Sometimes, I believe the saying that you can't have it all: balance various aspects of your personal life and various aspects of your professional life.
Each week, it's a whirlwind of work, work, work, maybe squeeze in some exercise and actually eat something, checking personal email, getting in some creative writing (it's a lifelong hobby I neglected when I got in the news business, and with all these characters swimming in my head since high school, it's starting up again!), cleaning and scrubbing the apartment (I'm Type A all the way), attending local club and organization meetings and events, and visiting family and friends in South Alabama.
Not necessarily in that order, of course. And not that I'm complaining. But at 31, life is busy!
Take this week, for example.
Visit family in Alabama Sunday afternoon? Check.
Get stood up for a date in Spanish Fort later that night? Check.
Swing back to Crestview late Sunday evening and squeeze in some creative writing? Check.
Monday: Update all production reports, reply to all readers' email, phone calls and social media comments, tweet and retweet news and commentary, edit stories, oversee our minimum 16 web posts and have back-to-back meetings with various associates? Check, check, check, check, check and check!
Noticing an email from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office roll in when you're already making great timing on the midweek edition deadline? Well, I have a ritual for that: Saying aloud to Renee Bell, our editorial assistant, "Please don't let it be about Crestview, please don't let it be about Crestview, please don't let it be about Crestview…"
Unfortunately, that always jinxes it. It's always about Crestview: In this case, road rage leading a senior citizen to gunfire.
Bummer.
That extended the work day, but hey, it's part of the job.
Monday evening: That meal I referred to squeezing in, along with some exercise, checking personal email and remembering my Icebreaker Speech for Crestview Toastmasters is Tuesday evening.
OK, I kind of procrastinated. Because ever since college, I realized I actually work better under pressure.
Besides, I got this. The topic's about how a workaholic farmer's son who's also active in the community became a workaholic news editor who's active in the community. (Piece-of-cake.)
Reviewing the speech criteria at 10 p.m.? Check.
Emailing confirmation to the club at10:55 p.m. that, yes, I'm still giving the speech? Check.
Sorting through folders and finding homework to do for Relay For Life's Crestview kickoff? Check.
Getting a call from Mom saying she needs me to do research for a quarterly event at her church? Check, and scheduled. (She volunteered for the task years ago but I always do the research since she has never really used a computer. Even though she bought herself a laptop 10 years ago. And my brother bought her an iPad last year, which she lost. Anyway, seems odd, perhaps, but it's the least I can do for her giving birth to me!)
Realizing at 11 p.m. (when I usually write this column) that ace reporter Brian Hughes already wrote some great commentary about colonoscopy this week so I'm exempt from writing about a big issue? (which is great because it's such a packed week)?
And that in a month, I'll take a real vacation with family overseas?
Amen!
And yes, I got a call Tuesday morning explaining the being stood up thing. Like me, she just has a busy schedule.
We'll try for later this week since she's in Pensacola for three days.
But I know how those things work.
And if you were wondering, fellow Toastmasters voted me their Best Speaker for that speech. The evaluator credited how "well prepared" I was. (Told ya I work well under pressure!)
Now, for the online version of this column (which always gets an update since readers see it later than the print edition is released), I can say how happy I am to still be in the office at 8:33 p.m. Thursday. Things got busier than usual because of good news (like Drew Barefield's homecoming.)
And the adventure continues!
What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR’S DESK: And the adventure continues… (VIDEO)