         It was a pleasant surprise the other day. Oftentimes with work I run from one event to the next and as I attempt to enjoy everything I go to, sometimes it’s not my personal cup of tea. However, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Jo-Jo O’ & The WOODS concert the other night.
                 Music can particularly be hit or miss because you might not always enjoy that genre, I know people that hate country music so doing my job covering a country singer, they’d cover it and make sure it got in the paper, but maybe not necessarily personally enjoy it. Being objective is part of the job, so they’d cover it and do their best; but, maybe it wasn’t the most enjoyable event they’ve gone to.
                 I know sometimes people think all I do is take pictures and write; which in essence is what I do, but it does get busy and sometimes you just want to stay home. I’m honestly not complaining, I love my job, but as with anyone, sometimes you just want a bit of a rest day.
                 So, when the band started performing I was completely blown away. I wasn’t really sure what to expect; but, it was absolutely wonderful. One of my favourite things is actually finding new music to enjoy and I thoroughly enjoyed Jo-Jo O’ & The WOODS. The vocals were phenomenal and I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t heard of them before and they weren’t being played on the radio constantly.
                 The last time I went into an event not knowing really who the entertainer was, was Tenille Arts performing in Arcola. She absolutely blew me away with her abilities.
                 So, although sometimes I might initially think I would rather be at home reading or grabbing food with a friend at the moment when I’m getting ready for an event; I’m always pleasantly surprised to find new music or new interests because I have the opportunity to cover them for work.
                 In fact, I’ve covered a lot of things over my five and a half years here that in covering I’ve learned a lot about. I can’t say I would have ever really discussed body building before and one of my first interviews was with a local guy who had won a competition… I still feel bad that I had to call him twice as when I started writing the story, I found a bunch of gaping holes in questions I hadn’t asked and information that should be included in the story. I’ve definitely learned a lot and grown over the years when it comes to interviews.
                 Life is about learning and I’m thankful to have a job that allows me to learn and has challenged me… I was the type that would toss the phone to someone else to call and order takeout in university… I’m still not fond of the phone, haha; but, having a job that has forced me to make phone calls has definitely cut that anxiety down a lot.
                 So, for those of you not quite as lucky as I am to try things and attend things you might not necessarily do on your own, just go for it. You’ll more often than not be pleasantly surprised. Just as I have been with everything from demolition derbies (I had never been to one before working here) and concerts by people like Jo-Jo O’ & The WOODS or Tenille Arts.
