I posted my final senior year report card in this space., along with comments on my teachers and the school. A Facebook buddy linked it to a page dedicated to my old school district, and I was flattered.
If you're regular visitor, you know that I don't have many nice things to say about the school district of my era. I hope it's changed. Some questioned that if it was so bad, why did it produce so many successful graduates? This is true, but could you imagine the number of successes if the school district did things right?
A couple of classmates I absolutely adore listed me as one of the successes, and I thank them. I'll let you in on a little secret. TV news isn't that hard. Yes, you do have to know a little bit about a lot of different things, and a lot about government, the law and politics. Other than that, it's just a matter of being simple, clear and concise. Always remember, it's about the story. It's not about you. Boom! Done! Oh, I forgot one thing: have nice ties, and always wear a coat with the station logo.
A lot of it is just dumb luck. So much is just finding people who believe in you and are willing to give you a chance. I have been more fortunate than I really deserve. You will not hear me complain about the stress or the hours because we have the best jobs on the planet. We stand there, learn new things, meet fascinating people and talk about it. How cool is that?
Several of my classmates became stay at home parents. Others went in to the military. Believe me, both are harder and more important than anything I do.
Several years ago, a student writer from the school newspaper contacted me for a story. Someone decided I was one of the top ten most important graduates. Unfortunately, the person at the other end of the phone was so giggly and disjointed, I thought it was a prank, and I hung up the phone. I never did learn if the call was legitimate.
There was one comment on that school Facebook page that made tons of sense. It's not the job you have. It's the person you are.
Amen!
