Sometimes, we act on impulse: it could be something as small as ordering that special dessert on the menu, maybe asking out that cute boy or girl, or as large quitting your job and selling everything you own to become a shepherd in New Zealand. What’s the most crazy, outrageously impulsive thing you’ve ever done? If you’ve never succumbed to temptation, dream a little. If you gave yourself permission to go a little crazy, what would you do?
I was working in a Spanish regional newspaper when Yugoslavia began to fall apart. I was worried about my family in Croatia and because of the situation over there. I was feeling bad doing reports about what I considered boring local news in Spain when in my homeland the situation was so critical. Then, taking advantage of my knowledge of the language I decided to ask for free time and offer my services to a news agency and some magazines as a special envoy. I left my peaceful Pamplona and traveled to the convulse Croatia several times before and during the war.
I traveled alone when there were no planes but only trains with mainly journalists and soldiers in the passage. I experienced the tension of the harsh situation, being in contact with people who were in danger of loosing their lives. And then, when there was time to go back to Pamplona, I always was in shock. It was not easy to get used to the normal life. I felt that people didn’t understand me. They were worried by what I considered everyday unimportant things. My important war’s stories didn’t interest them so much as I expected.
Daily Prompt: Let’s Go Crazy.
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It is life affirming that journalists are prepared to embrace risk to tell such important stories.
But what I did it was not so risky as what the war reporters do. I had no means. I worked mostly in the cities with people suffering the consequences of the war. Human interest reports. Never have been in the front line of fire.