Work Kudos

I enjoy what I do for a living... there is nothing I would rather do to make money than to talk in front of a microphone, entertaining thousands of listeners on a daily basis, be it in a studio, on the gridiron, in the gym, or on the diamond.

To be honest, I've never thought of my career as "work". I've had plenty of "jobs", from working as a dispatcher for a now-defunct delivery company in Sioux Falls, to working as a technical writer for a display company, to even trying my hand at teaching in hig school. With the exception of the teaching, each of my jobs were just that, jobs. Something to go in for 8 hours a day and collect a paycheck every two weeks.

But being in radio has been different. I've felt a genuine sense of pride and satisfaction in the five-plus years I have been at KJAM. Whether it's a state tournament game, or updating folks about a thunderstorm at 11:30 at night, I feel like I really make a difference in the lives of our listeners. Add the fact that I absolutely enjoy what do for a living, and sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm actually getting PAID for this!

And now, it seems I've received some recognition to boot!

The South Dakota bureau of the Associated Press has decided that I'm a good enough writer to get an award. First place in the Sports Story catagory for the State AP Radio Contest, to be accurate. Turns out, I edged some heavy competition like Steve Imming and Jerry Oster of WNAX, and Craig Mattick and Bob Lasowski of KWSN.

To be even named in the same breath as these radio icons is one thing, but to have actually surpassed them... well... it's quite humbling. Especially since I worked with Craig on numerous occasions and I ALWAYS have my radio tuned in the fall to WNAX to catch Steve and Jerry and my beloved Jackrabbits on the gridiron.

I guess what this award tells me is that I did make the right choice in my career. Granted, I felt I made the right choice early on, but to be recognized by one's peers is quite special.

While I appreciate the award, I don't look on it as a high point in my career. If anything, I'm more proud of my fellow co-workers Jim Otis and Dylan Steen. They've been in radio a combined three years and got an "Honorable Mention" in the Talk/Public Affairs catagory with their "KJAM Sports Sandwich" program. These two young gentlemen took some initiative early in their careers and they got some well-deserved recognition for it. And for that, I'm very proud of them!

Sadly, my trip to Chicago and a freak snowstorm has kept me from getting my award. But as soon as I get it in my hot little hands, I'll take a picture (I found my camera!) and post it here.