‘Cy’mply Cynthia

Today President Obama urged an “up or down” vote on health care. Well that ultimatum took me back to the famous “You’re either with us or against us” from President Bush. So it got me thinking, do ultimatums work?

I think ultimatums are often times abrasive messages meant to manipulate people into doing what you want them to do. To be clear, I’m not talking about everyday ultimatums, i.e. do you want hash browns or home fries?  I’m talking about the ultimatums meant to expedite a decision on a major topic, for example national security or health care.

I think ultimatums can be useful, meant to clear up what choices are available in a given situation, but I think more often than not they stem from frustration, and often they backfire.

Let’s take into account the kind of people President Obama is addressing. People in Congress are generally well educated, passionate about their principles, and not easily convinced or pushed into decisions. I don’t think that’s the kind of group that’s easy to win-over with an ultimatum. In fact, I think it’s more likely to backfire…or do nothing at all.

We’ll see how this all pans out…

Every time I thought about it, my stomach twisted into knots and an unsettling feeling of discomfort washed over me. I dreaded having to cover  Craig Meyers’ funeral for days, the idea of what I’d have to do hung over my head and I couldn’t shake it. Yet, on Monday morning there I was, standing outside the church, videotaping the string of people walking in to pay their last respects. I felt the conflict of reporting what I had to vs. knowing the family deserved their own time to grieve, and the inner struggle haunted me the rest of the day…and still does.

It’s all because I got close to the story. They warn you about these moments in your college classes and internships, but nothing prepares you for the moment that you’re sitting at home at the end of a work day…and there’s something eating away you. It’s hard to identify, because often times as journalists we’re taught that we need to turn some of those feelings off. This time, I just couldn’t.

After meeting the Meyers family, and hearing the stories peopled shared about Craig, I couldn’t help but be struck and impressed by how this family was meeting such grief with such grace. Just one day after I saw Craig’s body being pulled from the Mississippi River as I was reporting live for our newscast,  there I was…sitting in the living room of his parents and asking them to confront what will be one of the hardest days of their lives.

It wasn’t the act of being there that made me feel so much for the family, it was the way they welcomed me into their home. I know that talking to a reporter was likely the last thing they wanted to be doing, but they treated me with the upmost respect and I was amazed by how honestly and openly they were handling tragedy.

People always say that in life and in our careers we go through defining moments. For me, this will be one of them. Now I know what it feels like to have raw compassion and the feeling of loss while covering a story. Furthermore, I know now that it isn’t wrong to feel that way.

It isn’t wrong for me to hurt as a person while covering this story, and it isn’t wrong for me to want more for this family…than to have their son’s story end this way. It isn’t wrong because it’s who I am.

As a reporter my obligation to the public is to communicate information as openly and honestly as I know how. And honestly, I’m sad…I’m sad that our community is dealing with another river death, I’m sad that people lost a good friend, and I’m sad that Craig’s family and girlfriend will never know what could kind of person he would have grown up to be.

Some might say that I’ve gotten too close to this story, but being close and feeling compassion for people is what comes naturally to me as a person, and I’d rather care about people and the stories I cover than file cases away as a statistic and nothing more.

People deserve better than that, and so does the community.

Confession: I am a very competitive person, perhaps some would argue, too competitive.

If you’re running next to me on the treadmill, I will try to run faster than you. Yes, I’m sorry to admit, I am that person who looks at how fast you’re running and I try to run just as fast, or faster. If you’re running faster than my legs can possible carry (which isn’t all that fast to be honest) I will dismiss your speed as being “super-human” and “impossible” to keep up with.

It doesn’t end at running either. As my friend once pointed out to me in a spin class, if you turn your resistance up, and I see you…I’ll do it too…but try to annoyingly work just a little bit harder than you are for that 30 minute sweat session.

