Dream It - Do what you love and Love what you do

Nothing wrong in Dreaming Big

We all have dreamt of becoming someone when we were growing up. A Doctor was a pretty common choice as well as a Carpenter, Teacher, Police Officer, Soldier, Firefighter, Nurse or a super star in sports or acting. I wanted to be a pilot and I told my best female friend Lydia Gagau that I would become the youngest pilot in PNG. Well that didn't happen maybe because I didn't like Mathematics, but it was not wrong for me to dream big.

I was never interested in Mathematics and most people who know me would agree that I loved English or Language and Literature. But I wanted to be a pilot! Things would have been different if I paid more attention in Maths classes. But no regrets at all in my choices.

"Nelo's Corner" - My first publication

My passion growing up was writing, I loved it. I never liked reading but I was into writing and when I did start writing at a young age, the dream of being a pilot slowly faded away. However, back then at about 14 years old I still didn't know what I really wanted to become. Journalism never once crossed my mind. And again we all had a dream that was but never came to be.

At the age of 14 while growing up in the small town of Ramu, I started to publish a one page newsletter. Yes I did and I wish I still had a copy to show you all. It was about the same time we as kids back in the 1990s were introduced to a computer. While my siblings and I all wanted to play games on the PC, I also started writing my first fortnightly news letter called "Nelo's Corner".

At first Nelo's Corner was just for the family but it grew bigger, where I had to print copies for my neighbors and friends in school. It was amazing as the publication had News, Sports, jokes and an events section. All these squeezed into an A4 paper.

It was amazing sitting down to write up an issue of Nelo's Corner as at that age my mind was flooding with ideas. After writing, I would let mum or dad proof read before I printed. Most of the times I printeded about 20 copies to distribute to family, neighbors and friends.

Making up my mind on Journalism

Malala Catholic Secondary School in Madang was where I made up my mind to take up journalism. It was really a tough choice as I took up Biology and Chemistry, and had to apply to a social science program. While I did very well in Biology and Chemistry, Language and Literature was my strong subject.

Step in Sister Jane Francis and Sister Edith of Malala who bombarded me with making my choice to take Food Technology (I really was interested in the science of Food) at the University of Technology in Lae, Morobe Province or Journalism at Divine Word University in Madang.

I was totally lost but my passion of writing was always in and with me. So when I made my choice I basically told no one in school. Everyone knew I would take up Science Foundation at the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby.

Well guess what? I did go to UPNG but I took up Journalism instead of Science Foundation. Yes my passion took over my other dream of being a Food Scientist.

UPNG Campus FM and Uni Tarvur

While contributing to Uni Tarvur (UPNG Journalism Strand Student Newspaper) and being a student editor, Campus FM set me apart from everyone else.

I loved the student radio station and took announcing and radio/studio management to a different level. While many from my era remember or know me only by my radio/stage name "Main Man Nelo" the rest as they say was history.

Having worked with NBC, EMTV, PNGFM and ABC in my time in the mainstream radio and television. I have never worked with the newspapers but I have made up for that in my Public Relations jobs with the UPNG, Department of Education, Abt Associates (OTML) and the Australian High Commison Consulate-General Lae.

Last Word

Always dream big and always follow your heart and your passion. And like my other story on this blog "My first job was a cleaner and I loved it", always do everything with your heart. Love what you do and do what you love. I had a dream of being a pilot and a passion to write. When I couldn't follow my dream I followed my passion.

"DREAM IT NOW AND LIVE IT NOW"

Picture Caption: Main Main Nelo on air at the Campus FM studios in UPNG!

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