Zomwe Ndinaphunzira Kwa Atate Wanga: Khalani Opatsa

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Ndili wamng’ono ku koleji, ndinapempha kuti ndikachite maphunziro a “away” internship ku Washington, D.C. Sindinafune kupita kunja kwa chaka chathunthu. Monga aliyense amene amandidziwa angachitire umboni, ndine wosowa kwathu.

Kugwiritsa ntchito kumafunikira kuti mulembe zisankho zanu zapamwamba. Ndipo pazinthu 20 zilizonse zapa koleji yaukadaulo zazing'ono zomwe zimadziwa, ndimadziwa kuti ndikufuna kulemba.

Dziko lazama media nthawi zonse limandisangalatsa-Ndinakulira pakati pake. Kwa moyo wanga wonse, abambo anga akhala akugwira ntchito ku CBS Boston-ngati nangula wamkulu wa nkhani zam'mawa komanso zamadzulo pa TV, ndipo tsopano pakufufuza kwa siteshoni. Nthawi zambiri, ndimakhala naye limodzi: ku Hava Chaka Chatsopano kuwombera ku Copley Square, City Hall for Patriots parades, Democratic National Convention, ndi maphwando a Khrisimasi a meya. Ndinatenga mapepala ake osindikizira.

Chifukwa chake itafika nthawi yoti ndilembe zomwe ndidasankha zapamwamba za internship, ndidalemba Washington Post ndi CBS Washington. Sindidzaiwala kuyankhulana kuja. Wogwirizanitsa anayang'ana zosankha zanga ndikufunsa, "Kodi iwe kwenikweni ukufuna kutsatira mapazi a abambo ako? "

Chiyambireni ntchito yanga ya utolankhani, abambo anga nthawi zonse amakhala foni yanga yoyamba. Ntchito yopanda ntchito yomwe inandilipira inandisiya misozi nthawi ya 10 koloko m'mawa: "Lankhulani nokha mwaulemu. Palibenso wina amene angatero." Pomwe kusadziwa mayankho onse ndidakali mwana kunandipangitsa kukhala wosatetezeka: "Msinkhu ulibe chochita ndi izi. Osewera a hockey abwino nthawi zonse amakhala omaliza." Nditafika ku JFK pa redeye kuchokera ku West Coast kupita pa batire yagalimoto yakufa ndi mvula: "Dikirani wochita bizinesi. Mufunikira zingwe za jumper." Nditangokhala pantchito ndidadana nayo: "Tsata zomwe ukufuna." Nditakhala mwamantha pamalo oimika magalimoto ku Pennsylvania ndikudikirira kukumana ndi Thanzi LabamboMkonzi-wamkulu wa ntchito yanga yoyamba m'magazini: "Kumwetulira. Mverani. Zochepa ndizambiri. Muuzeni kuti mukufuna ntchitoyi." Nditanyamula mthumba ku London wonena za Olimpiki: "Itanani Amex-ntchito yawo ya ogula ndizodabwitsa."(Ndi.)

Kwa zaka zonsezi, tasintha nkhani: Ndakhala ndikumvetsera ndikudandaula momwe adayendera ku Rock Island, IL ali ndi zaka 22 pantchito yomwe amadziwa kuti ndiyofunika; m'mene adathamangitsidwira ku station ina ku North Carolina chifukwa chokana kutsatira mfundo yomwe amadziwa kuti siyabwino; momwe adakumana ndi amayi anga akufunsana ndi abambo awo, senema waboma, kuti amve nkhani ku Westport, CT.

Adagawana nane nzeru zakukhala kutali ndi kwawo. Ndinamuyika pa Twitter (ali ndi otsatira ambiri kuposa momwe ndiliri tsopano!) Ndipo ndidamupangitsa kuti akwere sitima yapansi panthaka ku New York kamodzi. Amandithandiza kumaliza zolemba. Ndimayang'ana modabwitsa pamene amafotokoza nkhani zazikuluzikulu zaku Boston: FBI ikugwira Whitey Bulger; ndege zomwe zinanyamuka ku Logan Airport m'mawa wa Seputembara 2001; ndipo posachedwa, ma ambulansi akuthamangira ku Mass General kuchokera pamalo a Boston Marathon. Tamwa mabotolo ambiri ofiira kuyankhula pamakampaniwo mpaka kufa - mwina kumatopetsa onse omwe atizungulira mpaka kufa.

