Riley Strait, a sophomore from Olathe, Kansas, reflects on the complexities of career aspirations and personal identity in a recent column for The News-Letter. In his piece, dated December 14, 2025, Strait explores the notion of being ethically non-monogamous in career choices, drawing parallels between his journey in writing and various medical professions.
Strait begins by acknowledging his unconventional approach to career exploration. He humorously compares his fleeting interests to “one-night stands” with various fields, claiming that he often envisions a future in professions such as OB/GYN or funeral director based on brief experiences. He recalls a career aptitude test from middle school that suggested he would excel in these roles, although he never considered writing as a potential career.
The results of that early test, which highlighted careers in health and mortality, left a lasting impression on him. “My results were like scarlet letters,” he writes, noting that while many aspire for greater male involvement in women’s health, few supported his potential pursuits in those areas. The lack of encouragement for a middle schooler to explore such topics has led him to a path focused on creative writing.
Connecting Life’s Beginnings and Endings
Strait argues that all the professions he mentioned share a common thread: they focus on significant milestones in life. He points out that both writers and medical professionals engage with beginnings and endings, whether through delivering a baby or crafting a narrative. “Cutting a newborn baby’s umbilical cord may not be the same as world-building,” he asserts, yet he finds a kinship in their shared commitment to impactful moments.
He expresses a deep-seated anxiety that accompanies his writing, feeling as though he often miscommunicates his thoughts. This sense of inadequacy resonates throughout his narrative, revealing a struggle familiar to many writers. He reflects on the challenges of accurately conveying ideas through language, which sometimes feels like “a leaky ship trying to communicate our ideas to one another across violent oceans.”
In a recent seminar on poetry, he confronted the question, “Why poetry?” This moment prompted him to consider why language arts hold value alongside wordless forms of expression. He contemplates the inherent misunderstandings that language creates and questions why society continues to uphold the written word above non-verbal arts.
The Value of Pursuing the Written Word
Strait likens the journey of a writer to that of an underdog, suggesting that even when outcomes are not as expected, the effort remains admirable. He contrasts the struggles of writers with those of artists who communicate without language, suggesting that the challenges of writing make the pursuit all the more worthwhile.
“I believe that language inevitably creates some level of misunderstanding in every instance it’s employed,” he states, yet he remains drawn to the art of language. He sees the potential for connection, despite the inherent flaws in communication, and ultimately, he chooses to embrace this complexity through his writing.
In closing, Strait acknowledges the possibility that he may never become an OB/GYN or a funeral director, roles he once considered. Instead, he embraces his identity as a writer, accepting the spills and stumbles along the way. “When I stumble and spill it all just before my destination, everyone laughs,” he observes, suggesting that perhaps this shared human experience brings joy and connection.
Riley Strait’s column, “In Medias Res,” continues to offer readers insights into his journey while provoking thought about the nature of communication and the myriad paths one can take in life.
