The Man

This last weekend was rather interesting. I went to Colorado for a job interview and learned a lot about myself and what I want. It isn't often that I get to decide what I want.

First of all, the trip started out as somewhat of a disaster. My flight landed in Colorado and I headed out to pick up my rental car. All of this was fun because it was something I had never done before.

About 4 p.m. it started to get rainy, but I didn't pay much attention. I started out my two-hour journey in a little red Dodge Neon. I passed through the toll road (something new) and about 30 miles into my trip, disaster struck.

This wall of rain came down and the once dry roads were suddenly full of water. Everyone made it through, except for me. I felt the tires life up off the pavement and started to swerve. Everything after that is a black hole in my memory.

The next thing I know, I am sitting in the grassy median and there is no window on the driver's side. Thankfully, the car still drives. I could see the path of how my car got to be where it was. I was about 10 feet from the other side of the freeway... The first thing I could think of was to thank my Heavenly Father.

At first I was not happy that I hit the pole because I would have been able to continue on my drive without more problems. Then I got to thinking about it. I was traveling between 65 and 70 mph and if that pole had not slowed me down, I might have slid onto the other side of the freeway. The officer also said I was lucky I didn't role.

He gave me a ticket for failure to stay in my own lane (grr!!!) and waited with me until the tow truck arrived. The tow driver was really nice and we chated on the way to the dealership (it helps when your dad is in the business). I then waited at the dealership until a taxi came to take me back to the airport.

The taxi driver was also really nice. He is an East African refugee who came here with his family to escape the wars. At first, he lived with his brother-in-law until they got on their feet. Now he works long days and weeks to put food on the table for his family.

I finally got to Sterling at 10 p.m. and colapsed on the bed. I called my family, told them I made it and went to sleep.

The next morning I went out touristing around. Sterling really is out in the middle of nowhere. Holy cow! (and the cows probably are holy because they are everywhere). Although, it would be a fun place to go and photograph.

My initial interview was at 11 a.m. and I talked to the editor. He asked me to tell him about who I was. I got two sentances into it and the next thing I know, he is talking about himself. There were some things too that made me uncomfortable about what he was saying and how he was saying it. I really felt like I was being treated like a juvenile reporter who just came out of j-school. In reality I am not WAY experienced, but two years working for dailies helps.

Lunch was with the "newsroom" (all six people). It was yummy and the people were great.

I ran out to Crook (about one hour away) to interview a man for a story. On the way, I almost hit a moo-cow... And I got lost. I was about one mile away and the Melvin said I took to wrong road... So, I turned around to get the scenic tour. Later I found I only needed to turn left. I was SO close...

(In the photo you will see where I was and the house on the hill to the right of the sign is Melvin's. I turned around to chase down another road...)

His name is Melvin Kokesh and he is building memorial gardens his wife designed but never got to see. She battled breast cancer for four years and passed away two years ago. Her chidren wanted to remember her through the things she loved - flowers and figurines. Melvin was a really nice guy and it was a fun story to do. I even got to shoot my own photos.

Dinner was what brought it crashing down. I had a good time and we were chatting. Then the reporters got to talking about the elections. The newspaper endorses candidates... That is not something I am OK with and I don't believe it is a newspaper's job to do that.

Ted Diadiun, from The Cleveland Plain Dealer, wrote this:
"Mercifully, I was not doing this job last fall when the presidential endorsement issue hit the fan. As you probably read, there was such profound internal disagreement about whom The Plain Dealer should endorse that the newspaper wound up declining to endorse either candidate. ... I think it was a good thing that The Plain Dealer did not endorse anyone in the 2004 presidential election. That's because I don't think we ought to make endorsements in any presidential election -- or, for that matter, in gubernatorial, mayoral, senatorial and congressional elections either. This is not to say that newspapers should never endorse candidates. There are some races and issues -- judges and state legislators, for example -- about which the voters know so little that they need the newspaper's access and familiarity with the candidates to help separate the qualified from the incompetent. That's where we can help you. But for the bigger races, you don't need our help."

Candidates buy off businesses, lobbiests and pay for advertising to have people endorse them. Besides, it is really the citizens who should take a stand and endorse who they think should be their public leader. The newspaper exists to inform the reader and make them aware of the issues, both good and bad.

That is what really sent me over the top. Everything else I was prepared to deal with. Although, I thought about it today and the editor never really bothered to find out about who I really was. Honestly, I am coming from a newspaper six times the six it the one in Sterling. How does he know if I could really fit in if he doesn't know who I am?

After I talked to him about it on Saturday morning, I told him I could not take the job. I felt a calm about it and walked away. And that was the end.

Overall, it was a good experience to have. I know the Lord is guiding me to where I need to go and he will prepare something better for me.