'Manic Depression,' Jimi said
I have a deep feeling of guilt, festering like fire water deep in a corner of my stomach, somewhere near the spinal cord. It hurts.
Fifty people lost their jobs Tuesday here at the Enquirer, and I'd bet anything at least 25 of them were far more qualified than I, and yet, here I sit, typing this misguided missive to Webland. I feel awful about it, but this is no economy to make self-servicing sacrifices.
Jimi Hendrix keeps playing in my head, "Manic depression is touchin' my soul; I know what I want I just don't know how to go about gettin' it ... Manic depression is catchin' in my soul."
I miss you, Jimi. What would you have to say about all of this mess? What kind of song would you write?
I have a feeling it would be something like that old one. What wisdom you had 41 years ago.
But I keep thinking of our mission, like Robert Warner put it, and know that we newspapers will survive. What we offer — telling the stories that need to be told, holding the government and money-spenders accountable, keeping a historical record — is vital and needed, and we do it better than anyone else.
What other non-government job is mentioned in the U.S. Constitution? The news, like that old and battered document, will survive no matter how it is stretched, contorted, abused, reused, bought or sold or cut.
Even my little old Rock Column and WOW stories profiling local bands, I like to think they're important. It's telling a slice of our community, putting public voices to the stewards of our culture, making these noble artists part of history for good. And the Enquirer is the only place that does that, the only place that can do that.
In the meantime, we need the fast and weird guitar of Hendrix, to help us lick our wounds.
What you do IS important, JH. Do not doubt that! It's our CULTURE that you write of...and that is a worthy cause, if there ever was one.
Hang in there, friend. Don't feel guilt...feel blessed.
Posted by: Kingpin | December 04, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Thanks, Kingpin
Posted by: jhinkley | December 04, 2008 at 02:53 PM
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