Tagging along to shake hands and exchange cards a post-work event is hardly my idea of a good time. But throw a free trip to the Newseum (and its beautiful rooftop deck) in the mix and you may have this news nerd on board.In the short window of lucid memory I have of the evening (mom, I’m exaggerating here for effect) I learned a few things:
1. I will be sure to add “working” to the statement, “I’m _____________with (boss’s name)” in the future. It can be easy to forget the wives, husbands, girlfriends and ladies and gents of the night who may find their way to these things. Do not imply you are “with” your boss. It will make you feel odd for hours and days to come.
2. Those guys in the corner are just going to keep giving me wine every time I go ask and the lady with the crab cakes is going to load up again. She’ll be back. Nom.nom.nom.
3. I am not familiar with how to work the schmooze environment and that’s okay. I was having a miserable and increasingly tipsy time until I came across two similarly-wide-eyed people who appeared to have graduated in the same decade as me. They were great and shared my love of free wine, cannolis, and marveling at the fact that some people in the room had somehow made a decades-long career out of news. I am far from a full fledged professional and I shouldn’t pretend otherwise.
I fear the sad truth I walked away from the evening with was this: news ain’t what it used to be. This beautiful place with delicious food was full of hundreds of people who once got to make a living finding and sharing stories. Now it’s their job to stay away from 9 to 5 and exchange cards with other recovering journalists after work.
That sucks. It’s depressing. And it’s the way it is.So I guess it’s time to embrace the fact that I’m fortunate to have a job that gives me a glimmer of that never-realized dream. It may involved more waiting on people’s feelings, ensuring organizational harmony and fewer shaky-handed chain smokers than news, but it’ll do for now. As long as I can get my hands on some cannolis.
