This column has a lede that will probably have a lot of you scratching your heads, wondering exactly where what I’m saying might go.
Trust me on this: Stick it out. I promise, I eventually will tie it all together.
My dad drove race cars when I was a kid. Most nights, mom and I were in the stands watching intently. You know who else was in the stands alongside us? Joe Race Fan.
Joe Race Fan was an expert, despite never turning a wrench or pulling on a helmet. Joe Race Fan knew it all. Joe Race Fan, it seemed, could do it better than the doofuses he’d just paid $10 to watch compete.
Life can mimic Joe Race Fan’s behavior, in many instances. Think about it: Haven’t you watched someone trying to complete a task, be it waiting a table or rearing a child, and thought, What are they thinking? I could do it so much better?
Perhaps it is human nature to comment on and criticize others’ actions, even if we have no experience at the matter at hand.
Here’s where we connect this column’s dots.
The newspaper business is a lot like the examples I just illustrated. Current is widely read – we’re in 104,826 households – and thus, we get a lot of feedback. A lot of you have salient points and are far enough removed from our day-to-day routine that you can actually see the forest we occasionally lose for the trees.
A lot of you, it seems, think you probably can do what we do – and in many cases you would be correct. Here’s your chance to do just that, Carmel.
In short, I need help. This city has more stories than my writers and I can possibly cover. Our plates are full. I need two more feet on the street. I need a general assignment reporter to work this city.
The ideal person has some time throughout his or her day to make phone calls and occasionally sit down with folks. The ideal person knows how to ask questions – the right ones. The ideal person can string a sentence or two together, write to a word count and get things turned in on time.
The ideal person will enjoy this gig immensely. Are you that person? Given what I’ve read in past letters to the editor, you’ll be one of many potential candidates.
I hope I find you. This is your chance to turn a wrench and pull on the helmet. E-mail me so we can begin discussions.