J4450: The Decision

The following events actually both fell through, but, at the time I made this decision this morning, both were very much in play:

Last night, my roommates and I made plans to grab dinner tonight after I was done with work at 6:00. It was going to be a special occasion, kind of like a last supper before we parted for a week or more for Thanksgiving. I woke up Tuesday prepared to go out to dinner.

Around 9:00 this morning, I saw my editor’s Facebook post:

Cool opportunity to do a straightforward story this evening about Head Start holding a health literacy event for parents from several counties. Starts at 6:30 at Stoney Creek. You go, come back, write a short feature. Photo is assigned. WHO WANTS THIS?

Well, I had a decision to make. Hang with my roommates before Thanksgiving OR work on my craft…

I emailed Liz and told her I’d do the story. I debated it for about 10 seconds. I’d just tell my roommates I had to do it, I thought. The truth is, I wanted to do it. Not because I don’t like hanging out with my roommates, but because I wanted to cover an event and write a story.

Of course, like I wrote above, both of these plans fell through. When she saw me in the newsroom, Liz said a fellow reporter also wanted to cover the event and it was my decision if I still wanted it. Thinking about the dinner with my roommates, whom I hadn’t told yet about me bailing, I told her the other reporter could take it.

I regret not taking it now and not because our dinner plans fell through. But this post isn’t about that, it’s about my decision. When faced with a decision between my career and my friends, I chose my career. And, hopefully, I’ll have to make that decision a few more times during my lifetime, for better or worse.

But I’m OK with that.