If you are thrown off the boat, you can either thrash around in the water or you can swim. Of course, you need to know HOW to swim — that’s helpful. Panic causes the thrashing. I can tell you from experience, if you think you are drowning, you get tired very quickly. Easy, measured strokes can take you were you need to go.
In 2008, the newspaper business started cutting people. For two years, I lived in fear as my colleagues got laid off around me. I ended up having stomach issues and had to have a couple of procedures to make sure something wasn’t wrong. Stress is a killer in more ways than one.
Twelve-years ago this week, I was thrown off the boat — with a rope still attached to my leg. After coming back from running the Marine Corps marathon and raising $13,000 for charity, I was made part-time at the Clarion Ledger. (And my dog died — If my mom had been hit by a train, it would have been a country song) It initially cost me my benefits (which were later restored) and half of my salary. I still did six cartoons a week — which meant the paper got me for half off. They told me that I could get another job — which I did to keep my house. I got a job at SuperTalk. Soon all the promises made to me like “you can work from home some” went away. I was sitting in the CL building at 6:00 a.m. sharp. I’d get home at 6:30 at night and then do it all over again the next day.
I was thrashing in the water.
Back then, I was afraid because I didn’t think I could do anything else other than draw editorial cartoons. Today I know better. I am a storyteller.
Twelve years ago, the management at the Clarion Ledger did me a favor. I am grateful to them. First of all, they didn’t lay me off. Being part-time, I still had some money to survive on. Second, their business decision allowed me to start making some business decisions of my own. I published books, I got better on radio, I did TV and I now work with a great team at Mississippi Today.
There were some costs in those twelve years. But as I look back this morning, I thank God and need to get busy swimming.