When most people think of the tv business they wouldn't associate as being a "family business", but I would explain it as just that. Sure your bosses aren't your parents and your co-workers aren't your brothers or sisters, but somewhere along the way they always become family.
WMBF News is my second job in tv, so when I decided to move to Myrtle Beach there was a very big part of me that was afraid to leave behind the friends, who became my family, at my last station in Rockford, IL. But, it didn't take long before I made friends, and after the last couple of weeks I think it's safe to say that my friends here are quickly becoming my second family.
When we aren't working together, you can usually find us together. Monday night is yoga night, ok I only went once but morning anchor, Paula Caruso, continues go. That makes one of us. Tuesday nights have become family dinner nights. Each person takes a turn cooking a home cooked meal and we rotate houses, actually they're apartments, each week. Thursdays are taco nights or enjoying the Tavern in Carolina Forest. Fridays are spent out on the town. Saturdays we relax at the beach, then gather that night for various benefits, also known as hanging out at someone's place. And Sundays, there's sometimes brunch followed by grocery shopping. Yes, we even grocery shop together. Four of us, pushing one cart in Costco, it was quite a site.
So as the months pass while I'm here in Myrtle Beach, I imagine that we will become even closer, spending holidays we don't get off together and making our own family traditions. If you didn't believe before that tv could be a family business, I hope you can see that it is now.
And for any of my fellow WMBF News co-workers who haven't participated in any of our "family traditions" I invite you try them once, there's a good chance you'll get hooked.
Shannon Mortimer | smortimer@wmbfnews.com

Yoga misses you!
And there were 5 people pushing one cart at Costco, not 4!
Posted by: Your Mom | August 20, 2008 at 08:41 AM