As yet another KC-grown fan, I’m loving these convos. Yes Carolina sauce beats all others (the rest is debatable, but also subject-able to palate), but we can all at least agree that what the rest of the country calls “BBQ” is laughable. Like, bro, your meat isn’t seasoned and you think the sauce is gonna fix it???? Try again. This is the kind of debate I live for.
PRECISELY. I had some wretched BBQ experiences in the state I used to live in. Sweet molasses sauce over unseasoned meat. Painful.
We evaded the “what are you two talking about” queries but the rest of dinner was filled with some very inquisitive eye contact. The only conversation we’ve had about it was a few hours later when I very amusedly asked her, “So, DWBYG huh?” And, while resolutely staring at her phone she grumbles, “I found it very educational.” Then walked away. I’ve been laughing about it ever since.
I am finally ready to out myself as the anon who plagues your inbox with things like, “Cracky smut about two outrageously dominant sexual personalities who underneath it all are soft and mushy big hearted sweethearts.” I am eternally bashful that you ACTUALLY included that in the tags, so, thank you for the validation, as well as the glorious writing. You are our queen.
I love it when anons reveal themselves! Come into the light haha.
It was such a solid gold description, I had to include it in the tags so thank you.
Also, I have to know, was there any further discussion following the family dinner or have you both repressed all knowledge and never spoken of it again?
Hey! I have no idea how long I’ve been following you but I never realized you were a journalist! I have a bachelors degree in journalism/mass communication but haven’t really done much with it. I’ve been in a dramatically different career for the last 8 years and am looking to switching back into the news arena, but in my experience that is a TOUGH industry to break into, especially being out of the game for so long. If you don’t mind my asking, what path did you take to getting your foot in the door to be able to work full time?
Oh hi there! It is a tough area to break into, but if you work hard all you really need is for a chance to come your way on the right timing - that's the tricky part, though, isn't it 😅 I always say many better journalists than me are probably out there unemployed; they just didn't have the right chance at the right time.
Get ready, take a deep breath - this will be a long-winded reply. I'm sorry in advance 😆
I always get major imposter syndrome because I didn't actually take a degree in journalism. Only for my masters did I actually pursue it. Then I came back home and... It was very much a matter of random luck tbh (and connections - always connections in this world). For real, the uncle of a friend of my brother's worked (still does) where I'm at so he got me a very small, informal 3-month (unpaid) internship. It was an area I didn't even like tbh but I spent my whole time there 1) doing my best (I'm sure they realized I wasn't great at it though lol), and 2) saying I'd like to try out sports, that sports was what I really wanted to do, yadda yadda. So with a month to go they invited me to try out the sports section for a day. And I stayed 🤷🏻♀️
And then I left, because it was just a 4-month summer (paid) collaboration. And then I came back next year. And then a coworker died (yeah 😔) and they needed me until the New Year. And then I left. And then I came back not even a month later because it turned out they still needed me. And then I stayed xD
Anyway, all this to say-- as a friend would say -- luck is what happens when you're competent and an opportunity arises, and you work hard to grab it. Unfortunately, in journalism they still expect us to go way, way beyond. And like, other people had my spot before me and didn't stay, and other people had my spot while I was gone. So why did I stay? Am I better than them? Hell no (I mean, I might be better than some, but certainly not ALL of them). I just happened to be there when the opportunity arose. My small shot was a random connection. My big shot was a colleague's death. It's horrible, but it is what it is. And then I grabbed it with both hands, feet, and all of my 30-odd teeth.
