Family class tops business class anytime

I did a lot of traveling this summer.  Some for work, some personal.  Vacations, family, conventions.

Early in my career, I thought travel was romantic. The people in my newsrooms who got to go on trips were doing cool stuff.

It certainly can be a great perk, but traveling for work is also tiring. And it takes me away from family, friends, routine.  I'm not alone in that feeling.

One of the sweetest things I saw on my trips this summer was a woman who appeared to be a pretty senior exec -- you know how it goes, fashion, nails, hair. All giveaways. All first class.

She wandered down the aisle in her power suit with the rest of us. The only difference was she was holding on to the hand of a 6-year-old boy.  It was June. School was out. She had a meeting somewhere, but she also had a little one who was out of school.

The sweet part came when she got to the row in front of me. She leaned down and quietly asked the man in the middle seat if he'd swap tickets with her so she could sit next to her son.  He said sure, got up, retrieved his bag and exchanged tickets.  That's when he realized she was sending him back up to First Class where her corporate-funded seat was.  She was trading a middle seat back in the cattle car to sit with her boy.  Her young son who was on a very cool field trip with his mom.

What did you do on your summer vacation?  That little guy watched videos and chatted with his mom all the way from Chicago to L.A.  What did she do? She got the job done and had an adorable plus-one for all her adventures.

My Perfect Gift on My Last Day At Work ... at least for the moment

This might seem a bit strange to be considered a Perfect Moment, especially since it happened on the day I decided to take medical leave from work to take care of my health.

I had been fighting the doctor’s advice for a while, thinking I could “Superwoman” through just about anything. But I eventually found that just because I might want to do something in my head and heart, the body does not always agree.

So, the time came to tell my students, and I have to admit I was able to do it without crying which had been my big challenge. Because they mean so much to me, but also because this would be the first time in 30 years I was not working.

I made it through the first group, and then on my last day had to tell the second group of students. It helped that some of them had already heard!

At the end of the day, I did not realize they planned to have a small going away send-off for me.

I was doing just fine until my boss started talking about how 8 years ago we had joined together to re-launch this Newswatch program at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, and how much I meant to him and the more than 800 students we have taught during our time together. I was OK, until his voice started cracking.

Then it was my turn to speak. I think I was able to get out the words “Thank you” and “Remember to work hard and have confidence in your skills” before all of a sudden I felt the tears start to well up. It was incredibly emotional and all I could do at that point was say, “Just use what I taught you” and then I held up my hand and added, “I’m done.” 

That’s when it started, the students all started hugging me, one by one, some crying, all saying I was the toughest teacher they had ever had, but they were so going to miss me because they knew I cared.

One even stood for a while sobbing on my shoulder. I was there comforting her after spending two semesters seeing her at least two days a week, sometimes more, and really enjoying watching her grow.  Her feelings were so raw, and heartfelt, and then I started crying again with her.

Another student even hugged me and pressed a note into my hand saying please read this letter later. It was a note telling me she appreciated my no-bullshit approach to things, and loved that I challenged everyone to be better. She thanked me for caring about her.

No, I think it goes the other way, I thank all my students for caring about me. They called; they wrote on Facebook; they instant messaged me. Former students I hadn’t heard from in years, reaching out to say “Hang in there, get better and get back to work!”

I was touched at the overwhelming support and love I have felt since making this tough decision to finally put myself first. I am a very blessed woman with amazing students, wonderful, supportive colleagues and a wife who is with me every step of the way. I also have amazing doctors! Just knowing all these people are behind me, supporting me, hoping to see me back walking the halls of Cronkite again and asking “What else ya got?” in our morning news meetings gives me hope, and courage, and the will to also get healthy and get back.

So, my Perfect Moment was in getting the opportunity to really know how much people care for me, and that is a gift I will remember forever.

Sue, Phoenix

OUR FIRST PERFECT MOMENT MONDAY

An InLinkz Link-up

Diana 'sure I can do that' the Handiwoman

Diana 'Sure I can do it' the Handiwoman, originally uploaded by RobinJP.

