If I compare my journalism career to a racetrack, today was the starting line. And it went wonderfully - for the first part.

The Fort Pierce Tribune editor and I met this afternoon at the Tribune building conveniently located around the corner from my place. Walking back to her office, I couldn’t help but share with her that my dad constructed this building with R.K. Davis in 1984. The conversation flowed from then on, and we talked about the job, the assignments, the industry and even UF professors she remembered from her Gators days. Then she gave me a “tryout story” with a deadline of Friday at 5 p.m.

I wanted to jump on it immediately. Right after I got home from our meeting, I called the contact person for the story to schedule an interview with her and other sources. Unfortunately, she had just left work but would be back later, so I left a message. When I hadn’t heard anything after a couple hours, I called again. The business was already closed at 4 p.m., so I left another message and hoped for the best.

Now the pressure is on. There are at least three sources I need to talk to tomorrow to finish writing the story on Friday, so I’m feeling some stress. It’s not as if I’m new to deadlines; they’re the same as due dates for school assignments.

However, this scenario is different. I had no reason to be nervous today because I was just getting a story. But now is the time to impress the Tribune editor with the questions I ask, the information I use and the story I write. Now the nerves kick in.

It’s time to get to work.

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