Everyone gets the first day jitters when starting a new job. It is only the most confident of us that do not have issues. The new environment, new city, new faces. I am not unlike those millions before me.
Taking me out of my element literally has taken me into a new career and a new world. I was in the same business since 1987 and was very confident in what did.
What I’m really talking about here is fear. Frank Herbert, author of Dune has a hero whose litany is ‘Fear is the little death, fear is the mind killer.? I have used this litany many times when I was unsure of my next step.
My second day on the job was one of those days when I found myself running my mantra through my head more than most. I was to go to The Oxford Leader to ‘put the paper to bed,? a saying in news business for putting the final touches on the paper before going to print.
I sat down to await instructions. When my editor me to come over so she could show me what to do, I promptly stood up took one step and found myself flapping my arms helplessly in the air like a bird as I propelled forward and fell right on my face. A phone cord had reached out and wrapped itself tightly around my ankle, so much so that my editor (bless her heart) came over and untangled the cord.
As I lie there mortified all my mind could say was, ‘get up.? The words that came out of my mouth sounded like the guy in the Volkswagen commercial when he tackles the shopping cart and out of the frame you hear ‘I’m all right.?
I turned to see, to my humiliation, the print staff all came over to see what had happened. Within minutes word had spread throughout the building.
Oh, did I mention I also ripped the phone out of the wall and shut down the back room page system.
All the care I spent on my morning routine was for nothing. The only thing people will remember is me spread out across the floor like a rag doll.
Such was my second day.
Much to my delight, my editor gave me the assignment of introducing myself in my first column. I asked if she was sure, that is something that comes naturally for me. My opinion, in writing, and I am getting paid for it. Go figure.
Again, I must say I had some trepidation? people actually reading my thoughts.
I once sat around a fire with Ben Hamper author of Rivethead and listened to him tell his stories. I was currently reading his book and I felt like I was in his mind. It disturbed me so much I left the fire to finished his book. I recently sought his advice regarding writing. He told me that, ‘We write for our own entertainment and if you think about who will be reading it, you will lose momentum.? I find this sound advice.
I also read an article in Time magazine this month featuring columnist Ann Coulter. She says she writes for her own amusement, if nobody gets her jokes, it doesn’t matter, they make her laugh.
So I am learning from my role models. I will write to amuse me. I hope you join me.
The biggest fear I had was falling on my face, and in the words of Sandra Bullock in ‘Miss Congeniality,? ‘Hey, I already did that.?