I know it’s late (well, for me but not for you maybe – I’m in hour 18 of my waking day at the moment) but I did promise to talk about this week. Partially because I think one of the most interesting things about blogs is their ability to show you the honest feelings and inner thoughts of their writers and partially because no-one in my position has ever written entries while going through something like this. Experimentation is something I’ve never been afraid of 🙂
It’s never easy in any job to be told you’re being demoted, to be told and then to have your ugly mug in every national paper this week (3 nights in a row in the Herald!) telling the nation you’re being demoted certainly tests you a little more. It would also sting a little less if I didn’t genuinely care about and have a passion for the show I was presenting.
Yes, I’m one of those touchy-feely latte drinking quiche eating metrosexual types and thus not afraid to say that I love my job. The past 5 months working within a team and co-presenting with Ruth have been the most fun of my career; doing a show from the Zoo, our trip to see REM in Glasgow, playing Mallett’s Mallet with Timmy Mallett (even though I lost quite easily) the live breakfasts in Galway and Athlone and even the Debs show we did with our studio audience this morning have been just the best and it will make going back to being a one man band at night all the harder.
Perspective I suppose always makes things like this easier though; yes, I’m losing my show but, having been doing this for 12 years now, it’s not the first time it’s happened and precedent teaches me that every career has ups and downs…
There was even a time in the past when I lost my show and was out on the street looking for a job and with no visible means of support to take care of my family. This time it’s just a new shift, the bills will still get paid and if radio has tought me nothing else (and it hasn’t!) it’s that you never know what’s around the corner… 🙂
The one thing that really has made this week for me has been my friends. Family are those who are there for you when you need them but the seemingly hackneyed old adage that in times of crisis you find out who your real friends are couldn’t be truer…
After the story was leaked to the press on Tuesday I spent the following 2 days having people call to my desk in work speaking in hushed tones as if there’d been a bereavement (!) and pretty much the rest of the time with my phone glued to my ear. People called to ask how I was doing and while they were calling my call waiting was beeping with other people wanting to talk and texts from all the hip kids who can’t communicate without their thumbs anymore 🙂
You become genuinely touched and surprised by how much some people you know care and puzzled by the conspicuous absence of others. Of course the words of strangers are sometimes the most affecting. Thanks to those who e-mailed and texted the show while we were on during the week (no we’re not the type of show that would have read them out on air, yes we saw them all and I was genuinely touched). Same goes for the people who posted comments here and wrote stuff on their blogs about us:
(Rick O’Shea takes no responsibility for other people’s blah blah something etc…..!)
Thanks lads 🙂 More to come….
R
PS I just won €20 on Euromillions!!!! Sweet…. And yes I have started playing since last Monday 🙂