There’s no choice but spend Sunday afternoon watching “Journalism Blues” as the laundry waits to be ironed and the mess in the room stinks.

Our cigar-chomping, wine-expert teacher suggested that we watch the video, maybe to bring us back to reality if we think that spending time in journalism and enrolling in a multimedia course will bring us a brighter future away from the laundry and the mess we pile the whole week in the room.

I once was a gatekeeper. I always checked my facts and beat
Now nobody cares; they just wanna see me Tweet.
They all want a quick read, news from the Internet
I know times they are a changing, but they ain’t gonna see me sweat

Twenty years ago or so, I entered the world of journalism. I wanted to be a priest until I realized that maybe the Lord wanted me in some other exciting field outside the four walls of the convent.

So I became a purveyor of words. A wordsmith. I pounded on the typewriter, dirtied my fingers every time I dared enter the kitchen where the antique mimeographing machine used to churn out pages of news dispatches that were later in the day delivered to newsrooms around the city by our bicycle-riding messenger.

Then the fax machine came, the computers, the email, the Internet, the blog, social networking sites, and the rest is history.

So now what? Adapt with the times, equip oneself and maybe try to learn how to appreciate a good wine while doing journalism. And yes, maybe improve on my singing talent. One day it might be of use when I decide on singing journalism blues.

So there, Stephen, I have watched the video, wrote this blog and pondered what to do with the future. So pass that wine and let’s party. (Oh gosh! Maybe later after I do the laundry.)

Oh Lord, what’s happened to the news?
Help me keep my head up;
Save me from the jour na lism blues!

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