There comes a point when a young working professional needs to look and act the part. Whether that means retiring the hot pink bow headbands, start to wear appropriate makeup or dying your purple hair back to your natural color, that is what you are supposed to do. But clearly, I somewhat disregard this unwritten rule.

There I am, shoving my work microphone and gold sparkly iPhone in the Governor of Rhode Island's face for an interview a few weeks ago. Should I have a more neutral phone case, probably. But unapologetically, I do it anyway. 

I struggle with this decision. Being a newbie reporter, I tend to compare my actions to other more experienced reporters. I look at what they are wearing, their demeanor, and their equipment/tools they use while in the field. Since I am in radio news reporting, I always like to have a backup sound, which is where my 14 karat gold sparkly iPhone comes in. I always end up questioning my decision to use my obnoxious phone with this case but I don't have the patience to use my outdated work phone that is super slow compared to my personal iPhone 6s. The struggle is real.

Does the Governor care about my phone case? Probably not. She has way bigger fish to fry. Frankly, she probably likes my sparkles. So there is that. 

Just be yourself, Anita. I know, I know. It's easier said than done. There is just so much damn pressure to fit in and be "normal" but really...what is normal? Standing out a little bit isn't the worst thing in the world. I think I would rather stand out a bit with a sparkly iPhone case then fade in the background of the reporter gauntlet. It's pretty accurate to say the Governor probably knows whose sparkly phone it is every time its in her face. This girl, right here. And, don't I want newsmakers to know who I am, Anita Baffoni the news reporter? 

This confidence comes and goes more often than I'd like. Here I am in a candid shot at an event at the state house I was covering and a T.V. camera caught me, in the front row, next to state legislators that just so happened to sit in the same row as I. Noooo, I wasn't trying to be in view of the camera. I needed to be near my microphone equipment, thank you very much.

Right before I knew the camera's were rolling, I turned over my iPhone because I thought, maybe it is too much. Keep in mind, this was the day after I posted the picture of me and the Governor at the top of this post and I got plenty of jokes from my brother and others on my phone case. Yes, they were jokes but it got me thinking. 

Whatever. It's too late now to change how I do things, with or without my sparkly iPhone case. In the face of judgement, I'm going to continue shoving my obnoxious phone in the face of anyone with a good news story, and be myself. At least it isn't a bunny-eared phone case like the one Jess has in New Girl. Well, that's how I justify my ridiculousness. 

With that said,

You stay classy, San Diego.