May 30, 2017

• Dealing with the Past

  It's quiet in the home while I'm on a short vacation from the regular 40+ hour work week job.

  Short Stack is taking a nap, and my Better Half is resting for a few minutes.

  Sleep is something you have to steal to get when your child's routine is a bit off.

  I was watching some of our local news anchors online, from WTKR Newschannel 3.  Kurt Williams was doing a live broadcast on Facebook, answering some questions to the people watching behind scenes.

  This brought back some memories of when I was diving into the world of broadcasting, pulling my hours doing broadcast radio at a local radio station in Hampton Roads (88.7FM).  The format was Classical Music, which allowed for me to learn the boards and keep track of time.  That is broadcast time.  Let's just say that a lot can happen in 5 seconds.

  While there I obtained my FCC license, which was my goal.  Don't know if it's still there as it has been many years.

  I also had the chance to talk with a couple of other News Ancor's, Alveta Ewell and Terry Zahn.  I still remember them sitting in a classroom setting answering questions from several other 'students' such as myself.  It made me pause for thought as to what I wanted to do with my life.  Did I want to go down the road of broadcasting? Or did I want to stick with my initial plan of adventuring onto becoming an apprentice at a local shipyard?

  It was around that time I was looking at graduating High School and wanted to be sure that I had a good plan of action for the foreseeable future for me.  At least to carry me another 5 years.

  Life has a funny way of providing these opportunities to you, presenting you options that on hindsight really wouldn't make a difference either way which direction I would've taken.... career wise.

  I asked both Alveta and Terry a couple of questions, mostly surrounding the issue of the balance between family life and career life.

  You see, I've seen how a career can impact a relationship - and I wanted to make sure that whatever path I chose allowed for me to be able to make that balance.

  Sure I had the ability to do voice-overs and be on the radio in terms of broadcasting.  Of course I enjoy doing PSA's and commercials.  But, let's face it, radio broadcasting doesn't pay a lot and doing voice over work can be a challenge by itself.  Longevity in the world of broadcasting is something you have to consistently strive for, and you have to regularly be subject to public scrutiny - especially if you mess-up.

  I was young, still trying to figure out what direction I wanted to go.  But, that time spent with Alveta Ewell and Terry Zahn required me to think forward... to think long-term.

  I was told I could be a great journalist, an excellent broadcaster.   "yeah, right" was (and is) the response I still give.
  I know enough to know I don't know anything, even though I put in some hours as a late night classical music DJ.

  The decision to adventure down the road of apprenticeship made practical sense.  I could get my associates degree, a journeyman's certificate, and have enough experience that could carry me to any career I chose to do.

  The apprenticeship program promised a lot.  But, after a year and a half, the shipyard laid off all of the apprentices in the program - thus changing the course of my life once again.

  Am I angry?  No.  Disappointed was more like it.

  What happens when your plans are changed beyond your control?

  You move on.  You move forward.

  Since that time I have had a few other moments like that, either by choice - or not by choice.

  I was asked how have I dealt with these life changes.   How do I deal with the past?

  I'll put this as plainly as I can.  You learn from your past, you recognize how going through those moments made you who you are - and move forward.

  We are all products of our past, the influences of those life experiences help us to make decisions - but they should not be shackles that bind us to what 'could have been', but rather keeping us in the direction of 'what will be'... providing hope to help others in their journey called life.

  I have hope.  Let's keep that moving forward.

   

  • 5:02 pm
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