This isn’t always a good thing…usually what ends up happening is this. I’ll run faster or bike harder than you for awhile, until my lungs or legs (whichever gives up first) forces me to quit. What I’m left with, instead of a good workout, are sore muscles, blistered feet, and a painful reminder that sometimes I should just go at my own pace.

But being competitive is not my fault, really! I blame my brothers, all three of them. I was the only girl growing up, and they never took it easy on me. I was expected to play by the same rules as the boys, which I happily accepted. I loved knowing that they weren’t going to take it easy on me and that I was expected to guard and fake out my older brothers who were high school athletes, when I had just learned how to dribble.

I took my hits, and was probably on our concrete basketball court more than I was on my feet most of the time, but skinned knees and hurt pride were never an excuse to stop playing. As we’ve all aged, and our basketball skills became progressively worse (except for my little brother, who is on the UW-P basketball team), we’ve been taking the competition inside. When we’re together, you’ll usually find us playing a semi-friendly game of Trivial Pursuit, or the ultimate game of world domination…Risk (kind of fitting huh?)

I’ve learned that while this competitive attitude has helped me succeed, looking back, I can see now that it wasn’t always appropriate. For example, perhaps I shouldn’t have written a note to my 4th grade teacher telling her to call on me more because I had all the answers. Maybe it was a slight waste of time to demand knowing why I got an A- on a paper instead of an A.

Either way, looking ahead, I vow to take it a little easier. Once a week I’ll go for a run, just to have fun…or maybe I’ll go twice a week and improve my mile time…or maybe three times…or wait, how often do you run? Do you want to race?

When I saw the foreboding “Indoor Ironman” sign on the wall while I was doing my sit-ups at YMCA a few weeks ago, I kind of brushed if off thinking to myself “I’m not one of those ‘Ironman’ kind of people.”

Don’t get me wrong, I like to exercise, but if it wasn’t necessary to stay in shape and live a healthy lifestyle, I probably wouldn’t do it.

Well, as the week wore on and I continued to see the sign hanging on the wall I decided maybe, just maybe, I’d take a stab at it. Then I put it in the hands (or keyboards) of my twitter followers. Everyone who tweeted back decided I should take on the challenge. Today, I signed up at the Y, which means now, I’m committed to finishing it.

Here’s the deal. Over the month of February I have to run 26.2 miles, bike 112 miles, and swim 2.4 miles (that means swimming 169 lengths, and I’m not much of a swimmer… I prefer just splashing around).

I’m excited and nervous! I haven’t taken on a “fitness challenge” so to say since I decided to run a slew of 5k’s in college. So, I’ll keep you updated on how things are going in my venture to complete an Ironman over Feb.

Feel free to leave a note of motivation…I have a feeling I’m going to need it.

Ok, before I get to my ever-intriguing and blog post…I have to apologize. I am sorry I have not written in awhile. This brings me to my next point, since I missed the boat on the whole “New Years Resolution” thing, I am making my mid-January promise to be a better blogger. I encourage you to send me blog ideas on twitter @nc8cynthia…or if you’re not up to the new-fangled media…shoot me an email at cschweigert@wkbt.com

Now, for the juicy stuff.

I have been reading Sarah Palin’s book Going Rogue, and it has sparked more comments from people than anything else I’ve ever read. In the airport and at the gym people keep coming up to me and asking what I think of the book. I’ve never read something that’s sparked so much public interest from complete strangers.

As for what I think, it’s an interesting read no matter your political views.

Palin’s book isn’t the only thing drawing attention to the once VP candidate. Now signed on with Fox News, Palin’s presence will only get stronger. She is busting into the public life once again, and I’m sure it will be with the same gusto, or reckless abandon (whatever you choose to call it) as when she took the stage next to McCain.  This lipstick wearing, hockey mom, maverick who tauts she will reverse the “politics as usual” trend, isn’t surprising many by her decision.

What remains the wild card is: does this move to Fox mean Palin is not running in 2012, or is this move to Fox an effort to get Palin polished for yet another campaign?  I guess that’s for Palin to report, and to decide.