The adventures of good and bad ...

Even at work, a change is as good as a holiday. Almost.

I had alluded to future developments in an earlier post - if that makes any sense - but as of yesterday I am no longer a reporter. Don't worry, I haven't been sacked by the esteemed broadsheet. Instead, I have decided to take a break from scribbling the various goings on of Melbourne's legal system.

The new challenge? Editing the stories of other people, my former peers, for a living. And working at night. OK, I might not have sold that too well to Blog Nation, but here's the good news: I'm finally moving to the sports section of the newspaper. When the opportunity came up I took it with both hands, like a strong contested mark by Cam Mooney. At the moment, I have my training wheels and L-plates firmly fitted and spending a couple of weeks in news before I jump across to sport, a department I have long wanted to work for. As long as journalism has been a pursuit.

There are good and bad things about the change. I'm going to list them, because there might be one day when I look back and say: "Why the hell did you do that for?" And then, I can come here, check out the list and respond: "Because it was a decision you weighed up heavily. You're from the Blog Family. You're pragmatic."

Good: More money, mainly because of the penalties I receive from working nights and weekends. Bad: Working nights and weekends? Am I crazy? Perhaps, but that's for another post. Good: What is crazy is waking up at 6.30am to go to work. It's nearly 11am and I'm still in my pyjamas. Writing about criminals, some of whom are crazy, is crazy. To them, I say goodbye and good riddance. Bad: No longer seeing my name in print. Yes, that does sound vain. Good: Having added responsibilities and the opportunity to develop my skills.

So the progress score has good beating bad by 3-2. In all honesty and seriousness, I had been toying with the decision for a while but as soon as I found out it was reality I wanted it to happen straight away. I felt like I had become stale and pigeon-holed, both of which weren't making me happy. I'm also confident that a change in career will bring about some positive changes in my life. Like going to the gym more and enjoying other leisurely things, like a nice glass of scotch and my dog, Baxter. Just kidding, although drinking and care for canines won't be difficult when I begin work at 3pm and finish around 11pm. I just believe that if it works out, it works out. If it doesn't, then I can try something else.

In light of the career and life change, bad grammar on this here blog will certainly no longer be tolerated. Neither will bad manners. But people just being their bad selves? Well, that's all good.