After 33 years in the broadcasting industry, I now feel emboldened to say that it's not part of the real world. For those wanting to get into the business, and for those wanting to get out, let me assure you that it is not the real world.
All it took was one year away from the biz for me to feel like I was on completely safe and solid ground in making the statement, but I'm right, and anyone who disagrees with me is wrong.
Broadcasting, for all its magic and wonder, ain't the real world.
It's a fantasy land.
It's also the Land of Nightmares for many.
I had a fair mix of the two during my time spent. More laughs than tears, more better years than bad, more fulfillment than not. The real baffler is that being in broadcasting means having your eyes, ears, and nose on and into everybody else's business 24/7. Which means you should know what's going on, right? You don't.
Life in the news room is insular. Somehow, and despite your relentless digging in the news dirt, you managed a disconnect from your friends in the real world, if you have friends there.
You know who they are, they're the people you see doing nothing while you trudge off to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Memorial Day, all those days they always have off when you don't. Some of those same people think you have the greatest job in the world. On holidays, you know you don't. You really don't know what holidays are.
Here is what's going on out here in the real world, my world, the world within which I now dwell...
Monday...No one does anything on Monday. At the most, minimal effort is required to get through Monday. You'll never get stares, glares, or clucking tongues on Monday for being a slacker. No, sirs and mams, you never will. And the reason is right there in front of you, or at the desk right next to yours. The reason you get a pass on Monday is that no one else is doing anything either. It's like Free-Pass Day. You can't call anyone on Monday; they don't won't to be bothered. Generally, no one will call you for the very same reason. Blow off Monday, it's a waste. Actually, it's like that study period a lot of us had in high school. You didn't study then. You don't work now.
Tuesday...This is ramp-up day. Tuesday you get some work done, maybe even a lot of work. That day before that you pretended wasn't there somehow energized you to a level where, by God, you will make those calls. Then by noon, well, for crying out loud, you realize how much you got done. Time to back off a bit, take a breather, slow it down, leave some work for Wednesday.
Wednesday...Traditionally known as Hump Day, the day you need to get over in order to start sliding towards the weekend. You get up and over the hump. Hump is a railroading term, at least in this context. You probably ignored some semi-important matters on Tuesday, so on Wednesday morning you need to go back and check yourself, see what you just have to get done before Hump Day ends.
Thursday...This day has a certain feel to it, one that carries a hint of relief, that your work is nearly done. It also serves as ramp-down day. Your morning may be bountifully productive, but by early afternoon you can already feel the weight lifting from your shoulders and back. You know that whatever needs to be done, whatever may be on the desk in front of you, can likely wait until the next day. Could be it can wait until next week, because the weekend is about to begin, and in the real world, nobody works weekends. Ain't life beautiful?
Friday...Let's figure, oh, a half day today. You'll serve your eight hours or more, sure. Noon, though, is about the time that you look around and realize that most everyone else has dialed it back to "snooze and cruise." Although they may be grounded in the physical plane of "work," their minds and spirits are elsewhere. All one need now do is wait it out.
And there you have it; the workweek in the real world.
Of course, there are caveats, exceptions, additions, deletions, etc.
For instance, the week before vacation. Skip it. You'll do nothing above and beyond.
Then there's the week after vacation. Same deal, nothing doing.
The week prior to a long holiday weekend is likewise a charade. You're really not there.
After that holiday, Tuesday becomes your Monday, then Wednesday your Tuesday. By the time you get to "Thursday," you realize it's Friday. And all is well with the world. God bless The USA...
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Here's one I completely forgot...The Holidays. We can say that The Holidays are roughly Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, right? Or we might be able to get away with, say, mid-November through the end of the first week in January, right? The Holidays are one big old stretch of time during which no one wants to do anything, and for the most part they succeed in doing(not doing?)just that. Again, God bless The USA!
