Tomorrow I will work my last day as a journalist for the foreseeable future.
It's a bittersweet feeling. Being in the thick of things all the time is addicting. I've got great relationships, especially with local law enforcement. Over the last three years I've covered countless things, including a first degree murder trial. It is a great feeling to know that the subjects you cover trust you enough to let you in rather than always keeping you at arm's length.
I'll miss my editor. She is a great lady who loves her newspaper as a child. If people only knew the care and attention she puts into every single issue they would be amazed. God knows I always have been.
Journalism has been good to me. It allowed me to develop a distinguished resume as a writer, and gave me countless chances to demonstrate I understand difficult subject matter and can convey it in ways understandable to the masses. It also allowed me, especially in the last three years, to develop a reputation as an online specialist. Over those years I helped bring blogs, video, online daily coverage, and other digital opportunities into the mainstream of my company.
What I won't miss are the wages. Don't get me wrong, I've always been treated fairly and hard work has been rewarded to the degree possible within the industry limitations. It's just not a job one can support a family on, not at the weekly level anyway. With all the GDs, the bills rack up.
So it's on to a new opportunity, one borne of the last seven years of toil as a journalist. I'm looking forward to being able to support my family with some degree of comfort for the first time in my life. I'm looking forward to a whole new level of challenge and responsibility.
But first, I'm looking forward to a week off.
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