Be the Change

Typical Day

There is no typical day when you're a stringer for a newspaper! Take today:

I had just gotten back from the grocery store (which is about a 1/2 mile hike from my house) when the receptionist from the office calls. The other stringer in my area had a health emergency and couldn't cover his assignments for the day. (He's the one who got me the job at the newspaper, and I consider him one of my best friends. Of course, I'd cover for him, and I'm really hoping he's okay!)

So, bam - four assignments all of a sudden! One was scheduled for the time she called me, but the other three weren't until later. She had already called the school (where all 4 were taking place) to let them know no one could be there for the early photo.

I went early, anyway, to see if they could get the students together (it was a students of the month photo for Elementary School kids). I had to walk past the grocery store I had visited earlier in the day.

I had trouble finding the front door to the school. Security at schools is crazy these days (I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but perhaps they could have the entrances labeled more clearly?) I found the office and explained that I could take the photo now if they were available. No problem. They call all the students into the library for a photo. Here's the problem: I'm not good with kids, and they didn't give me anyone to control them! The kids wouldn't listen to me! There was no way I could get all the kids into the photo. I tried telling them, "I need you three to move over there," and they'd sit and stare back at me blankly. I just have no authority when it comes to kids. So that photo was a disaster! I did what I could and left quickly.

By now, I'm late for the other photos. I quickly go to the High School which is attached to the Elementary School. I found the office quickly (as I'd been to the High School part of the building before), and they tell me to go to the library. I got that info and photo fairly quickly (the county's Chamber of Commerce was meeting with student council to prepare a proposal to the town's mayor. It was pretty interesting, actually).

Then I tried to find the location for my 3rd photo (knowing that the assembly and 4th photo was starting any second). I asked a few people, but ended up going back to the office to find that the photo is next week. Apparently they rescheduled without bothering to tell anyone.

The assembly went okay. High school kids can be pretty funny and entertaining. A pseudo Harlem Globe Trotters group is performing at the school tomorrow night, and they had an assembly today to get the kids excited for the show. (I can't say I agree completely with the "Just Say No" approach, but that's another issue)

I walked back up the hill (did I mention it's a huge hill to get back to my house?), and stopped at the newspaper office. I explained everything, they said fine, and now I'm back home.

I'm ready for a nap, I think.