Ex-writer's lament

[FileNotFound]

Was going through a box in my garage and stumbled across a mis-filed folder.

The folder was my clip file from 1987 and 1988, my first two full years in journalism. It was filled with stories about prep football and basketball, local recreation, softball and bowling.

Some of the stories were actually pretty good; a decent turn of phrase here, a nice lede there. There were also a few stories that would have been much better at 9 inches than the 21 at which they ran. I'm sure some of them were heavily edited. But I know others weren't, and I'm proud of that.

My 13-year-old daughter, who's a pretty decent writer herself, leafed through the yellowed clips. "Wow, Dad," she said. "You were pretty good."

I don't feel it betrays my masculinity at all to say a tear formed when she said that.

I'm a long way removed from my days as a sports writer. I'm in a non-journalism job making a lot more money. I travel a lot, I see the world, I have a pretty good time and am in a pretty good place in life.

But:

I'd love nothing more than to freeze my ass off in a Midwestern high school press box next Friday night. Watch a football game, talk to the guys after it's over, and write a little story about it. I didn't realize, until tonight, how much I miss that.

 

[Colton]

What Buck said. Thanks, FNF...

 

[musicman]

if it's who you are, see it through and do it well. i do appreciate the post from "file" and know first-hand the dilemma of money versus craft and all the complications that result. we're here once, it's a short ride and all that...make a difference where and when you can.

 

[shockey]

Any time I feel like the business of this business is about to drive me away ... I hear something like that and can't imagine doing anything else.

ditto. we're the poorest people we know, but i have been truly blessed. i can only wish my three sons find careers that they are as satisfied with as i have been, crappy pay and all. 8) 8) 8)

 

[Stone Cane]

Was going through a box in my garage and stumbled across a mis-filed folder.

The folder was my clip file from 1987 and 1988, my first two full years in journalism. It was filled with stories about prep football and basketball, local recreation, softball and bowling.

Some of the stories were actually pretty good; a decent turn of phrase here, a nice lede there. There were also a few stories that would have been much better at 9 inches than the 21 at which they ran. I'm sure some of them were heavily edited. But I know others weren't, and I'm proud of that.

My 13-year-old daughter, who's a pretty decent writer herself, leafed through the yellowed clips. "Wow, Dad," she said. "You were pretty good."

I don't feel it betrays my masculinity at all to say a tear formed when she said that.

I'm a long way removed from my days as a sports writer. I'm in a non-journalism job making a lot more money. I travel a lot, I see the world, I have a pretty good time and am in a pretty good place in life.

But:

I'd love nothing more than to freeze my ass off in a Midwestern high school press box next Friday night. Watch a football game, talk to the guys after it's over, and write a little story about it. I didn't realize, until tonight, how much I miss that.

Yeah, pal, it's easy to be wistful when you're making "a lot more money."

If you miss it so much, turn your back on your huge salary and go cover high school football in a driving rainstorm for some 15,000 daily.

Otherwise, I don't want to hear your self-absorbed poetic ramblings.

 

[fishwrapper]

Yeah, pal, it's easy to be wistful when you're making "a lot more money."

If you miss it so much, turn your back on your huge salary and go cover high school football in a driving rainstorm for some 15,000 daily.

Otherwise, I don't want to hear your self-absorbed poetic ramblings.

Perhaps, just perhaps, it's you who should be finding something else to do.
Just a thought.

 

[Chi City 81]

Yeah, pal, it's easy to be wistful when you're making "a lot more money."

If you miss it so much, turn your back on your huge salary and go cover high school football in a driving rainstorm for some 15,000 daily.

Otherwise, I don't want to hear your self-absorbed poetic ramblings.

Would it help if I gave you a dollar?

**** that ****. Give me a dollar, dammit!

 

[Chi City 81]

Yeah, pal, it's easy to be wistful when you're making "a lot more money."

If you miss it so much, turn your back on your huge salary and go cover high school football in a driving rainstorm for some 15,000 daily.

