Should'a been a surgeon

I do several things everyone thinks he or she can do.

I am a writer. At one point I was a "journalist" which for me is a fancy title for reporter.

From newspapers I went into PR and from PR into technical writing.

Everyone is a writer.

If you don't believe me, do a search on almost any subject and you'll come up with pages and pages of blog entries.

I am a photographer.

Although I took my first pictures long before I became a reporter (and those with a fixed everything "620" box camera), I bought my first "real" camera - a Honeywell Pentax H3v - when I was a reporter for Gannett's Titusville FL newspaper. I bought a Canon F1 while working as a reporter-slash-editor at the Harrisburg Patriot-News, a Newhouse property. I still have the F1 and an older FTb I "picked up" along the way.

I also own a Cambo 4*5 technical camera with both Polaroid and 6*7 cm ("120") film backs. I wish I could afford to take pictures with it.

I have a Minolta digi-cam that cost a lot but never worked; I should have waited for the Canon digi-cam with interchangeable lenses (I've got this beautiful 20mm that would be great on a digi-cam).

Anyway, as with writing, everyone who owns a camera is a "pro."

Still using an antique "still" camera? No problem - put a motor on it and rip through 100 feet of film in no time. Surely there will be at least ONE good shot in the bunch.

Digi-cam? Put it on video and again, there will be at least one image worth saving.

Everyone is a photographer.

I am, professionally, an enterprise risk management - slash - business continuity - slash - COOP practitioner.

Funny thing is, even though many people lack basic comprehension of what I do, they know that they, too, can do it and just as well, thank you.

The fact that not everyone can write a grammatically correct sentence doesn't bother anyone - not even some people working in the "media."

The fact that there is a pipe growing out of Little Johnny's head - well, we'll crop it out later.

Finally, the little matter of overlooking risks to our lives and livelihood - hey, not to worry, the risk never will occur.

I should'a been a surgeon. I love the commercial where a "doctor" is instructing his patient by phone to "make an incision above the rib" to start some do-it-yourself surgery. How many of us are going to practice medicine on a loved one without the benefit of med school, internship, and residency?

But I LIKE writing and taking pictures and even helping people avoid risks (and respond when the risk insists on occurring despite our best efforts).

I have a long-time friend who went from being an English major to a statistician to a tech writer (I told you everyone thinks they can be a tech writer) to being a programmer.

Mind, my friend was/is good at all of the above - although I seem to recall "helping" with the tech writing, but perhaps my friend has a different opinion about my "help."

As I wrote at the beginning of this tirade, everyone seems to think they can do what (I think) I do.

Maybe they can do what I do, but I like to think I do it better.

An old story comes to mind.

Geezer finally retires from the rag trade (no, no translations) and moves to Florida with his wife of many, many years.

Geezer buys a boat and a suitable outfit.

He then invites The Wife to see the boat and maybe go out for a little cruise around the bay.

The Wife looks at the boat and the Geezer and says:

"To you you're a captain.

"To me you're a captain.

"But to a captain are you a captain?"

That's about how it is with my professions.

Everyone thinks they are a "captain" when they've never even been a Seaman Apprentice.

I should'a been a surgeon.

Yohanon
Yohanon.Glenn @ gmail.com