As editor (this title includes a hefty helping of “etc.”) of the Vinegar Hill Neighborhood Association newsletter, I am tickled that others write under their own byline for the monthly 10-page (with pictures a-plenty) publication. Contributors include Dee Nelson (neighborhood historian) aldermen Mark Mahoney and Sam Cahnman, sometimes Bob Croteau, another person who writes a column called “President’s Message” and yours truly who writes “Editor’s Ramble.”
Most of the time, I send a group email to all who are on my e-member list and invite contributions, all to show my interest in other contributors; not to suggest I anticipate more than those mentioned above will respond. Think what you will about Sam Cahnman, he is the most regular contributor of his one-page column. The others PALE in comparison to his focus and dedication. He still hasn’t mastered the almost post-Ph.D.-scientific-mind-set required for him to send his columns to me as Microsoft Word file attachments. . . . . . . . ; (SIGH) . . . . . . but he gets the words to me every month and I retype them in Word so I can use them.
Last week, I knew that with the annual Neighborhood Pick-up coming up on Saturday, I was not going to have Saturday to put the 10 pages together and there was no need to turn heat up on the others, some of whom would surely contribute some good words (”So they call me a cock-eyed optimist, immature and incurably green.” – Mitzi Gaynor from Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific). I extended the deadline to Sunday late.
Dee Nelson true to form, had her story to me by Friday at 5:00 as is the general idea. Sam had his by Sunday noon. From the rest, dreadful, deadful . . . . . . . . . nothing. The person I could NOT cover for (after covering for him in the MAY issue) was “el presidente.” Newsletters like ours require words from the tiller at the wheel. A reminder went via e to him late Sunday.
No response.
Another reminder went to him Tuesday. I had limited time. The newsletter SHOULD have been completed and proofread late Sunday, sent to the printer that night and picked up late Monday, delivered to our block stewards late Tuesday afternoon so they’d have the rest of the week to walk their parts of our neighborhood ass’n territory. I’ve done this at least 90 times in 11 years (other folks did the newsletter for two years; me the rest of the time). It was not to be.
In the meantime, I completed the rest of the newsletter. All that was left was a hole for his column. Finally late Tuesday, it arrived, I inserted it into the proof and sent the proof to him to proofread. Since he did not respond to the proof, indicating there were no errors to tweak to perfection, I sent it to the printer late Wednesday. At least I could pick things up, count them before late dinner, sort them for delivery and deliver them to President so he could deliver them to block stewards early Thursday evening.
Only one problem. The printing company somehow “lost” my email with newsletter PDF attached. Apparently their dog ate it.
So I’ve re-sent the newsletter. If the printer doesn’t get it Friday morning, they will call, and I will get the bleeping production to them if I have to WALK it to them on a CD! After they are printed and I pick them up Friday before noon, I will count and sort them and hoof them down to the President before noon Friday, and he MAY distribute them to the block stewards late Friday afternoon. It’s hard to say. He may see a pretty butterfly, go chasing it, and I won’t hear from him until Sunday.
But for anyone who thinks deadlines don’t matter, I am here to tell you that they DO.
THEY DO.
THEY DO!
Live long . . . . . and proper . . . . . . and don’t be so cava-freaking-lier and incapable fo minding your freaking deadlines.
