Thankful Nov. Day 3: Writing for a Career

credit: me/from the Centennial Celebration Oct. 5

It’s day three of being thankful this month. Today I’m thankful for the job I have! There are so many reasons why I am grateful to be in this place doing the job that I do.

First and foremost, I’m grateful just to be employed. in a struggling economy it’s a big deal to have a job that I know I can count on daily. I wouldn’t know what I would do with myself if I didn’t have a job and was struggling to find a job. Paying my bills and keeping myself going would be very difficult. A steady paycheck can never be overrated, at least not in my mind.

I’m also very grateful to have a job that I love to do. Again, in a struggling economy many are forced to take jobs just to pay the bills, put food on the table and keep a roof over heads. This can often mean having to take a job that isn’t well liked. When trying to survive, a person does what is necessary to make it and unfortunately that can mean having to sacrifice liking the job, at least in the interim.

I have a job that I love to do. There are many reasons for loving this job. First, I love to write! Surprise, surprise. I like being able to tell stories and have people read what I have to say. I know that many aren’t always going to like my angle or my style and that’s okay. That helps make me better but it’s also just how life goes. It would be impossible to go an entire lifetime without butting heads with someone or making an enemy or two.

Second, I love the interaction I get to have with people. I live and work in a small town and so I have had the privilege of getting to know a lot of people. Many are really good people with good hearts. On occasion, I get to interact with people I wouldn’t normally. When I was in Salida, Colo., I had the very good fortune of getting to interview Russell Means. Means passed away, I believe last year, but he was a controversial Indian Rights activist. At the time he was getting ready to create a school in the shape of a teepee, teaching to Lakota children, teach them the culture, language and of course all the other requirements for standard schooling. He was an amazing person and I’m so grateful I had that chance to talk to him, even if it was only by phone. I also had an incredible chance to interview Jason Momoa. You may recognize that name from the show “Game of Thrones.” He was making an independent film called “Road to Paloma” and spent some time in Needles. A picture I took of him is roaming around out there on the Internet if you’re interested. Search for Jason Momoa, Road to Paloma and it’ll pop up of him playing the game of Shiny with members of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe out in the California Village. It was really great getting to talk to him too; pretty funny too given he’s what 6’4″ and I’m only 4’8″. Funny times.

My job has also meant getting cool experiences such as riding in a hot air balloon or getting a free sail plane ride (a glider plane). Those were both in Salida and here in Needles, I got to cover the t.v. show that was filmed here in 2010. It was called “School Pride” and was put on by NBC. There were seriously mixed reviews by the community about the final product as it turned out to make some folks look bad and faked certain elements, solidifying my disapproval of “reality” t.v., and yet it was a cool experience as a reporter to have such a big company choose Needles to film an episode. I never would have had any of these experiences if I were doing anything else. I’m incredibly fortunate.

courtesy/bizjournals.com

The thing about loving what you do for a living is the peace of mind you get from it. I don’t suffer certain torments and stresses that so many do because I like what I do. Those types of stresses don’t exist when you like  your job. My job is far from stress-free as I have deadlines to worry about, my writing is expected to be mistake free for multiple reasons, including that newspapers are historical documents, dealing with people can be difficult despite the positive side of it, and quite frankly, any time you have a boss or bosses involved there’s going to be moments of stress. I happen to like mine but no work relationship (or any relationship) isn’t without its pitfalls on occasion. That’s just life.

I’m also very grateful for this job because at the time when I found it, I was jobless. As fate would have it, I needed a new job and I found this one online and applied not fully knowing what I was getting into and certainly not thinking I’d actually get it. I knew it would be a transfer from Colorado to California and I didn’t think that in a bad economy an employer would want to do that. I lucked out. I found this job quickly and wasn’t unemployed for too long, it’s meant another adventure for me and lots of learning going on and I couldn’t ever complain about that. I’ve met wonderful people and I continue to work on my writing daily. Overall, there’s lots to be thankful for and believe me, I am.

Some final notes: Today is National Sandwich Day – go out and get a sandwich. Also, remember that November has many national something-or-other things going on, including International Drum Month, National Epilepsy Month, and Peanut Butter Lover’s Month. On a more serious note, it is Native American Heritage Month and National Adoption Month. All things to think about.

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