You're on deadline ... and an emergency strikes

You are correct sir.

 

You did the right thing. And it appears the story got in the paper.

I remember I started working in the 1970s and the mentality was that nobody cared, even if it was for six-paragraph story on a suburban board of education. Another time in the 1990s I was covering a game where the fog was so bad it might have been dangerous to drive back to the office. My editor said they could get the game in the following day's paper if need be, and nothing was worth getting in an accident about. That is the right thing to do.

 

I've never had an emergency exactly like that, but I hope I would have the sense to put my family first. Even bosses who are generally assholes have the sense to be understanding when it counts.

I have had a couple of bosses along the way that I thought were pretty cold-hearted about stuff like this. I was working for one the night my father passed away.

He had been terminally ill for months and it was my first day back in the office after visiting for four or five days. I get a call from my brother telling me that I should talk to my father right then if I ever wanted to again. I went into an empty conference room in the office and I can't even begin to describe that phone call, though it was years ago.

Once I got off the phone I went to tell my boss the situation. I barely even started and he cut me off and sent me home. Told me to be back when I can be back, which ended up being over a week later. Maybe it was class. Maybe it was him realizing I'd be useless anyway. Either way, he did the right thing.

Needless to say, the paper got out without me. My boss and the ME, who I also had the occasional disagreement with, couldn't have been more supportive.

Family always has to come first. If you don't get that, rent "Click," so Adam Sandler and co. can beat you over the head with it.

 

I'd like to think most SEs, MEs, etc. would do the right thing, like mine did. Essentially shrug off the notion of work during a crisis. But we all know there are some cold-hearted fucksticks out there who wouldn't.

 

Sounds like everything worked out fine.

My question is this, and I'm not trying to be a dick, but what made you answer the phone? If I'm on deadline and get a call that isn't from an editor, I don't answer or check the message until I file.

 

Very few people have my cell number, and almost anyone who knows me knows when I'm covering games. I knew it wasn't the SID since he was standing next to me, and I have a special ring on my phone for familiar numbers. That familiar ring rang, so I knew it was a regular number. The caller ID said it was my home, so the Instinct Alarm went off, I guess you could say. It's unusual for my cell phone to ring, especially now that my wife has her own tracfone.

 

You ever dealt with a screaming baby?

 

CU Buffalo Gal -- Congrats !!!

king, that's a great idea to have an emergency or "home" ringtone.

But stop and think about it - it's sports. If I'd been covering Ford's funeral or a presidential press conference, and an emergency happened -- I'd be outta there in a second. And this is sports we're talking about.

But let's say you're covering the World Series or something and your paper can't get anyone to cover you. So they run wire copy. The world goes on.

 

Agree with most on here.

Work will always be there. Be there for your family.

 

Ditto! This thread is now useless without new baby pics...

 

No, it's OK. She called in a panic while loading the van up. Kind of two birds with one stone thing. With his toe looking the way it did, the only thing my wife was thinking was it would be so bad that they'd have to amputate. I little dramatic? Probably, but when you have a baby in that much pain ... it's not hard to panic.

 

A decade or so ago, my mother died after four months of terminal illness. I took four days off for the funeral.

Came back to work and got fired two weeks later because I seemed "distracted" at work.

And THAT is why I have never owned a gun.