The might of the pen

I covered a career fair for Omaheke schools early in the week, and realised how much ambition lies in our school learners. They all want to be engineers, pilots, lawyers and even gynaecologists, but not a single one of them wanted to be a journalist!
I was puzzled. I considered myself a good catch prior to the career fair. I mean, I carry a notebook in which I can pen those lovely love letters to my significant other and a camera to capture those special moments. Isn't that just romance redefined?
But according to these kids, most of whom are even more eloquent in the queen's vernacular than yours truly, being a journalist is as good as serving as an entrance welcome mat - everybody uses you to get rid of their dirt, yet no one appreciates you.
Ja, they come to you with teary eyes about their house about to be repossessed by the bank and how unfair it was, only to ignore you in town a few days after your story helped to ensure that she keeps her home.
We have even heard politicians saying: “Ja, the media should be controlled. They cannot be given free reins to write what they want. You media must report the truth - the good truth!”
But some of them are among the first readers of scandals caused by others. I guess now they know why we also report on the bad - with fans like them, we can never go wrong!
But as much as we try to hide it - not all of us are gifted when it comes to putting words together and actually making sense. At times like these I thank God I am a journalist. At least I have the liberty of playing around with words and actually getting paid for it.
For many of my friends from the hood though, writing a decent letter of complaint - and getting the relevant person to react to it - is not only an elusive dream, but a miracle when and if it does happen.
In my lifetime, I have been used by numerous friends to edit such letters. I can safely inform you that it is not the most pleasant job in the world!
I gathered a few of my hood friends' complaint letters to their landlords, where they all complained about the state of their rented apartments. Below are the extracts from their letters:

* “I am writing on behalf of my sink which is coming away from the wall.”
The writer meant to state that the sink mounting on the wall was loose and the sink was falling off.

* “The man next door has a large erection in the back garden, which is unsightly and dangerous.”
Unsightly and dangerous? Are we talking of the same thing here?

* “Our kitchen floor is damp. We have two children and would like a third so will you please send someone around to do something about it.”
Count me in!

* “My neighbour's two sons are continuously banging his balls against my fence.”
The man meant to say the neighbour's sons' plays soccer and tennis, hitting their balls against his fence - not what you are thinking.

* “I wish to report that tiles are missing from the roof of the outside toilet and I think it was bad wind the other night that blew them off.”
Bad wind? No further comment!

* “Will you please send someone to mend the garden path? My wife tripped and fell on it yesterday and now she is pregnant.”
Trust me, the pregnancy happened way before she tripped - that one is a guarantee!

* “Our lavatory seat is broken in half and now it is in three pieces.”
What the? Eish, guess I was wise not to give up mathematics.

* “I am a single woman living in a downstairs flat and would be pleased if you could do something about the noise made by the man I have on top of me every night.”
Ja, some women just have a way with words neh?

I guess some of us will die with a pen in our hand. So, go ahead and pursue all the different types of careers - we will be there to document your successes.

Until then…