Not much makes me nervous.
When I first started out as a reporter, I occasionally was on edge. I soon got used to covering government meetings, interviewing people, and taking pictures at wrecks, crime scenes and structure fires. I, also, got used to not being liked by everyone. It happens. You can’t make everyone happy and to be completely honest, I don’t try. I report the facts – good, bad and ugly – and if someone doesn’t like it, that’s OK.
I got nervous last week.
Have you ever watched crime shows? I’m sure you have. In particular, the shows where officers are conducting sting operations. In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. It’s a complicated confidence game planned and executed with great care, especially an operation implemented by undercover agents to apprehend criminals.
On Tuesday, I was on my way into work and my cellphone rang. It was Warren County Executive Herschel Wells informing me he had left a message at my work about a Jail Oversight Committee meeting taking place at the jail at 10:30 a.m. However, he wanted to make sure I received the message so he called my cell – a wise thing to do. I’m here, there and everywhere. My cell is always going to be the easiest way to get hold of me.
I was extremely appreciative of the call. I may not have checked my messages at work in time. It was about 8:30 a.m. and the impromptu meeting was at 10:30 a.m. Who knows what would happen between those hours that would have drawn my attention away from checking my messages.
Sometimes the media is a whirlwind of activity and at other times it’s calmer. It won’t stay either way for long. For instance, one minute I’m at work thinking about leaving at 5:30 p.m. and catching a bite to eat with Heather, the next minute I’m heading to a wreck with injury that I just heard on the scanner. Food has to wait. That was Thursday evening.
Getting back to my nerves of steel being rattled.
As soon as I hung up with Wells, an unsettling feeling came over me. What if this is a sneaky way of getting me to the jail? I’ve seen it happen on those crime shows. The department sends out letters informing people that they have won a prize. When they show up at a neutral location to collect, what awaits them is a quick trip to jail due to an outstanding warrant.
I probably wouldn’t fall for the offer of a prize, such as a boat. Who gives away free boats to people who didn’t enter into a contest first? That, obviously, works on some people. However, getting me to the jail without fail would be a meeting of county government. I’m there, as long as it’s not at 7 a.m.
Luckily, it was not a sting. Maybe next time.
Standard reporter Lisa Hobbs can be reached at 473-2191.