Otherwise, I don't want to hear your self-absorbed poetic ramblings.

Would it help if I gave you a dollar?

**** that ****. Give me a dollar, dammit!

I don't have a dollar. But if I covered high school football in a driving rainstorm for some 15,000 daily, I'm sure I'd have an extra dollar to give you.

Cocktease.

 

[zeke12]

Was going through a box in my garage and stumbled across a mis-filed folder.

The folder was my clip file from 1987 and 1988, my first two full years in journalism. It was filled with stories about prep football and basketball, local recreation, softball and bowling.

Some of the stories were actually pretty good; a decent turn of phrase here, a nice lede there. There were also a few stories that would have been much better at 9 inches than the 21 at which they ran. I'm sure some of them were heavily edited. But I know others weren't, and I'm proud of that.

My 13-year-old daughter, who's a pretty decent writer herself, leafed through the yellowed clips. "Wow, Dad," she said. "You were pretty good."

I don't feel it betrays my masculinity at all to say a tear formed when she said that.

I'm a long way removed from my days as a sports writer. I'm in a non-journalism job making a lot more money. I travel a lot, I see the world, I have a pretty good time and am in a pretty good place in life.

But:

I'd love nothing more than to freeze my ass off in a Midwestern high school press box next Friday night. Watch a football game, talk to the guys after it's over, and write a little story about it. I didn't realize, until tonight, how much I miss that.

Yeah, pal, it's easy to be wistful when you're making "a lot more money."

If you miss it so much, turn your back on your huge salary and go cover high school football in a driving rainstorm for some 15,000 daily.

Otherwise, I don't want to hear your self-absorbed poetic ramblings.

Come on, dude.

 

[musicman]

Was going through a box in my garage and stumbled across a mis-filed folder.

The folder was my clip file from 1987 and 1988, my first two full years in journalism. It was filled with stories about prep football and basketball, local recreation, softball and bowling.

Some of the stories were actually pretty good; a decent turn of phrase here, a nice lede there. There were also a few stories that would have been much better at 9 inches than the 21 at which they ran. I'm sure some of them were heavily edited. But I know others weren't, and I'm proud of that.

My 13-year-old daughter, who's a pretty decent writer herself, leafed through the yellowed clips. "Wow, Dad," she said. "You were pretty good."

I don't feel it betrays my masculinity at all to say a tear formed when she said that.

I'm a long way removed from my days as a sports writer. I'm in a non-journalism job making a lot more money. I travel a lot, I see the world, I have a pretty good time and am in a pretty good place in life.

But:

I'd love nothing more than to freeze my ass off in a Midwestern high school press box next Friday night. Watch a football game, talk to the guys after it's over, and write a little story about it. I didn't realize, until tonight, how much I miss that.

Yeah, pal, it's easy to be wistful when you're making "a lot more money."

If you miss it so much, turn your back on your huge salary and go cover high school football in a driving rainstorm for some 15,000 daily.

Otherwise, I don't want to hear your self-absorbed poetic ramblings.

you are angry. try and figure out why, and then go from there.

 

[Write-brained]

Was going through a box in my garage and stumbled across a mis-filed folder.

Can we now call you FileFound?

 

[FileNotFound]

Given the apparent disarray of my filing system, it's a wonder I can find anything.

 

[Dan Rydell]

My 13-year-old daughter, who's a pretty decent writer herself, leafed through the yellowed clips. "Wow, Dad," she said. "You were pretty good."

I don't feel it betrays my masculinity at all to say a tear formed when she said that.

That's all you need, buddy. And you know that.

Wrap her up in your arms sometime and tell her about that moment again.

That's all you need. It will last forever.

 

[wickedwritah]

Yeah, pal, it's easy to be wistful when you're making "a lot more money."

If you miss it so much, turn your back on your huge salary and go cover high school football in a driving rainstorm for some 15,000 daily.

Otherwise, I don't want to hear your self-absorbed poetic ramblings.

