A Change In The Day

I arrive at work--an evening shift--to the buzzing of a news event. In some ways, I suppose, I am still getting used to the fact that my current work can be so affected by what is going on in assorted parts of the world. After all, on a soap, changes in a day usually revolved around actors doing other projects or problems with the scenery or a prop or the length of the show. In either case, there is a monkey wrench--just monkey wrenches thrown from different directions.
 
After a while, in soaps, I could anticipate some of the changes--I guess that is what happens when you've seen so many of them. In news, I am still figuring out the rhythm--what events will up-end a day only briefly, and which ones will have a more lasting effect, which occurrences will call for more people, and which will simply keep people a little busier, what days I will leave as scheduled, and what days I will be in for the long haul.
 
I suppose that any time we make a change, we are faced with learning new rules and new standards. My instincts about soaps and about studio production in general did not come about overnight. They were the result of many years immersed in the environment. And I suppose if I stay in news, I will, without even noticing, acquire a similar set of instincts. So, while sometimes, it is frustrating not to have those already, I realize it is just part of the process of staying "not washed up"--learning the new by building on the old, and being patient and persistent enough to appreciate the differences. Life will always throw us different monkey wrenches. It is up to us how we use the tools we have to react to them.