Milestone birthday, season give reasons to reflect

I’m not where I’d like to be, but I’m not quitting, either. However, since it is my birthday, I choose to write of other things.

Since this issue also hits newsstands the week of Thanksgiving – a holiday that affects all of us, as opposed to my birthday, which is really just for me – I think I’ll reflect on some of the people and things for which I am thankful.

A good friend of mine recently told me that I shouldn’t be too upset about this birthday, because I’ve already got many of the things others lament when they hit the big 3-0 – a spouse, a family, an education and a job that I enjoy.

And she’s right. I am thankful for my husband and for our two sons and daughter.

Even on the days when the kids are climbing the walls and I’m pulling out my (not yet gray!) hair, I’m still glad I have my family.

Boy, oh, boy, am I thankful that I’ve got my education under my belt. I went to college on the six-year plan, getting married and adding two of the three offspring during that time. It was a busy, hectic time, and it’s not something I’d recommend. But it’s done, at least until the kids are grown, when I just might surprise myself and head back to the classroom. But we’ll see.

If there’s anyone out there who loves their job every single day of every single week, I’d love to know their secret. But I consider myself lucky in that I really do love what I do. For a very long time, I knew that I wanted to write – and to get paid for it.

Like many people, I would someday love to write a book, but that’s something that I think is better undertaken when the kids are raised and the house is paid for. Besides, I haven’t decided what I want to write about yet.

Meanwhile, I’ve got a job that I really enjoy. I get to meet all kinds of people and learn more about almost every type of business there is.

I first came to SBJ as an intern. I was skeptical, because back then, the word “business” to me represented dry facts and figures. Once I figured out that business, just like anything, is about people, I was hooked. Facts and figures have their place, sure, but getting to the minds behind the news is key – and sometimes, it’s the most fun.

Work is work and it must be done, but my thought is, if you can’t have fun and enjoy what you’re doing, then maybe you’re doing the wrong thing.

We get a lot of work done here at SBJ, and we have a lot of fun doing it. Working in a small business means we all wear a lot of hats, but it also means that as coworkers, we have the opportunity to get to know one another. Lucky for me, the SBJ crew is one that likes to make work a fun proposition. For that – and for my coworkers – I am thankful.

Because a newspaper is useless without readers, obviously, I am thankful for the people who read SBJ, whether they’re subscribers (and we hope they are!) or people who happen upon a copy in a lobby or a waiting room.

While I enjoy the process of weaving a story together, and the process of editing others’ work, I also love to help others. When we get calls from businesses that tell us they’ve had a good response to articles we’ve written, that feels good. When we get letters or e-mails thanking us for covering an issue or a topic, we like that, too. Not just because we like to get a pat on the back, but because it means we’re doing our job. We’re giving our readers the information they need and want. That’s why we’re here.

That’s not to say that we don’t get negative feedback, because we do, and it’s just as important. All feedback, positive or negative, helps us focus and to plan for the future.

What a future it’s going to be! SBJ has put the finishing touches on the 2005 editorial calendar, and internally, we’ve been talking about the direction we want the paper to go (bigger and better seems to be the consensus).

So stick with us. And while you’re along for the ride, let us know what you think. If there’s something you think we’re missing, or if there’s a development you want to know more about, give us a call.

Thanks for reading.

Maria Hoover is Inside Business editor for the Springfield Business Journal.

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