Baseball great Satchel Paige once said, “I ain’t ever had a job, I just always played baseball.” The quote is often referenced when people talk about doing what they love for a living.
Even a passion, like writing, can hit a rough spot though. In the newspaper business, they seem to come in cycles. A reporter makes a mistake or someone gives him, or her incorrect information and the story is written. Mistakes are bad in our business, no matter who is at fault, and we feel every one of them viscerally.
Usually, however, the reporter has time to breathe between these little bumps in the road and figure out what part of the blame lies within his or her own process. He or she makes corrections when they are needed and moves on. Most importantly, the reporter generally writes dozens of stories without errors in between the ones with problems. That said, it is an adage in this business that the story one least expects to be a problem will hold the problems.
Once in a dark winter, however, all of the mistakes happen in rapid succession. One recent day I spent what felt like an hour on the phone with people complaining about stories I had written. Some complained quietly and politely. Some less so, but then so was I in return. I should add here that it was the first hour of my day at work and I didn’t even have my computer on before it started.
By the time it ended no fewer than two politicians, one CEO and one good friend had chewed my ear off. One had good reason to be upset. One had cause for concern, but the information I was given was wrong. The friend, I believe, was reacting to the reactions of others. Both the friend and I were in a tough spot. Neither of us was in the wrong, but we couldn’t do what it would take to make the other happy. Sometimes it is just that way in this business.
We followed Satchel Paige’s advice about doing what we love to do. In times like these all one can do is keep trusting in one’s training and talent and in one’s friendships. If those are real, they will sustain. Still I will be glad when this season is over.
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Happy birthday Sunday to Sharon Mayo, Eugene Kelly, Eloise Redd, Orvie Cantrell Jr., Darrell Rickerson, Connie Jean Hartwig, Diane Altiery, Donald Wester and Zach Allen, all of Sherman; Don Richard Alexander and Hattie Powell, both of Denison; Evelyn Alpuerto of Grand Prairie; Joann Cole Slaven of Prosper; Rev. Billy Neal Jr. of Bells; and Hunter Orsburn of Collinsville; Rhonda Lyles of Ivanhoe.
Happy anniversary Sunday to Richard and Linda Stapp of Fort Worth, 50 years; Greg and Victoria Barber of Sherman.
