The story commentors were their usual selves this week, discussing the nuances of voter ID laws to global warming and who deserves Medicare more as they continued their heated coffee klatsch in the electronic version of the Chatterbox cafe, where, incidentally, all seem to be above average.
Trouble is, there's no resolving that issue, or many of the others taking up our cyber-world table space. Don't they know we've got to make money here?
I had the usual amount of anonymous letters, not parsing words about the quality of our punctuation and use of split infinitives and BTW wishing us good luck in our endeavor to put out "that rag." Will we never learn?
Got a few congratulatory letters on our "Newspaper of the Year Honor" and a call from an angry fellow who wanted us to give the award back and pull our self-congratulatory ads because we forgot to publish the bingo numbers.
We aren't so smart and high and mighty if we can't remember the bingo numbers, he said.
I got a nice phone call from a young woman with a southern accent asking me to fill out a survey from the University of Georgia Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research. I didn't know such places existed in Georgia. She politely mentioned she'd e-mailed me the survey some months ago, and hoped I would remember.
Good luck with that lady.
She sounded so nice, I had to make like I would really attempt to fill out the survey should she send it again. In Minnesota, sometimes, we're just to nice for our own good. I received the survey and put it at the top of my file as a reminder to the requisite guilt I should be feeling.
Three grumpy businessmen, two irate mothers of felons and one reader who hinted at disappointment should we pull the "Ask Us" column rounded out the month.
This newspaper editor gig is tough work. I hear there's an opening for a radio host in the Twin Cities, someone to tell odd stories about average people one runs into in Minnesota.
I might be qualified.
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I am sure you guys get some laughs now and then with the type of letters you receive by people. I am sure some people humor you.
ReplyDeleteI also think it would be hard at times in finding that balance and then trying to make people happy. Remember, you cannot control someone else's feelings and most likely you cannot make them happy. They can only make themselves happy or try to take something negative and try to make it into a positive. Attitude is everything and I am learning how important that is.
If they choose to be angry, that is them being angry. They may be upset and sometimes feeding into their anger by replying would fuel the fire. That is the choice you all have to make if you want to reply or contact someone who is upset.
Maybe you also can take some ideas by what people say and learn something from it. We can only all learn from each other. We may not agree or see things the same, but that is ok too.
Remember, as much as a headache it can be in receiving negative letters and trying to take on people's negativity, find some time after work and just do something relaxing to bring peace to your mind. Maybe that means exercising or going on nice walk, getting fresh air, praying or meditating or listening to some music. Take some time for yourself and good luck with finding that balance. :)