Ali pamlengalenga, ntchito za "Big Joe" zimasiyanasiyana - amathamangitsa anthu ndi maikolofoni komanso amawulula nkhani zamatsenga zomwe zimapulumutsa masukulu ang'onoang'ono Achikatolika ku bankirapuse. Anzake amayamikira ukatswiri wake - khalidwe lapadera kwambiri poganizira za utolankhani wofufuza nthawi zonse sizisiya aliyense wosangalala. Ndipo poyenda kuzungulira mzindawo, aliyense akumudziwa. (Ndikukumbukira bwino lomwe akuwombera pamadzi ndili mwana. Ndimamwetulira kumaso kwake, atanyowa kwambiri, adayimirira wina yemwe anali pansi. "Ndikukuwuzani aliyense kuti ndamuwona Joe watolankhani akuchita chidutswa chachikulu chamadzi ku Bahamas, "bamboyo adaseka.)

Ndi bambo wopanda ntchito uja-yemwe wandiphunzitsa kwambiri. Iye nthawizonse wakhala ali mphamvu yowerengedwa naye mu moyo wanga. Pokumbukira kwanga koyambirira, ali kutsogolo komanso pakati: kuphunzitsa timu yanga ya bingu ma Thunderbolts (ndikundithandiza mwakhama kusangalala); kusambira ku raft ku malo athu aku Cape Cod beach; poyimilira ku Fenway pamasewera anayi a ALCS pomwe Sox idamenya ma Yankees. Ku koleji, timatumiza imelo zolemba zazifupi zanga mmbuyo ndi mtsogolo. Ndikamuuza za anthu omwe ndidapanga, ndipo amandithandiza kusintha mawonekedwe. Anandiphunzitsa momwe ndingakhalire mlongo wamkulu, momwe mungamenyane ndi AT&T-iwo nthawi zambiri amasintha ndalama zanu komanso momwe mungasangalalire ndi zinthu zosavuta: kuyenda pansi pa Bridge Street, kufunikira kwa banja, kukongola kwa kulowa kwa dzuwa kuchokera ku sitimayo, mphamvu yolankhulana bwino.

Koma pafupifupi chaka chapitacho Seputembala, zonse zidasintha: Amayi anga adauza abambo anga kuti akufuna athetse banja. Ubale wawo sunakhale wabwino kwazaka zambiri. Ngakhale sitinakambirane kwenikweni, ndimadziwa. Ndikukumbukira nditaimirira m’khola mwathu ndikuyang’ana pa zenera ndikuwayang’ana akulankhula, ndikumva maganizo anga alibe kanthu.

Kwa ine, bambo anga anali osasweka—chinthu champhamvu chimene sindinathe kufotokoza. Ndikhoza kumuyimbira foni ndi vuto lililonse padziko lapansi, ndipo amatha kukonza.

Nthawi yomwe mumazindikira kuti makolo anu ndi anthu enieni omwe ali ndi mavuto enieni-ndi yosangalatsa. Maukwati amatayika pazifukwa zosiyanasiyana. Sindikudziwa chinthu choyamba chokhudza kukhala ndi munthu yemweyo zaka 29, kapena mgwirizanowu uthere pakona panjira pomwe mudakulira banja. Ngakhale ndimadandaula zodzisamalira ndekha, sindikudziwa kukhala ndi anthu omwe amadalira inu-omwe amakuyimbirani munthawi yakusowa.

Bambo anga andiphunzitsa kukhala 'wopatsa.' M'mwezi wa Meyi watha, nthawi yovuta kwambiri pamoyo wake, adanyamula ndikusamukira kutauni yatsopano ndi mlongo wanga wazaka 17. Akupitilizabe kuchita bwino pantchito yomwe wagwira bwino kwa zaka 35 akumwetulira. Ndipo akafika kunyumba, amapanga nyumba yomwe ine ndi abale anga timakonda kubwererako. Lero, zina mwazomwe ndimakonda kukambirana naye ndizomwe zilipo: pa galasi la Malbec nditafika kuchokera ku Manhattan.

Koma bwerani Lolemba, dziko likadzakhalanso wamisala, mwanjira inayake amapezabe nthawi yoti ayankhe kuyimba kwanga (nthawi zambiri ndikumakhala ndi chipinda chaphokoso chapansipansi), kuti athetse nkhawa zanga, andiseketse, ndikuthandizira zolinga zanga.

Sindinalandiridwe pulogalamu yamaphunziro ku Washington, D.C. Koma funso la wofunsayo, "Kodi mukutsimikiza kuti mukufuna kutsatira mapazi a abambo anu?" nthawi zonse ankandisisita molakwika. Zomwe samatha kuwona ndikuti sizinali za ntchitoyo. Zomwe sanamvepo - komanso zonse zomwe sanakumanepo nazo - ndizomwe zimandipangitsa kukhala yemwe ndili. Sindikunena mokwanira, koma sindingathe kuyamikira kwambiri chitsogozo cha abambo anga ndi mabwenzi. Ndipo ndingakhale ndi mwayi ngakhale kubwera kutseka kutsatira mapazi ake.

Odala Tsiku la Abambo.

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