So, You Think My Job's Easy?...A Short Story

It's Weekly Writing Prompt Time

 I considered writing today's blog post on tomorrow's holiday. Tonight our family went to the cemetery and placed flowers on the graves of my parents.

Maybe I'll wait until tomorrow to blog about that.

It's time for a short story. And if you'd like to participate (because it's a LOT of fun!), here are the rules:

1) Use the photo and five required words in your story.
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday night to link up your post.
4) Add your story (Blue Link) at Leanne's, Debb's, or Tena's websites.

5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

This week's five words are: 

Vegetable

Ladder

Value
Varnish

Laugh

And so, here's this week's story!

So, You Think My Job's Easy?

Since I finally had a moment to myself after months of getting ready for the season to begin, I decided to leave my office and check out the field. And a beautiful blue sky could only help.

So far, I was having a terrible day. Most people have NO idea how tough handling all PR issues for a major sports organization can be. I've spoken to so many college classes about the science that is Public Relations. The students--mostly the guys--think what I do would be so easy. I mean, how hard can it be? And (they never fail to remind me...), I get to rub shoulders with the athletes, heroes of children and adults alike.

But they have no idea.

No, the kids who are being pumped out of schools with dreams of 100K salaries right from the start might think twice once they hear the stories, the tales of horror, heartache and whoa. That's what I love most about talking to kids--letting them know it's not all fun with the games.

I tell them about how one fan filed a complaint with the state's Department of Health because the type of vegetable oil we used in our french fries wasn't "organic." 

I tell them how last year my PR team had to assemble in the middle of the night after our star forward injured himself by falling off a ladder at the home of a single woman who wasn't his wife. We had to be especially careful with that press release.

I tell them that if I had a nickle for every time I've heard about how much we overpaid for our starting goalie, I'd be able to retire. It doesn't help that his name happens to rhyme with "No Value."

Believe me, people have complained about the time our games start because it conflicts with their horoscopes, complained about the size of the parking lot spaces, the color of vanish we used on our ticket signs, and--one of my favorites--the entire sports franchise was almost done in by a laugh. One of our fast food vendors found a customer spilling beer all over himself extremely funny, so much so, he couldn't hold in a massive chuckle. He didn't know the man standing before him mad as hell and covered in beer was the commissioner of the league.

We ended up telling him we fired that employee. Actually, we just transferred him to a grounds keeping position.

No, a PR exec for a major league soccer organization isn't always fun, but on a day like today, with the sun warming my face and the team looking better than ever, it's pretty darn good.

Word Count: 456