Category Archives: Writing

My musings

Unemployed, again

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Today, I am unemployed. Last night, with my brother leading the sports efforts, I put the paper together then to bed. I wrapped up my career at the Capital Journal quietly and quickly.

My job at the newspaper was just supposed to be a side gig. I was going to write a few stories, edit and help the paper build its social media presence. I wasn’t going to let reader comments bother me or let the workload consume my life. It would just be another job, nothing monumental.

I set these parameters because of this on-going love-hate relationship I have with journalism. I can’t settle on whether I want to be a journalist or not. When I am doing it, I hate it. When I am not doing it, I miss it. Journalism brings out the best and worst in me and I can’t quite make a decision on what role I want it to play in my life. Do other people struggle with their chosen professions this way or am I insane? I assume the latter. Peace Corps was supposed to be a break from it, time to make the decision. Then, when I came home, I thought working at the newspaper temporary would give me clarity. But I had to not let it consume my life.

My job would not become my life.

Then the flood happened.

Then 70-hour weeks. Then nagging emails about each little mistake made under my byline (always grammatical, never factual). Then the guilt to write every story and release every bit of information. Then the feelings of inadequacy that I would and could never be a great journalist.

It did become my life. Again, reporting was my identity.

Despite the internal struggle, I did produce some pieces that I’m proud of. And, I can’t count the number of times I was stopped by figures from my childhood who just needed to tell me, “I love your writing.” To be told that as many times as I was this summer is a downright gift from God.

Now, it’s over. Four months felt like 12. The distraction of work is no longer there, hiding the giant fear of Lesotho and returning to the Peace Corps. This morning, without a job to attend to, my spinning thoughts woke me up. Worry over money, the never-ending to do-list and how the hell I am going to get on plane and start this all over beat me down. With work, I could put it off. But the reporting has ended and the countdown to departure is now more real than ever before.

Four years ago, when I graduated college, I would’ve thrown rocks at you if you told me I would one day be at home reporting for the Capital Journal. It’s an experience that I’m thankful for. I worked with a wonderful group of people to make a difference. This is how I was meant to spend my time between services, and a way, I could see this job as partial reason for my return.

Looking back at the flood, I realize that I couldn’t have just filled sandbags. I would need to be in the thick of it, telling stories. Because no matter if I pursue a journalism career after the Peace Corps or it ends here, telling stories is what I do.

Charity marketing

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The 2011 September Campaign. Our 5-year-anniversary video from charity: water on Vimeo.

Last year, before I left for Peace Corps Round 2, I had the opportunity to hear Scott Harrison, the founder of Charity Water, at Big Omaha. I actually didn’t really want to go to the event because I found out earlier that week that I was going to Niger and wanted to focus more on that, but, eventually, I was talked into it. I am glad that I did go because I ended up writing a great piece about the Midwest’s voice in the evolving tech world and I heard Scott speak. Actually, you can see his presentation here.

Today, Charity Water launched the above video for its new campaign. Charity Water is becoming more of a recognized charity and has some pretty incredible donor stories. But, Charity Water is not better than any other charity out there. Having seen this problem first hand, clean water is a devastating issue, but so is hunger and the treatment of women. The difference, though, between Charity Water and most non-profits is look. Charity Water’s look IS better than almost all other do-good organizations.

Take for example Unicef. That organization does amazing things in the third world and it impact so many people each day. But take a look at its outward design. Now Charity Water’s. Who are you going to give your money to?

This is relevant to me in a couple of ways. I used to work in marketing for a non-profit and I see that as a viable option for a career post-Peace Corps. Also, with my Peace Corps work. A volunteer friend in Niger told me that often times our projects in the Peace Corps are overlooked because we don’t spend enough time marketing them. We don’t market them to our villages or our communities back in the U.S. If we did more of that, they could potentially be more successful. If every Peace Corps’ volunteer had an artistically pleasing videos and clean websites with helvetica font, you’ld think the world was saved.

As I gear up for Round 2, I am thinking about projects that I would like to do in Lesotho that I didn’t get the chance to launch in Niger: a girl’s empowerment camp or a journalism club. I am already planning ways to better document my service, create a brand for my service. This blog is a good start, also the bit of foresight my second service will have that my first didn’t.

My Peace Corps goal is to help people, but I am also a story teller. I want people to understand my experiences. Charity Water does a great job of that, although their work is no more important than any other group. You just think it is.

It doesn’t get easier

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August is in its last days and, by now, it should be easier.

The water would come down and tales of triumph would be the headline. We’d shrug it off as the summer of hell but then it would all go back to normal, as if we were to just clean it up like a messy spill.

But it’s not like that. Today, I stood in the driveway of a couple who ripped out their entire basement, which still has a foot of water. The river may be shrinking but ground water has its own path of deconstruction. They are both on social security. They have no idea how they will pay for this. A senator was there to offer comfort and reassurance that this is an issue in Washington, D.C. But the senator knows that our government is flat broke and assistance is not probable. There is a slight chance of FEMA money, but even then it would be the most $3,000. That doesn’t cover the cost of sandbags.

It’s the 95th day of this mess and there are still no happy stories. Still no stories of triumph. The reality is this place will never, ever be the same.

Thirteen

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At about 2:45 p.m. there was a large rumble that shook the newsroom floor.

There is some construction going on in our building, so we first thought someone had hit something. Then, I called my dad.

“Did you hear that?”

“Everybody heard that.”

I hadn’t hung up the phone yet when I screamed “Call the police department.” Chris, without instruction, grabbed a camera and set out to photograph whatever it is and Ann and Ruth started to call everyone we could think of — dispatch, the fire department, police department, heads of various city departments, the governor’s office, the National Weather Service, Elsworth Airforce Base, the county emergency manager, the U.S. Corps Amy or Engineers. A sonic boom? A water main break? An explosion? A plane crash? No one seemed to know. I funneled the information, or lack of, into our website and social media. Finally, from the USGS, we got the answer. Earthquake. In South Dakota.

It registered a 3.4, which is considered a minor earthquake, and there was no damage. Just a freak small tremble. It happened near Steamboat Park, which is underwater thanks to the Missouri River Flood.

If you are keeping track of Heather’s ridiculous events of 2011 it is now two evacuations — one related to terrorism and the other political activism — a cholera outbreak, a flood and an earthquake.  A friend asked if he could choose what disaster will occur when I see him in a few weeks. My dad said if there is a locust outbreak he is kicking me out of the house. It used to be a joke, but I am really starting to wonder if I am cursed.

Anyway, Ruth and Ann did a great job of tracking it down and we have a fun little story for tomorrow. An earthquake in South Dakota, that is a new one.