Holidays in the News Biz

I cannot believe it's Holiday time yet again. It seems like just yesterday or maybe a month ago that we celebrated Christmas 2008 and now here we are again.

The Holidays can be bittersweet when you are in the news business. Everyone seems to be surrounded by family while many of us newsies are alone. I can remember one Christmas working a Reporting shift in the frigid cold of Duluth, Minnesota. It was around 7pm when I returned home to my empty apartment.

I walked in, threw my bag on the counter and instantly started to cry. I could hear the chords of Holiday music coming from my next door neighbors home and everyone seemed to be with people they loved except for me.

As I took another microwave meal out of my freezer, I thought to myself, "why did I decide to do news again?"

But, I was not about to sit at home and ruin this Christmas. I picked up my phone and called the only person I knew in the entire city, one of our photographers Kristin. I knew she would be alone as well.

We met up at a local bar, probably the only place open in the entire city on Christmas. We sat, we drank, we talked, we laughed. I came home around 2AM feeling like I hadn't missed out on a thing.



Friends often become family when you are a transplant as I have found almost everywhere I have moved. People take me in, they feed me, they almost adopt me. Who knew ties that were not familial could be so strong? I am grateful everyday for those who have come to my aid, offered me a warm meal and provided company when I just needed to be around friends.

What will this Holiday Season bring?

Then last Christmas, I decided to do something different. Our station in Anchorage never had news on Christmas so I had the day off...but, what to do?

Turns out that answer came in the form of a chance meeting with the director of the local homeless shelter.

He offered for me to come and help with the annual Christmas dinner. I arrived bright and early on Christmas ready to help, donned an apron and spend the next 4 hours serving up a hot Christmas meal to those who couldn't afford it. Outside the snow was piling up and the line reached all the way around the block. We allowed women and children to come in first and sat them down and served them in their seats like a real restaurant. I cannot tell you how fulfilling it was for me to serve these people who had nothing and nowhere to go during the Holidays.

I may have had no family around and no place to really go but, I felt like I had honestly had the best Christmas of my life.

I'm not sure what this Holiday Season will bring but, I do know that even without family, the Holidays can be bright and merry, all from the kindness of those you may barely know.