GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- Back when my daughters were little we made the video pilgrimage through the library of Walt Disney videos, including the classic "The Little Mermaid." In that story, Ariel, aka, "The Little Mermaid" sings a song called, "A Whole New World," where she laments the fact that she lives under the sea while there is this unatainable, exciting world happening above the surface. Now, picture my life, only in reverse.
I am happy where I am. I mean, I guess I should say, I was happy where I was.
I got into TV to become a sportscaster only after finally acknowledging what people had been telling me for years, that I was never going to be a professional athlete. Becoming a sports anchor came naturally to me. I loved all sports, had an uncanny memory for sports trivia, and let's face it, I wanted to be noticed.
Aftersix short years of college and two years as an unpaid intern in the KARE 11 sports department, I got my first full-time job. After stints in Duluth, LaCrosse, Wis. and Waco, Texas, I was able to come back to KARE 11. From there I went from sports producer to sports reporter, to weekend sports anchor, where I labored for a decade. It was upon Paul Magers' departure that I was asked to try anchoring news, and I have been a (relatively) happy member of the KARE 11 Sunrise team ever since.
I enjoy my job, I really do. Oh sure, the alarm goes off at 2:15 a.m., which is NEVER fun. But by the time I get to my car I am ALWAYS excited about going to work, and I'm proud of the work we do. That said, there are some things I never considered when getting into TV.
First, I have to wear makeup, and yes, I "do" my own. Next, I never realized that I couldn't pick and choose what times I would get attention out in public. Running a 5K for Race For The Cure, that's cool. Dealing with a screaming child at the supermarket, not so much. I always have to be "on" whenever I'm out in public, and believe me, there are many times, especially when you're with your children, that you'd just rather be left alone.
I always yearned for a seperation between my time at work and my time at home, much like our forefathers envisioned a seperation of church and state. But, the line in both cases has been forever blurred, and now even more so with the introduction of social media.
It all started innocently enough. First, there was e-mail, and I loved it! For a guy who hated to talk on the phone e-mail was a god-send! Then, there was blogging. While time consuming, I actually like blogging because basically you're story-telling, and I've always enjoyed "spinning a good yarn". But, now comes Facebook and Twitter, and, let's just say I find these waters a little bit more daunting.
My partner Kim Insley dove into both Facebook and Twitter immediately and enthusiastically while I sat next to her snickering. I already had my family, and a strong relationship with a large group of friends going back to my high school days, so, what did I need with Facebook? Twitter however, was a bit different. It didn't take long to realize that Twitter was a potential game-changer when it came to gathering news and I could not afford to be on the sideline.
My entrance to Facebook has been eye-opening to say the least. I have always been aware of the vehicle, as both my daughters have accounts, and I think the general feeling was that it would be "creepy" if the old man had one too. So, for work purposes I got a Facebook account, and the immediate response has been gratifying. People have been receptive and encouraging and I feel as if I have only scratched the surface.
I hope to be able to use Twitter as a tool to become a better newscaster, and more informed when it comes to serving the public. My problem is I'm not the most technically gifted person in the world and I'm insecure enough to worry that the people who sign up to "follow" me will leave dissapointed.
It's a whole new world, and this world is both revealing and time consuming and I'm afraid that I might not be any good at it. But, I can't be a dinosaur, right? So, while I might not be as enthusiastic about these new worlds as the little mermaid, I am determined to swim in these news waters even if I might need a life vest to start.
(Copyright 2011 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)