Jingles and Chandler

Chandler Denton, 12 of Clare, takes a break Friday at the Clare County Fair after walking his quarter horse Jingles who was dehydrated. "She doesn't like the water here," Denton said. Denton, a member of the Giddy Up 4-H Club, had to walk Jingles to keep her from eating dirt and laying down to prevent colic. "There's nothing I'd rather be doing than riding," he said.

Finding the drive and making the fight

I can't believe I'm already a month into the new year.

I seem to be fighting all kinds of battles.

My days run together working the night shift. At times it can be a daunting task to find the motivation to wake, rinse, drag yourself to work for three or four hours of sun light, enter a dark gym, leave to a dark parking lot, edit, caption, tone, then to leave work knowing not only is it dark, but also freezing cold.

This all leads me to my next topic. I shoot basketball everyday and sometimes I cover two games. A college photographer asked why I was leaving a Central Michigan University game early and it got me thinking about how drastically different my life is from a year ago.

Being at a college newspaper you print three times a week and you maybe shoot three or four assignments a week. You have a rough web deadline and you pretty much do things at your pace.

It's great in theory to want to shoot an entire game, but there are many reasons it's not always applicable at a daily.

• Web first - Despite what you want to do or know will produce the best content your editor and bosses know differently and they have expectation you have to meet.
• Deadlines - Much like the first point other people (page designers) are waiting for you so they can do their job. They have friends and most importantly families.
• People - Not everyone understands you or what you do. They have families which are more important than their jobs, whether you think it's fair or not. To many it's about the paycheck.
  
• Real world - It's not college. You have three assignments a day instead of three a week. "Don't forget video," they politely remind you, so make that four. Your a staff of few instead of many. The reality is it's not feasible and you have to budget your time properly. You learn what to and what not to spend your time on.

All of this brings me to a final point.

Pick and choose your battles.

Not everyone you work with is as dedicated as you. So choose what you fight for wisely. Otherwise you alienate yourself and are labeled a with giant asshole target.

This doesn't mean you give up and give in. This means you lead by example. You show others you care and use your passion to motivate them. Instead of being the complaining gnat, be the caterpillar. Cheesy, yes, but little by little you achieve change. As others see the greatness in your work they will be inspired to do the same. They will also be inspired if they see you getting a pay raise.

The truth is you have to change your game plan sometimes. Instead of spending three hours on basketball, spend one. Spend the other two working on real projects and finding features. When the big games comes the editors will understand and take full advantage of it.

It's all a game.

Pick your battles, plan accordingly, do the right things, control the tempo, attack and you'll sometimes win.

It's Friday Again

It's Friday again. That means high school football.

Fulton High is literally surrounded by corn fields. They come so close to the building that I'm willing to bet a dollar I can reach both arms out and touch the school and the stalks at the same time.

Ashley (who tagged along for fun) and I approach the field. I take some test shots as these golden rays of light peak over the top of the trees. The light is perfect. In my head I know it's only a matter of minutes before it will be lost.

The teams come out, introductions are made and the National Anthem is played. There and then it hits me. I feel that pain in my stomach. Don't worry it's not kidney stones or diarrhea, but nerves.

The cool dry air with a sight breeze from the west, the orange cast of a dusty sunset, green grass, white jerseys and the sound of people cheering make me suddenly miss it.

The ball is kicked and I turn to Ashley and I say, "I just want to hit someone."

Unless you have ever played, you will never truly know that feeling.