do of it.
I have one, and I have no regrets since my Marketing profession has been a rewarding one for me. The question is, is it enough?
Perhaps it’s not about having a relevant degree at early age. The truth is, I would like to believe that it’s never too late to pick up new knowledge and skills. Despite we might not learn as fast compared to younger years, surely persistence and practices will get us there.
Learning is a journey, learning is never enough. Never settle.
Photo by Ryan Riggins