Woman power.  Well, woman with power tools.

We met Diana last year when we needed someone to help whip our house into shape before putting it on the market.

She's great.  She's is truly handy.  And she comes with a truck full of tools. And she welcomes help from the homeowner.  "If you help me get it done faster, it'll cost you less."

Today, Diana replaced an old dishwasher.  I helped a little, but mostly listened from my home office.

This is what I heard:

E.T., take this smelly old dishwasher away. 

"eeuuww. disgusting."

drill sounds ... "Ahhhh. I wondered if I'd ever use that tool."

"hopefully your new one is small enough.. oh, I see, I got it."

"ah, there we go."

"hmmm.. is there a hosey thing?"

"interesting" said this a lot.

"oh. that's not nearly long enough."

"hehehheheee heh heh."

whispers: "ok. so that might work."

"I don't even see a part that looks like that."

"Ok now. How do we do that?"

"Do you have any duct tape?"

"oh, hey, there you go. You'd be looking for that ... eventually."

"that's what I thought.  hhuuhh, okay."

"come on, gitinthere. ah, gotcha."

Well, the new dishwasher sure did gitinthere.  It's all set and the kitchen's back to normal.

And, we've come up with another job or two so Diana will return soon.  Ahhh, there we go.

If you're in the Phoenix area, call her - Diana Hanna, 480-612-2455. She's great. She's a bit of a MacGyver. And entertaining if you listen closely.

Robin, Phoenix

Setting my own bird free

Indigenous warrior Heard Museum, originally uploaded by RobinJP.

Ear buds in, Jill Scott cranked, comfortable shoes on, I head up Central.
(5 minutes free.)

I smile at office workers grabbing a quick snack and fly on by.
(15 minutes clear.)

My spirit jumps on behind the Kid on a long board.
(30 minutes grooving.)

I make the Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art my turnaround point. Today is one like many lately. I push away from my desk, grab a bottle of water, set my watch and go.

It sounds so simple, but it's not. There are many locks to break, dragons to slay, before I can break free of the Oh So Important Things that have my attention.

The Heard, with its sculpture garden, was a good choice. My fast walk becomes a ramble becomes a wander becomes a lesson.

(60 minutes and my little bird is set free.)


Robin, with an Indigenous Warrior at Phoenix's Heard Museum

Linger Lane. Mindful Manor

Linger Lane, originally uploaded by RobinJP.

Some days it's easy to let my mind wander toward where I've been and where I might be going.

I've pretty much lived for work and love and travel. And family. And as a result, I've got lots of good memories.

But great memories can sometimes lead me down a path of folly, wondering "Hey, what's next? Where'm I going next? Am I missing opportunities? Can I recreate the good times?"

Hold on a minute. The here and now is pretty darn good. I've got family and love and work and travel. I've got good times. And the future will take care of itself.

“I am all the ages I've ever been.”
- Anne Lamott 

And here I am in all my ages somewhere along Dreamy Draw Drive.  I guess I'll linger here a little longer.  

The future of journalism

Business and Future of Journalism 2012, originally uploaded by RobinJP.

These college students are really engaged - that's the Perfect Moment.

This is my class at the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. They look like they are taking a test, but they aren't. They are giving me and my teaching partner, John Dille, feedback on the semester.

On the whole, their class critiques are very useful as we continue to develop the class for Spring 2013.

Oh, and the class? The Business and Future of Journalism. A 400-level class about journalism as an industry and the impact of the Internet on the business of news.

Some of these students may look a little stumped, but who blames them.

Robin, Phoenix

Read all about it

It's been 2 1/2 years since I worked in a newsroom.

After nearly 25 years as a reporter, editor, web journalist, I moved to education.

This week, I got to go back and visit my old newsroom for a while. It was fun.

We had lunch and talked about newsroom diversity (particularly, is it ever OK to 'out' someone as gay and if so, when? ).

Those of us who are out of newsrooms now all talk about how no other workplace is quite as exhilarating.

We're full of nostalgia. And that's OK.

Robin, Tempe
Read all about it, originally uploaded by RobinJP.