My Old Life

WPIX TV... the Old and still sometimes stomping grounds

I really don't know how I survived my old life. For six years I worked early mornings in television news and when I say early I was out the door of my house everyday at 1:45 AM! The morning shift in television can be brutal, there is a reason why people work a normal nine to five as the human body can only take so much. Most people wondered why I would do that, and if their was even news at that hour. I asked myself those questions a lot. For most in our business the morning show was a death sentence, nothing could be worse. Trust me, when I left last July I was burned out.

This is what I stared at everyday

Buttons and monitors were my life

I started on that shift after the birth of my first child as a way of maximizing parental involvement and minimizing the use of daycare. There were parts of that schedule that were great, I did get to see my kids more than most working dads, but I was a zombie half the time and not always fun to be around. The sleep deprivation really took it's toll on my mind and body. While the kids gave me lots of joy I found myself falling asleep with them playing around me, not the quality time that I expected.

I was, at the time, essentially a stay at home dad with another full time job. I would come home from work at around 11:00 and begin my other job, which at the time I wasn't very good at. Whether or not I have improved in my domestic abilities is still debatable, but my focus now can be on chores at home and not having to worry about squeezing a nap in before the kids get home.

Live at the Hoboken Path Station

I go back into the office every now and then when they need me, which has not been all that often, but enough to remind me of what my life was like. I did like my job, I liked the creativity and I liked being in the center of it all. There really is some about working in television that gets in your blood that keeps you coming back. I am sitting here right now at work after dragging my but out of bed at 1:30AM and while there is plenty I do miss, the one thing I don't ever miss is the hours, they suck.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

________________________________________