Journalism and Friends

I love being a journalist. I love my job. I love writing. I love news.

But sometimes, my job is tougher on my personal life than my career.

I have friends who are journalists. Most of them live far away and are just as busy as I am. They understand working at a mid-sized paper, having to work the night shift, getting calls from the copy desk that wake you from sleep, working weekends, and that no matter what the news never stops. They understand that even after your shift has ended your job is not done.

Many of the best stories come from things I observe when I'm not on the clock just driving around. I see things that make me ask questions, I stop, make a mental note, take a picture and file it away into my basket of things to pursue.

But those friends who understand my job is more than just a job live far away.

I think that most of my friends who are not in the media business think I am making things up, or just don't want to see them when I can't do something. I have a schedule that says once every 6 weeks I work nights, once every 6 weeks I work weekends. But if I want time off that changes. Or, if a town I cover has a meeting I must go to, I work nights. If a fellow reporter wants to switch shifts, and they switched with me once then I owe them.

When I come home at night, I don't want to have to justify why I can't hang out with my friends until 1am when I have to work at 7 the next morning, or just got off work at midnight.

Fellow journalists tell you not to get caught in the trap of having only other journalists as friends. But when your friends with "normal" jobs don't understand your life, what do you do then?

The Beach

D and I went to the beach for the first time this summer with some friends of ours. It didn't take long to get to the beach, we brought sunscreen and all the necessary items. But going there made me remember the reasons why I love ... and hate... the beach.

Reasons I love the beach:
-- the sun
-- the water
-- the way your hair looks when it comes home all sexy and tossed and wind-blown looking
-- the tan you get while at the beach
-- playing frisbee in the water


Reason I hate the beach:
-- sand gets everywhere (even in places you wish it didn't)
-- you have to pack your life to go to the beach (water, suncreen, phone, wallet, car keys, towel, extra clothes, visor/hat, trashy magazines, toys such as a frisbee, sandals, food, beach chairs (if you have them)
-- you have to wear your bathing suit all wet home if you're not dry when you leave or these's no place to change
-- you spend ridiculous amounts of money paying for tolls, parking or food at the beach
-- you have children or rude people who walk by and think it's ok to get sand in your eyes, nose or mouth
-- sometimes, even when you apply and reapply you get a sunburn

Regardless of these things, all the things I hate about the beach are made better by good company.


How do you feel about the beach?