For those not in the know, I left my gig as sports editor at Laredo Morning Times last week. My wife Julie got a job as a reporter for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times in November and shortly after I also earned my way to Corpus, to work as an editor/designer on the sports central desk.
After 4 1/2 years in Laredo, I find myself somewhat back in the norm. To be honest, Laredo was a complete culture shock in some ways. I found the sports scene to be a whole lot better than advertised and the people were great, as accommodating and friendly as any. But standards were low. Laredo is content to just do enough to get by, and eventually that dwells on a person.
I see the transition to Corpus as a new lease on life. I’ve quickly grown to love the area and I can’t wait until I start my new job on January 23. It’s something new, something vastly different. I’m excited, yet also very anxious. The people in Corpus desire to emphasize a completely different aspect of my talents than anyone has before. In a way we’re on different pages in regard to where we see myself fitting in, but I consider it a leap of faith. Not everything is going to run smoothly and not everything is going to be comfortable. That’s a large part of what made Corpus so attractive. I get to explore new boundaries.
I’m eager to see what opportunities lie ahead. In the meantime, until I start up, I’ve been trying to adjust to a different quality of life. I wake up at 8 a.m., make my wife breakfast and lunch. I read for a bit, then try and go explore Corpus some more. I figured I was awarded this head start for a reason. I’ve been brushing up on editing techniques and reviewed some of previous editing work on stories and sports sections, seeing what I could have done better or what I could have tweaked. It’s certainly been a reassessment period.
In a little more than a week, I formally start up at the Caller-Times and I will no longer look back on Laredo. If there’s one thing about me that’s a gift and a curse, it’s my ability to turn the page and focus on the present. I wish I could tell you what I expect or that I’m confident heading in, but I’m far from sure. It’s like the first day of school. You think you know what to expect out of what’s to come, but you truly never really do.
Then again, maybe that’s not a bad thing.
Silva On Sports 