Thursday, October 02, 2008

Breaking the hold

Yesterday evening Glenn Reynolds came out and said, straight up, most of the broadcast and print media is in the tank for Senator Obama. "Duh" was my response (I know, shocking). But the post, and the reaction of some, clarified a couple things for me.

I missed an opportunity.

I missed the opportunity to report on military recruiting from beyond my own feelings and experiences. I focused almost entirely on what was happening to me and in the immediate area around me. Occasionally I'd go outside my grasping range and comment on reports from print and broadcast media, mostly because those reports were flawed, biased, or just didn't get it and so missed their mark. But, for the most part, I relayed my feelings and experiences and observations on what I was doing. I hated recruiting, I hated it with a passion, and I made little effort to disguise it; basically enough to keep me from getting sent to battalion every other post.

While I was still inside the beast though, I could have done a slightly better job of trying to report on progress, or lack of, USAREC was making towards its mission. I had access, I had people with whom I could talk and get info, and I had the ability to get something out. I didn't use it. My bad.

I've been floundering since I left recruiting to try and find something I want to talk about, which someone other than my mom (Hi Mom!) might want to read. And, honestly, I think mom reads it only because she feels the need to, much like when she sat through middle school band performances. So, maybe there is something I can do, which I'd enjoy doing, which can fill a void not being covered. Who knows.

In the mean time, here's an early heads up for those who expect a Christmas gift from me. You're getting either this or this.

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