Hard part of the job
It seems like some of the best stories are some of the hardest to do. I’m not talking about the research or the editing, I’m talking about emotionally hard. Sunday and Monday I had two hard stories. On Sunday I talked with a mother who lost her 7 year old little boy in a plane crash only 5 days earlier. His Dad couldn’t even talk to me because he was so extremely sad and upset. It is so hard to sit there and watch a mother cry as she tells you she’s lost her best friend and recalls memories of her son. No parent should have to bury their child, but unfortunately that’s reality sometimes and it’s my job to tell their story.
On Monday I went to Enterprise, AL and saw what was left of Enterprise High School. (EHS is the school that was destroyed when an EF-4 tornado tore through killing 8 students when walls collapsed). I saw the footage on TV and in pictures when it happened, but it’s different seeing it in person. I talked to the Assistant Principal, and hearing him remember what happened that day is heart-wrenching. He was telling me about the conversation he had that morning with one of the students who didn’t make it out alive. One thing that I brought a smile to my face was an unexpected coincidence. The assistant principal told me about a card he had gotten from an elementary student and how much it meant to him that EHS is in so many people’s prayers. He pulled out the card to show me and I was shocked to see that it came from an elementary school in Citrus County, FL (that’s where I’m from). In fact, the principal of that school is a family friend. I always think of the world as such a big place, but then there are little things that happen that show me how small it actually is and how we’re all interconnected somehow.
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Another Week
Here I am on a Sunday about to begin another week. Yes, Sunday is my Monday. I’m trying to track down Panama City Beach’s Mayor or a Council member, but as you might expect since it is a Sunday morning, I’m not having a whole lot of luck. I’ve left some voicemails and hopefully someone will get back to me! This week I’m back to regular reporting with the regular daily deadlines - no more sweeps work days until November. It’s hard to believe that it is the middle of July already, but with the beginning of every new week you know what that means....one week closer to football season!! Some people say summer is their favorite time of year because it’s the time for vacations and going to the beaches, but not me. My favorite time of the year is football season. Since I’m only a few hours from Gainesville I plan to try to make it back for a few games this year - trust me, there’s nothing like the Swamp. I suppose I should stop dreaming of those orange and blue jerseys and get back to trying to find someone to talk to me for my story today. Happy Sunday, and Go Gators!
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Change
Change has always been hard for me - I resist it like a plague. When I graduated high school I went kicking and screaming to college. I even got back in my parent’s car and refused to get out when they tried to drop me off at school. Obviously I stayed, but that doesn’t mean the first semester was easy. Now I’m in the middle of one of the biggest changes of my life. I’m really on my own this time (at school I was an hour away from home and scholarships/parents paid the bills) and I’m out of my comfort zone. I know from experience that this part will pass, by the time I graduated college I went kicking and screaming to graduation, but in the meantime it still gets hard sometimes. The other reporters at the station have been amazing - from day one they took me in, made me feel comfortable, and included me in their lives outside of work. They’ll never know how much I needed them to do that. I still miss people though - my friends from UF and high school, my family, and especially my boyfriend. Ryan and I have been dating since we were 16. We spent our first 2 years of college at different schools so we’ve done the distance thing, but it’s obviously not the ideal situation. He’ll still be at UF for the next three years - he starts law school in the fall. I’m really excited for him because he worked so hard for this during the past 4 years (he graduated undergrad with a 4.0 - I can brag a little, right?). He’s supposed to be coming to see me in a few weeks and I’m really looking forward to that.
Thursday is now my “Friday” which means tonight is the beginning of my weekend! I plan to take advantage of the beach and work on my tan, which is kind of a joke because if you’ve seen me you’d never guess I’ve lived in Florida my entire life! ;-)
Anyway, that’s everything that is on my mind as of now!!
Go Gators :-)
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About Me
Hey there... I've spent all my life in the Sunshine State. I grew up in the small town of Lecanto, Florida and I'm very excited about starting my career at WMBB... and living near the beach is just a big plus for me. I recently graduated from the University of Florida so of course, I'm a big Gator fan. If you have a few minutes, you can shoot me an email - malbright@wmbb.com. I'd love to hear from you.
Recent Entries:
- It’s that time of year!!!
- Randomness
- 2 Things I Like (Besides the Gators)
- Hard part of the job
- Another Week
- Change
- Sweeps
Other News13 Blogs:
- The Casual Historian - Larche Hardy
- Behind The Scenes - Heather Kretzer
- The Resident Gator - Megan Albright
- The Newby - Jessi Chapin
- Bloggin' From The Beach - Bree Sison
- Gainesville, Georgia's All American Girl - Tuquyen Mach
- ... and yes, my hair is naturally curly - Jessica Foster
- Derby Girl - Enocha Van Lierop
- Cracker Cat - Jeannie Weller