Well I am just finishing up my eleventh hour on the job today. Actually it's my twelfth but I'm not sure how to spell twelfth so I will say eleventh.
I wrote several months ago that I had quickly learned that news happens according to its own schedule and not mine. I have witnessed many times but especially today that news also happens in varying degrees of relevancy and importance and like life can change on a dime to something far less or more in a heartbeat.
In the last 24 hours I have run a story with pictures of a multiple dwelling fire that put both homes into ashes and rubble. I also had quotes from a state senator recommending we impeach our governor. There was a county budget with all those great arguments and a city council meeting talking about key issues including raising our sewer rates when no one thinks the sewers work worth a darn except during a drought.
There were several other fairly important bits of local news the last day or so and when I finally had a chance to see what tomorrow's news layout was looking like I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
On the docket was information on leaf pickup and the results of a kid's Halloween decoration contest.
It seems the news mirrors our lives. I will explain.
Our lives, like the news has its ups and downs. We have days that are terribly exciting and we have days that are nothing short of a complete bore. Sometimes something so interesting happens to us that we can't wait to tell everyone we know all about it. And then the next day we all don't have a thing we did or have happen to us that merits saving it in even a miniscule spot in our noggins past the moment we hit the pillow.
I don't know why this fact surprises me. Actually all news is information or situations or occurrences that happen to people. So if from time to time, people in general have a slow day on the roller coaster of an exciting world why shouldn't the news in the last car of the ride have the same happen to it.
I told my son I have three options. One, I can make something out of nothing that has run across my desk. My second option is to rehash something that has already been kicked around enough. Lord knows that happens all the time on cable news.
My third option is I take the story of the Halloween decorating contest winners and triumphantly present that to the community as the best news that happened on this day.
I imagine the kids seeing their names will think it's pretty cool. The parents and grandparents and neighbors will no doubt think I'm a heck of a guy for publishing something the other media already threw in their wastebaskets. Still others will just think, "There goes Fak again" and since in fact there I do go again, I won't find any fault with their thinking.
You know I think I just learned another lesson in life. Sometimes what I or we don't think is important or special means the world to others.
Maybe life is never boring. Maybe it is just a little less exciting on certain days but it is always exciting. Especially if you are a youngster who just won a Halloween decorating contest.
Freelance writer, columnist, author and writing coach, ex-Chicagoan Mike Fak presently resides in Central Illinois. More information about Mike's services are available at his home website www.mikefak.com
Mike currently writes primarily humor columns for searchwarp bi-weekly and is the managing editor of www.lincolndailynews.com
Mike now offers a 26,000 word e-book on making money as a freelance writer for only $10.00 at this page. http://www.mikefak.com/id45.html
you're absolutely right-everything is connected-one little kid may be self conscious and a loner, and after winning the contest, and getting the publicity, he or she may suddenly find they have new friends. their parents bring the paper to work to show off their little ones in costume, and grandparents and aunts and uncles show who they know. and all because you ran the article.
Mike, I personally have had my home burn down and I would rather have seen a Halloween competition in the paper that day rather than a picture of my house. So maybe by running the decorating contest you cheered up the people who lost their home on the day before just by being reminded that for every bit of bad news out there God has a thousand pieces of good news like the smile on a child's face when they create something. I don't know how to spell twelfth either, but I'm sure that doesn't surprise you. LOL!!
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