By ‘Odidi Matai-Sigudla
While others would say I am a shy, introverted girl who works hard, I would say I am an overly ambitious person who fully intends to achieve her goals (otherwise known as dreams), and most probably desperately needs a reality check.
I was born 23 years ago and raised by my grandparents in a small Lokshini (township) called Khayamandi in Stellenbosch. I later moved in permanently with my parents in Kraaifontein during my early primary school years. Because of this, the foundation of who I am is mainly based on the teachings of my grandparents.
Through my Khulu’s (Grandma’s) storytelling, I gained an interest in writing. I use the platform that Grocott’s Mail provides to incorporate my writing style while also implementing the things I have learned in my course thus far.
I won’t lie – it was hard and hurt a bit. After all, even if I did take on Tamkhulu’s (Grandpa’s) quick adaptation skills, I somehow, against my will, also gained his pride. I have pride and am proud of myself and any of the work I produce. So when it comes to editing… let’s just say it was a very big, hard, and dry pill to swallow.
Sub-editing is commonly defined as your superior making sure that the article written contains the correct information, and does not violate any of the Press Code regulations. I am pretty sure I am not the only one who is not a fan of submitting my stories to go through this process.
To swallow the hard pill, also known as Subbing, I had to take a step back for a few days and come back to read the published article as a third-person reader. I do this to overcome the barrier of feeling like my safe abode is being attacked. I instead start seeing it as if it is being renovated. I am here to learn new skills and better my writing, not to sit idly in my little abode that is slowly crumbling.
(‘Odidi Matai-Sigudla is a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies student at Rhodes University, and writes regularly for Grocott’s Mail).