I know we've had a lot of douchebaggery in these parts, but when it comes time to vote for "DOUCHIEST POST OF THE YEAR," I hope this is one of the nominees.

 

[Dan Rydell]

ditto. we're the poorest people we know, but i have been truly blessed. i can only wish my three sons find careers that they are as satisfied with as i have been, crappy pay and all. 8) 8) 8)

On the other hand, not to disparage Shockey, but I'd like this biz to explain to me why they keep hammering us into the dirt while paying us less than we could make in a nice daytime job, and maybe they also could explain why they keep getting their Christmas bonuses while we keep asking for enough people to get the job done right.

Not that I'm angry..........I just call bull**** on what I've seen in the biz for so long.

I haven't seen a manager sweat for 20 years or so. Meanwhile, I was having to work like a rabid dog, and I **** you not.

I love the biz. I hate the management bull****. You probably knew that already.

I don't mind working so ****ing hard for so many years, but I did expect something more than to polish their shoes.

Anyone else?

 

[Pulitzer Wannabe]

So do it - volunteer to string for the local paper. Or start working on a book in your spare time, a historical narrative of some sort perhaps. You don't have to work full-time for a newspaper to be a writer.

 

[RedSmithClone]

PW, that's exactly what I was going to say.


Become a correspondent!

 

[The Last Boy Scout]

Yeah, pal, it's easy to be wistful when you're making "a lot more money."

If you miss it so much, turn your back on your huge salary and go cover high school football in a driving rainstorm for some 15,000 daily.

Otherwise, I don't want to hear your self-absorbed poetic ramblings.

Would it help if I gave you a dollar?

Change? Got any change, mister?

 

[ServeItUp]

ditto. we're the poorest people we know, but i have been truly blessed. i can only wish my three sons find careers that they are as satisfied with as i have been, crappy pay and all. 8) 8) 8)

On the other hand, not to disparage Shockey, but I'd like this biz to explain to me why they keep hammering us into the dirt while paying us less than we could make in a nice daytime job, and maybe they also could explain why they keep getting their Christmas bonuses while we keep asking for enough people to get the job done right.

Not that I'm angry..........I just call bull**** on what I've seen in the biz for so long.

I haven't seen a manager sweat for 20 years or so. Meanwhile, I was having to work like a rabid dog, and I **** you not.

I love the biz. I hate the management bull****. You probably knew that already.

I don't mind working so ****ing hard for so many years, but I did expect something more than to polish their shoes.

Anyone else?

Same reason a dog licks his private parts: because it can.

Like I said on another thread, the average editor faced with this line of logic will toss a stack of resumes on his desk and say, "See that? Those are the other 100 people who applied for our last opening and I'm sure one of them would be happy to do your job at your present wage."

 

[Chi City 81]

ditto. we're the poorest people we know, but i have been truly blessed. i can only wish my three sons find careers that they are as satisfied with as i have been, crappy pay and all. 8) 8) 8)

On the other hand, not to disparage Shockey, but I'd like this biz to explain to me why they keep hammering us into the dirt while paying us less than we could make in a nice daytime job, and maybe they also could explain why they keep getting their Christmas bonuses while we keep asking for enough people to get the job done right.

Not that I'm angry..........I just call bull**** on what I've seen in the biz for so long.

I haven't seen a manager sweat for 20 years or so. Meanwhile, I was having to work like a rabid dog, and I **** you not.

I love the biz. I hate the management bull****. You probably knew that already.

I don't mind working so ****ing hard for so many years, but I did expect something more than to polish their shoes.

Anyone else?

Same reason a dog licks his private parts: because it can.

Like I said on another thread, the average editor faced with this line of logic will toss a stack of resumes on his desk and say, "See that? Those are the other 100 people who applied for our last opening and I'm sure one of them would be happy to do your job at your present wage."

"The average manager" is a big reason why morale is so high these days.

You don't like your pay? **** you, we'll hire someone else. :