Allow me to re-introduce myself...

My name is Rose, I am lovable, am a critic and have thorns so don’t mess with me! I can see you reading this and that is an ugly sweat shirt...I told you I’m a critic. I also am a student journalist; I left most important stuff out, simply because right now they are all irrelevant. Let’s get back to journalism, I have never wanted to be a journalist, I never dreamt of it, nor did I tag along with my dad to work all the time. My dad, Phil Molefe, his been in the media for as long as my life history exists, his a veteran in print and broadcast media, I swear he bleeds for the industry.

I hate how people assume that I’m following the ‘big guys’ footsteps... OK maybe I am, but has it ever occurred to anyone that I do have a mind of my own and I did have my own ‘sleep one night and figured out things with my eyes closed’...they’re called dreams. And actually...I did tag along to work with him...only sometimes, when I was bored with watching Generations (popular South African soap opera) at home, why watch it on television when you can go to the SABC and watch it in studio.

I didn’t realize how much I love writing until I started out my journey into becoming Miss Journalist. Maybe I did, I was just not confident enough that I could actually write readable, enjoyable pieces of writing. I have had my fair roller-coaster with journalism. I hated it, then loved it, then I semi-enjoyed it, then back to dreading it again. I was so indecisive, it put me to tears. I wept thinking to myself I never want to do this, I hated the boundaries and disliked the terms and conditions. I hated the department for not selecting me last year, I busted my ass trying to prove a point, little did I know that sometimes your best is someone’s worst. I made the decision to be at it again and pay the price for a serious ass whipping, instead this time I told myself I am going to ‘write what I like’.

I remember when I first started working for newspapers; my editor would always tell me to write how I would want to read it. It occurred to me that we always put on a face for the world and we become surprised when they don’t understand us, it’s only because we don’t understand ourselves either. I learnt to love what I do from the inside out and do not regret the prices I had to pay to be where I am now.

Hi my name is Rose Molefe and I am a journalist.