There are a few times a year that being a journalist in Iowa can really be a challenge, mostly as a small community newspaper; Harvest Season, election season and snow season. Personally I need the election season to end, it's been going on for way too long in my mind and has been the cause of many sleepless nights. But what makes those three seasons hard is that there are times it happens all at once. According to the Farmers Almanaic, in my area it's expected to start snowing around Halloween. And Decemeber and Janauary is expected to be the worst winter months since the 1930s blizzards. Harvest season has been wet so far, meaning that it's slow because farmers can't get into the fields with equipment but it will pick up soon.
Life is a little busy for me this week, but with the luck of the rains, I was able to save myself a little. I was almost required to drive and pick and deliver the newspapers to the post offices in the communities that we are in. (12 hours), shortening my work week from 92 to 80. So with that off my plate I was able to to get up to my TKD class, which I needed more then I thought.
Class was such a stress reliever in a way. It's not that all my problems went away but at least I could not think about them for two hours. There are times I wish that I could crash in the dojang and do nothing but training but that isn't realisitic because I have bills to pay(too bad the fed bailout didn't include my debt).
My instructor decieded to make me an adult leader, I've always helped out in class when asked but now she has entrusted me with a key to dojang. It's not that I'll be running classes or anything but with the cold months starting, she might not always be able to get up to dojang right away with other commitments so with me and and another adult she trust we will open the doors and watch over the young students instead of having them wait out in the chill.
I've written a couple of columns from time to time in my newpspaer about TKD and how it has helped me and included that people should always look at new hobbies and that sort of thing. I've had a couple of people asked if I would be willing to teach them or their children and I tell them that I'm a certifited instructor nor would I feel comfortable doing it. I tell them of a couple of martial arts schools around the area (there are few but sadly not at the same level of teaching as the school I study at) and offer some tips about looking at schools, like being comfortable with the insturctor and observing a class.
As many now or at least guest, I am a writer(I do polish my work more then what I do for blogs). Since college, I've written three ficition novels with the help of a few college professors. I've submitted them through my book agent and almost all the publishers rejected them, others I never heard back from. After a talk with my instuctor last night (Tuesday), I've contacted my book agent to get some advice on what to do, with the econ. so bad, many publishers have been cutting back on printing and not taking much risk on new writers. I'm going to rewrite some parts of one the books and try the submition process again. As my professor once said, "You'll get a million nos but all you need is one yes and that will come in time". Right now I'm pacing my rewrite to take a few months. Who knows maybe I'll be a famous novelist someday or at least able to make a living at it.
