Waiting on the call.

A big part of being a successful journalist and reporter is developing one's ability to wait.

I wait a lot.

Wait the game to finish (extra innings anyone?) Wait for athletes to come out from the locker room. Wait for the right time to throw my question(s) out at press conferences.

I wait a lot.

But perhaps the worst waiting I do is the waiting I do when I am trying to do phone interviews. It usually follows a formula like this:

Day one - get assignment; one week until deadline; make initial call, leave pleasant message beseaching a return call, hang up and wait.

Day two - still no call back. Call again, leave another message, slightly less sweet, restating my deadline, clearly spelling out my phone number - twice and my email address, just in case and wait.

Day three - still no call back. Call again, leave another message, no trace of sweet, remind recipient that I am on deadline and that the phone interview will not take more than a few minutes and will be quick, simple and straightforward. Field call from my boss who wants to know the status of my assignment, to which I can only reply, "Ugh! No one answers their phones any more!" To which he laughs and commiserates, reminding me that it's OK and even part of my job to go into stalker mode. Internal groan aside, I know he is right and that if I don't hear something soon I will have to go track my subject down in person; then I wait.

Day four: receive call just as I walk into a public restroom, or the doctors office, or merge onto the highway, or some other situation where it is impossible/ inappropriate to answer my phone; listen to voice-mail explaining that they are sorry they didn't answer but that I can call them back when I get a chance. Immediately call them back and go straight to voice-mail; leave same message as day before; then I wait some more.

Day five: stare at the blank computer screen and realize that I could have been done with my assignment five days ago if only people would answer their phone when I call; wish I had a magical phone power that makes people jump to answer when I call; call again, leave message again; look at clock and realize that it is 7:30 a.m. and they might now be up yet; call back at 11:45, leave another message; wait some more.

Day six: receive call at 7:30 p.m. in the middle of dinner with my family; take the call despite the snarky looks, knowing that it's now or never; grab for audio recorder because the laptop is shut down and start recording just as they break up and the call drops; panic; panic some more; wait for about a minute and frantically start re-dialing the number in hopes that it was my phone and not their's; go straight to voicemail - four times; sit back down at the dinner table resigned to eat my dinner before it goes completely cold; take first bite and hear phone ring from romm that I had just excused myself from to do interview; run down hall trying to make it before last ring, miss call; call back and finally get subject on phone; thank them profusely for calling me back; start audio recorder and start firing questions like bullets worrying that the call will drop again before I get through asking all of them; finish the interview; sit back down to icy food and stares; eat in silence knowing that I have to go transcribe my audio and form the quotes into usable material suitable for an article, inward sigh; wait for dinner to be over then go start computer; wait for it to warm up; start typing; finish at 10:30 with a sore back and dry eyes; send article to my editor for his approval; wait to hear back and decide to go to bed; wait to fall asleep; wait some more; and wait some more.

Day seven: Still waiting to get a call from boss with the "All clear," phone remains silent; 9:45 p.m. phone signals incoming email with next assingments and the clock starts over...