Our mothers all told us when we were little: Share and share alike. Generally speaking, it's a good habit to get into, even when we're far beyond the point in our lives when splitting the last package of Little Debbies at lunchtime will boost us up the social ladder.
Now, this hasn't always been easy for me. I admit, 7-year-old LeeAnn hesitated whenever one of her grubby little classmates asked to borrow her colored pencils. (They never put them back in the proper color order! How could I submit my perfectly-ordered Crayolas to that? It was madness.)
At any rate, I'd like to think I've progressed since then. So, for your reading pleasure, let me conclude this year of columns by sharing a compendium of the best advice I've ever heard from people way smarter than me. Dedicated to my senior friends - all plunging headfirst into the scary, post-undergrad "real" world like the ducklings on Planet Earth learning to fly - I hope these few parting shots serve you well:
"Do your homework."
Not even kidding, interviewer extraordinaire Barbara Walters herself was gracious enough to pass along this gem to me. We met last summer when she sat for an interview with a Tribune reporter that I was interning for, and although our meeting was brief, her advice made me realize that even when opportunity knocks, it's an opportunity lost if you haven't done the prepwork to be able to turn that chance into success.
I usually just call it "having your shit together," but I understood her point: You can't nail that big interview, or turn out a stellar story without having invested a good deal of time in preparation, in journalism or any other field. Seeing as this same advice helped her succeed as a smart, engaging female reporter in an era when the media landscape was even more male-dominated than it is today, I tend to believe her.
(Sidenote: It was an abnormally chilly summer day when we met and, concerned for my well-being, Ms. Walters also advised me to put on a sweater. As it was, I had taken off my ratty sweater to try and look presentable for her because I was nervous to meet a celebrity, a corollary lesson in itself: Never let vanity get in the way of good sense.)
"Don't f**k it up."
Far from pejorative, an editor at a newsroom I worked at used this as a rallying cry, a mantra to psych up his young reporters for a big story. Short and sweet, this one doesn't need much explaining. Bottom line: Check your facts, and don't make a mess of things.
"Develop areas of expertise."
A Washington Post columnist and an expert on religion and government policy, E.J. Dionne (yeah, he has my dream job) will speak at the first-ever School of Communication commencement. As such, I had an opportunity to interview him, and his advice for finding a career in a tough job market was a refreshing glimmer of hope amid our nation's tempest of economic doom and gloom. When I asked him what advice he'll give to graduates at the ceremony, he said, "In a sense, it's the advice people are giving students generally in all kinds of areas which is this: Your generation is going to have to be more flexible and creative in finding different avenues for your talents." He also said, "I think it's students who develop areas of expertise … and passion for their subjects [who] are likely to find their way better."
And last, but certainly not least, is the advice that's had the most profound impact on my life so far, courtesy of a very wise high school theology teacher and trusted confidant. Apply it to what you will - romantic love, passion for a career field, love for a friend, etc. - but here it is:
"If it's true love, it'll last. If it doesn't, you don't want to have anything to do with it."
To all of my friends graduating, you darling ducklings leaping from the undergrad nest - remember to flap on the way down. It looks like a long fall, but I have a feeling the landing is never really as hard as we fear from up here. And to you loyal readers who are sticking around, I'll see you next year.
LeeAnn Maton is the discourse editor. lmaton@luc.edu
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