Community and Family

I've been through a little bit of a drought with my posting lately, and I apologize to my loyal readers for that. I've been busy and I've been a little tired, so I haven't had much energy to write at night. I've been having a post in mind, but I just haven't been able to put the right words to it. I'm still not sure if I have the right words right now, but I'm going to try anyway. It might turn into a stream of consciousness, but at least I'm writing something.

A few weeks ago, on a beautiful Sunday morning, I had brunch with some former co-workers and wonderful friends. This past Friday I went to a house warming party for one of my former bosses and at the party were several other former co-workers. There were also many other people from the local publishing community. I didn't have the opportunity to work with many of these people, but I've heard about them through stories. I call this group of people and friends the Old Guard of the local publishing world. The publishing world in Colorado is relatively small, but it is slowly growing as new editors enter the industry. But it is the original group of editors, the Old Guard, to whom I'm always the most drawn and attracted.

It goes without saying that with the Old Guard comes a wealth of experience. They are true professionals who know the job and know the industry and most of them have years of experience. When I came fresh out of graduate school with hardly any experience, these were the editors who trained me and I am incredibly grateful for that. Now that I've been in the position of training people who are really fresh and green and who have no experience, I know how difficult this can be. I was lucky to be trained by people who are incredibly talented and patient and thoughtful. I was lucky to have the opportunity to soak up everyone's knowledge like a sponge, and I took advantage of every moment of that. The Old Guard also just understands how things are in this business. We're all overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid, and although we might complain and be frustrated with it, we accept it, deal with it, and move on. We're editors. We're not heart surgeons, so we're never going make a lot of money. So we live with it. For the Old Guard it is all a joke and we laugh it off. But for the New Guard it is cause for outrage and temper tantrums. This probably explains the incessant whining and constant complaining that you hear so much these days.

But what I love most about the Old Guard is the sense of community. I came into the local publishing world at the tail end of the "good old days" and I am fortunate to be a late comer to the Old Guard before many things changed in the local community. When I started my first job, the company was slipping into turmoil, and there were several moments in those first months when I wondered what I had gotten myself into and I was wishing I had stayed in school to get my PhD. But what saved me and what kept me going were the people I worked with. The big thing that separates the New Guard from the Old Guard is selfishness and the lack thereof. The New Guard seems to be very career driven, and that can sometimes lead to selfishness and self-centeredness. They tend to do what is good for them and them alone and they tend to care about themselves and themselves alone. The Old Guard is quite the opposite. We look out for one another and we support one another. Whenever I was looking for a new job, everyone was helping me and everyone was willing to recommend me or willing to be my reference. If another editor is out of a job, everyone else does what she can to send that person freelance work to help that person through rough times. When things get difficult, the Old Guard stands together and bonds tighter. It is about "us," and not about "me." From my perspective, it seems as if the new generation of editors doesn't have that same attitude. Or maybe I'm just too critical. Or maybe my standards and expectations are too high after working with so many wonderful people.

I suppose it is hard to explain, let alone understand, what I'm feeling right now and what I'm trying to say. I suppose it is something that you have to see or experience or feel for yourself. But all I know is that my feelings for the Old Guard are entirely different from what I feel for the New Guard. The Old Guard is a community and, for me personally, it is like a second family. It is made up of people that I not only respect and appreciate but that I also love.

Current mood: pensive
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Loreena McKennitt "Penelope's Song"
Current drink: coffee