Mr. Pitiful

I found out today that I did not get that sports writing job in Saline/Milan. I'll continue freelancing for both papers (gotta keep my name out there and make some money on the side). I'll be substitute teaching in the fall/winter in Washtenaw County. I figure it will be a fairly low-stress job (hopefully) and it will be easy to get out of if I find a writing job. My hopes aren't high, though (about the writing).

I wasn't disappointed, initially, about not getting the job. I figured after two weeks of no contact from the editor I was pretty much out of the running. I e-mailed her once to find out if she had come to any decisions. She hadn't at the time.

It turns out the person who got the job is a 2004 Saline High School graduate by the name of Jana Miller. I think it's great that a female is writing sports. It adds a completely different perspective to story choice, game coverage, etc. That's not what disappointed me. It's the fact that she's younger and seems to have less experience than me. I kind of feel that she got the job because she's from the area. I know more qualified people were interviewed and they didn't get the job. It's just a bit of a heartbreak for me because I always thought experience was what got you ahead.

I also feel a bit cheated. The previous sports writer had a lot of experience and was able and always willing to lend a hand if I had a problem with some of my writing and provided a critical eye for my writing. He was always able to provide some feedback for me, whether positive or negative. I don't know if I'll be able to take what this new reporter will have to say about my writing to heart.

One good thing is that I don't have to work under the editor of the paper. She's a bit of a scatter-brain when it comes to planning. She often gives me story ideas three days before they're due and wonders why I haven't been able to accomplish every story. It's not the easiest thing to call someone and set up a meeting with one day's notice. I guess I can count my lucky stars for getting me out of the frustration of having her as my boss.

I know I'm not the best writer. I also know I'm not the worst. I think I'm somewhere in the middle and it kind of hurts whenever I realize/remember that. It's the story of my life. I've never been the best but I've never been the worst (on an individual level. I have been the worst in team things.).

My confidence has been lowered. Not demolished, just taken down a couple of levels.

While watching the Tigers game today I realized where the phrase "right off the bat" comes from: baseball. Think about it.