SCATTERBRAINED: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

Francisco E. Jimenez

Francisco E. Jimenez

DISCLAIMER: This column was written in haste. Please disregard any and all grammatical errors which seem to sneak past the editorial and onto print. We blame gremlins.

The Sixth Annual RGV Autism Awareness Walk/5K was held on Friday evening at the Heavin Resaca Trail, and I was assigned the task of documenting the events in a condensed amount of time through photography using my iPhone. I wasn’t told to use my iPhone, but I don’t have an actual camera and my iPhone seems to take surprisingly good photographs (seriously, check out the photos I took at the St. Benedict’s Passion Play from two weeks ago).

Anyway, as I walked around searching for any and all photo opportunities, I ran into an old friend of mine. His name is Gilbert. He was at the event with his sister Jolie, who also happens to be the RGV Autism Awareness Treasurer. Gilbert (or Bert, as we used to call him, much to his chagrin) and I used to be in somewhat of a rock band back in the day (which was a Wednesday, by the way). I say “somewhat” because our “band” only consisted of Gilbert on guitar, my good friend Tony on bass guitar, and yours truly on the drums (as well as Tony’s wife, Missy, as manager… or Yoko). No, we didn’t have a singer, and we never really made it out of playing in Gilbert’s backyard.

We talked about getting together and just playing around for a bit, something we haven’t done in years.

“You still play drums, man?” he asked.

“Umm… no. My drum set is rusting away somewhere in my garage.”

With a deadline looming and numerous events to cover, I was only able to speak with him for a very short amount of time. As I rushed about, snapping photos of who knows what, and rushed back to the office to turn in the pictures and type out the column you may or may not be reading at this very moment, it occurred to me that I hardly ever have time to do anything, ever.

Ok, maybe that’s exaggerated a bit, but it sure feels that way. It feels that way for just about everyone who I work with, I’m sure. We dedicate so much time and effort to putting out a quality newspaper. I’ve missed a good friend’s wedding, my own birthday get-together, and so much more because I had a paper to put out.

With so much sacrificed to do the work that we do, it bugs me when I hear people belittle this publication. I don’t understand what makes a person feel like it is ok to be so condescending towards us, sometimes in front of other people… young and impressionable people, no less.

I had an individual tell me recently that our “newspaper sucks” in front of a group of people. I was completely caught off guard and pretty embarrassed. Obviously he let his anger get the best of him, but the thing he was mad about turned out to be a misunderstanding on his part. This is just one of many cases I have experienced while working for this newspaper. It probably won’t be the last.

When I took this job, I expected criticism, but I also gave people the benefit of the doubt. And I still do. The actions of these few individuals do not reflect the greater majority (I hope).

This is where I will end my rant. I must get home and douse my drums in WD-40.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2013/04/12/scatterbrained-i-cant-get-no-satisfaction/

2 comments

    • DelaSera on April 15, 2013 at 1:19 pm
    • Reply

    FYI, WD40 is a solvent, not a lubricant, LOL.

  1. As Huey Lewis in his song Working for a Liveing would say I”am taking what there giveing cuz I’am working for a liveing. Go out there Mr Jimenez and show them how it’s done. Everybody moves to the sounds of thier own music. Make it last buddy!….

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