TODAY I PUT a bow on another work week, for which I earned another check.
Tonight I thought about what a blessing it is to be able to type such a sentence in such crazy times.
(more…)journalism
The present is a gift
THE PRESENT PRESENTS some unique challenges.
I know the above sentence is an understatement, with coronavirus uncertainty and all of the other uncertain things in the world these days.
Today was the kind of news day which makes me breathe a sigh of relief I didn’t have to cover it, just because newsrooms were probably even busier than normal.
(more…)A quick July review
The days of June
We have come to the end of another month so I thought now would be as good a time as any to go on a written journey back through the days of June.
(more…)Some tips for tales
When I was a journalist, I was always on the lookout for ways to become a better writer.
Since I write posts a lot more now, I’ve been on the lookout again.
Yesterday, I saw the best tip I’ve seen in a while about how to write better stories.
(more…)Random thoughts on writing
There is something in journalism called the can.
No, not the toilet.
It’s the place, in my experience most likely some sort of file or desktop folder, where writers keep stories they’ve decided to save for a slow news day.
I toiled seven years in print journalism, and there were a lot of days I just didn’t want to write or wondered whether there would be enough words to write to fill the paper.
One of the things I learned early in my journalism career was if I would like to receive a paycheck, the paper must be filled.
My bosses never liked my suggestion we fill it with crossword puzzles so the can saved my butt more than once.
I feel like now is a good time to tell you I have no idea where I’m going with this, and the time it takes you to read these words will be time you’ll never get back.
(more…)Josephus
It’s been a more than a week since I met Josephus.
Come to think of it, “met” might be the wrong word since we weren’t introduced and our one conversation was short. (more…)
About an inspiration
For the second time in four days, Kentucky flies by me in a blur of white lines and road signs.
Road trips are another story for another day, though, because today is someone’s birthday. (more…)
About the end of an era
I have recently learned something new.
It is a peculiar thing to quit a job.
Since my last day at the newspaper, a few things have happened.
One has been a little more difficult to figure out how to respond to than others. (more…)
A personal announcement
I quit.
For a pretty good while last Thursday night, those two words were the only ones on the computer screen in front of me.
I’d even joked about a plan to simply leave this column blank except the above words and ride off into the proverbial sunset. (more…)