Slow down and breathe

I went to my high school reunion last weekend. We have one every 5 years and I’ve gone to all of them. I guess I want to show my graduating class that I have survived, thrived, succeeded, and that I am proud enough of my accomplishments to continue to show up. One former classmate has not been so fortunate. Although he has built a successful business, he is still tormented by demons and bullies from the past. He was very upset to see a typo in a printed flyer from the reunion photographer. His reaction seemed a bit over the top to me; being in the print and design field, you get used to these things. I showed this flyer to a number of people, and no one saw the typo, even after being told to look for it. Recently a Long Wharf piece came back from the printer with an unfortunate ommission. It is just one of those moments when you realize that as careful as you have tried to be, something just slipped by unnoticed. In the newspaper business this happens often. Sometimes it happens in front page headlines, and even though many many people are staring at it for several hours before it goes on press, it somehow still winds up in print. I take it as a message to breathe, slow down and pay attention. Even when you are too busy to think.