Ah, so that's why I do what I do

Happy First Day of Fall! It's officially my favorite season.

So I haven't posted in a while. I don't know how my head is still attached after last week and looking into this week. I've had three tests and I have a total of six performances this week between the two choirs that I sing with. (Side note: Ending sentences with prepositions is a pet peeve of mine, but I didn't see any way around that one.) I'm also serving as a "citizen journalist" for a health care forum Thursday that's part of the National Issues Forums. Quite a busy schedule.

However, today I remembered why I love being a journalist.

In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our paper is embarking on a Think Pink campaign. We're going to print a special section every Sunday on pink paper (trust me, it looks better than it sounds!), feature profiles of local women's struggles with breast cancer, and include some statistics and advice about how often women should get mammograms, perform self-checks, etc. It's a big deal.

I've been put in charge of the local profiles, so I've spent the past two weeks struggling to get a hold of somebody, anybody, at the local hospitals. Finally last Friday I got two leads, and I had my first interview today. It feels good to be getting somewhere.

The interview was like none I've ever done. My experience has been with small community papers where an interview means asking questions about the exact measurements of the YMCA's longest ice cream sundae or the rezoning of a controversial chicken plant. (And yes, those are based on real events.) All of a sudden, I'm talking to a woman about the hardest thing she's ever been through - the turning point in her life - and I still have to get the answers to the deep, personal questions that I've typed up on Microsoft Word without sounding impersonal. How do you find the perfect balance?

It's all about the approach. First off, I let her know exactly what I was doing and how I would be using her information. I see it as a way of reassuring her that I'm professional and trustworthy. I also set the speed of my interview a little slower and more relaxed. If you blaze through the questions like a robot, she's not going feel like expounding on anything and her true feelings and persona won't break through.

It's all about the tone. Maintain sentimentality without condescending or pitying. This is a woman whose life has been turned upside down by what she's been through, but she's also a woman of strength and courage. Treat her like the heroine that she is.

It's all about the story. Every woman's experience is different, and every woman's experience is incredible. Take in every detail and every side note, even if the conversation strays from your initial questions. Though you may not be able to publish the complete story, you can't do this woman's story justice without having all of the facts.

Ultimately, it's all about hope. Millions of women worldwide have been diagnosed with breast cancer and must battle the second-leading killer of women with only courage and friends and family beside them. It's scary. But it's also preventable and if you catch it early enough, you can beat it.

That's why I love what I do. I get to share the stories of women who have been through this, and can give better advice than maybe even their doctors can, with the public. Readers could include women who may have just been diagnosed, women who are nervous about getting their first mammogram, or women who may one day have to struggle with the disease. I can provide hope for all of them by allowing one woman's voice to be heard.

At the end of the day, I don't think I could ask for a better job.