Characters

It was one of those scenes that show up in my nightmares, but this time I was living it. I was on my way to shoot my niece’s wedding a few weeks ago — straight from work, stress at both ends of my 40 minute journey. As I drove (fast enough to irritate other drivers but not fast enough to get a ticket) I was thinking through my strategy: pre-wedding shots in the garden, quirky, fun, spontaneous, creative. Then on to the wedding — high church setting with breathtakingly modern and artful stained glass — that could be fun if done correctly. Nighttime reception would mean some outdoor shooting in the dark — could get dicey. The bride is an art major in graduate school — she knows what’s good and what’s not. Don’t screw up — this is for family. Mind racing. Anxiety building. As the miles ticked by I mentally checked my list of "must-have" shots from the bride and equipment I would need. Did I have enough batteries and memory cards (learned that the hard way). Were my lenses ...

There he goes, out the door — one of the best writers, sharpest minds, and most sarcastic wits I've ever met. Mike sits a couple cubes over in the newsroom, or at least he did until today, when he finally packed up his stuff and headed off for greener pastures, a bigger paycheck and a shorter commute. Under his arm were tear sheets from some of his best stories, a stack of his kids' handmade drawings that had decorated the wall next to his desk, and his favorite stress ball — now the consistency of soft butter after hundreds of hours of vigorous use. Here's the thing about Mike — he cranked out news stories like a vending machine, day after day, week after week, year after year. That kind of thing can suck the creativity and joy right out of you. But even after all these years in the news business, Mike still found a way to weave a little "inspired" into just about everything he wrote. People, places, experiences, causes — he gave readers a front row seat...