Happy St. Paddy's Day!

I'm only a tiny bit Irish, if any, nor do I drink, but I made sure to wear green today so I wouldn't get pinched by all the "adopted" Irish people out there in the world. It's a good thing, too, because I had to go to the local Irish pub and shoot pictures of people who were already completely blitzed at noon. Wow, once you're that pissed, how do you manage to keep it up for another twelve hours??



For me, St. Patrick's Day is my anniversary at the newspaper. Today, if fact, marks ten years at this job. Here's my press pass photo from five years ago:



This is an interesting profession... I've had experiences that I could never replicate. I've flown over wildfires in small planes. I've been tear gassed at riot scenes. I've watched a man take his last breath as I sat next to him. I see my community from the inside; I see its highs and lows, I meet the people who accomplish incredible things as well as the people who screw up. I get to spend chunks of time inside the lives of others. Even on a scale as small as Boulder County, this is fascinating stuff.
But at the same time, I've spent more mindless hours in my car, driving around this county, than anyone I know (maybe I should meet a UPS driver so I'll feel better about myself). I've spent far too much time that I'll never get back photographing at meetings, people at computers, and pictures of the weather. I can't go into a coffee shop and try to read a book without being interrupted by five people that know me and want to chat. I can't afford to buy a new car, take a vacation any farther away than I can drive, or purchase furniture for my apartment (my desk is a door, straddling two filing cabinets). I see the struggles of the newspaper industry and wonder where my career is headed. And most of all, I can't figure out if my work actually has meaning for me on a deep level anymore -- and what I would do instead. This is something I hope to answer before St. Paddy's Day, 2007.

But I gotta add something that so far has made it all worthwhile.... SIX WEEKS OF VACATION A YEAR!! Yeah, baby!! This job has enabled me to do a lot of other things that I love: bike racing, Dirt Camps, tons of bike trips, and interesting freelance opportunities. And it's simple work. Once the next day's paper is on the presses, I go home and sleep like a baby. Ahhhhh.