THE WRITER

The Writer courtesy photobucket.com

 

He had struggled to get some journalistic training, and it was even harder to get a job at the local newspaper and the best he could find was a copy boy position.

In those days being a copy boy was the bottom of the totem pole so to speak. He was at the beck and call of everyone, the gofer, the “have him do it” guy.

As he would read the paper each day he could just envision his name on the by line of each story and off he would go in his own fantasy land. The editor was a tolerant man (as tolerant as an editor can be which isn't much) and when he was in the editors presence he would hint that he would like to write something for the paper.

For the most part it fell on deaf ears for running a newspaper entailed everything from deadlines to legal problems to the actual equipment that did the printing. But the copy boy persevered and did his job very well even though he received little or no praise for doing a good job. Complements were in short supply in the newspaper business.

Over time the editor did notice his dedication to his job and called him into his office one day and asked if he would like to do a story with the understanding it probably wouldn't be published. He was ecstatic and pledged he would do a workman like job. The editor tried to squash his enthusiasm enough to give him his assignment which was to spend the night at the maternity department of the local hospital and develop a story about the new mothers and fathers. He assured the editor that it would be no problem and he could handle it.

As he left the editors office he declared to himself; "I am now a cub reporter" and no longer a copy boy. Then it struck him; how do I do this?  Sheepishly he decided to approach one of the less gruff reporters and ask him the best way to do this.

Amid his snarls and contemptuous laughter the old reporter laid out the first steps for him.  “The first thing you need to do is get a press pass so you will look official, and then contact the department head and tell them you want to do a story about their branch of the hospital services and then go from there.“

So it was after answering a multitude of questions the hospital gave their consent but wanted to meet him to lay down some ground rules. When he met with them they gave him a time set for his night at the maternity ward, and they laid the dos and don'ts for being there. When they questioned the fact he looked so young he assured he had been doing this for a long time.

Since he was going to stay up all night he was let off from his job at noon to get some rest. As he lay in bed he couldn't sleep, he could only think about his new adventure. His appointment was at six thirty but he showed up at five and had to wait till six when he was allowed to proceed to the maternity area.

Inwardly he thought about the two "P s" Perseverance and Prayer for they had prevailed at last.    

 To be continued at: Musings by Robert. 

This post was shared at Michelle Derusha’s Graceful Summer 

Also shared at: Stacy’s Heartprints Hallelujah