And so we reach the end of another year.
2013 is rapidly flying out the window, much like the credibility of the sign language chap at Madiba’s memorial. Much like this chap, we are all making up gibberish to appease our bosses until the close of business. I know I am.
“Give me another column, now,” I was told on Thursday morning by my boss.
“Yes ma’am, I meekly replied,” fearing the lashings of another beating.
So I crawled deeper into my cage and consoled myself with a few scraps of cold meat from the company Christmas party which had been thrown to me. (Subs are not allowed at Christmas parties, we ‘read’ too much into things…)
So I pondered the dilemma before me, what to write about? As much as I wanted to do another column on Madiba, I thought I would instead focus on something far simpler.
This past year has been very interesting – news wise at any rate. And we have had some huge stories, from a skull being found in Kensington to the on-going circus of Mr Krejcir and what he did/didn’t do. But topping all these stories was the heart-rending news of Madiba passing away. We all knew it was coming, we all expected it sooner, rather than later, but it was still a massive shock to the nation.
Hell, the morning it was announced I noticed that even the taxi drivers were staying in their lanes, and not using the yellow line lane.
And this brings me to my main point. We always think there is time to meet with old friends, family or loved ones. We take for granted that nothing will happen. We take life for granted, not appreciating the special people who surround us. We spend more time at work than with our families, and if like me, you enjoy your job, the people who you work with become an extended family. I must say our newsroom is like that. And I love my job – despite the cage and the beatings. I know it is done with love. Most of the time.
In my time here, we have bid farewell to Brian Mchunu, a Zulu prince who was an awesome chap and person.
We have Charmaine Slater, our on-line news wizard, who pushes a few buttons and the stories all magically appear on our website. I think she is related to Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, as I have no idea how she keeps the stories constantly updated on our sites.
And of course, our Editor, the stick-wielder and authoriser of days off, who ensures we all work together in perfect harmony. Often accused of being aggressive (is there any other type of journalist?), she is a hard, but fair task master. Her rants after receiving a call from some of the less-intelligent readers are the stuff of legend. How many phones have you broken, boss? Three or was it four this year? I mention this because the pieces from the phones come flying past my head.
And then there is me. The mad sub. The guy who dreams up the craziest rubbish for a column and gets away with it!
And you, our readers. Without you, we would not have a paper to publish. You certainly keep us on our toes. But rest assured, we appreciate every single one of you.
So on behalf of everyone in the newsroom, please have an awesome Christmas (or summer holiday). Drive safely, remember that you may be the best driver in the world, but that does not mean the other drivers are. Have fun, enjoy the company of family and friends, and we wish you all the very best for 2014.
God speed and see you all next year!
