Characters

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...

It had been a long, hard day in the newsroom. A tidal wave of staff changes, a major shift in job responsibilities, and back-to-back training sessions on new production software and procedures had left everyone pretty much catatonic. Productivity was not at an all-time high. Clear thinking wasn't either. Cue the creative release, and the moderately-funny-but-thoroughly-therapeutic contest above. The characters in the video are two of my nearby cube-dwellers and coworkers. They, like the others in this pressure cooker, continue to push on even as the earth shakes under our feet and chaos spins us in circles. These solitary survivors, united by a common goal, keep moving ahead — morphing, adapting, sweating, laughing, writing, re-adapting, and hoping for the best. This motley crew of nearly-insane but highly capable individuals has earned my respect. I know what it costs to get the job done. To Dave, Dan, Barb, Melissa, Scott, Rachel, Nora, Steve, Allison, Lind...