Countdown to shakedown begins with runny eggs and poorly-buttoned shirts

A long-lost friend from New York called me Tuesday. He had read about Bluffton Today going to paid circulation on a journalism newsletter called Romenesko. We were the lead link on this industry insider blog on Tuesday. “So has the newsroom been burnt down by the readers yet?” he asked (only half jokingly, I think). Last time I checked, there were no mobs outside the office.

“I actually feel a bit like Sally Field at the Oscars,” I said. As journalists, we are used to reporting the stories. We’re not used to being the story. When we broke the news of the paper going paid on Dec. 1, we did not know what to expect. I was freaking out on Saturday night. It was the worst possible time to bring the job home with me. My sister, Dede — the one I implored in print to come visit me earlier this year — flew in late last week for a few days. We toured Savannah and Charleston and Harbour Town before she flew back Tuesday morning.

 But she spent late Saturday night playing Dr. Phil to her little brother, who was in career meltdown mode. Then she watched Sunday morning as I hit the refresh button endlessly to scan the BT blogs for feedback on the big “countdown to shakedown” announcement. It was too quiet in cyberspace. The calm before the storm, I thought. Then I drove to Wild Wing to do my Sunday NFL radio show.

That’s where I got the first taste of the coming 96 hours. An older woman with a Barbara Bush look about her and a big smile approached me as I set up the equipment for the show. “You’ll never get a quarter out of me! Shame on you!” she said. She looked like she was about to hit me with her purse but instead took a quarter out of the purse and put it in her pocket. Wow, misread that one. Then a biker dude with a blood-spattered AC/DC tattoo approached me. I braced for a flogging. “I just want to say that the Bluffton Today is my only addiction.

Y’all have done a lot for the community, more than you know,” he said. “If I had my checkbook, I’d write out the check for the subscription right now.” He reached out to shake my hand. Wow, didn’t see that coming either. I’m on tilt with this people reading. The past three days have been filled with more biker dudes than elder Bush looka- likes. My column is named Over Medium because it’s how I like my eggs and it’s how I see the world these days — more hardened and cynical, but a little bit runny with optimism. My eggs have been cooking more toward over easy lately.

On Monday, my voicemail box was jammed when I stopped in the office to introduce Dede to the crew. I wish I’d listened to it all right then; it would have saved a day of angst. There were a lot of “hang in there” and “we got your back” comments. A bunch of “thank you” and “you’re worth a quarter” callers. Even the blogs have been more positive than I predicted. Even the voices of anger and dissent offered constructive criticism. There have been plenty who have said we need to be more hard-hitting if they’re to pay a quarter. I just don’t know how to answer that.

BT has evolved into what the majority of our readers want it to be. That definitely includes being a watchdog of government and taxpayerpaid officials. But it also includes the Beauty Spots, Scholar of the Week articles and PALS scores. Our thin has gotten thicker this week, as some below-thebelt insults have populated the blogosphere. The very fact that these bloggers take the time to voice their opinion is what BT is all about — a community in conversation with itself. That passion, though hard to hear, sparks debate.

I stopped into the new Publix on Tuesday after an early-morning trek to drop my sister off at the airport in Jacksonville. I was tired and depressed and just wanted to get a Diet Coke to wake me up a bit. As I roamed the store in search of the drinks aisle, I was stopped by people five times. “I can’t live without the newspaper,” one woman said. “Try to keep your humor, please. I know you’re fighting for your job, but we still all need to smile.” “Thanks for the column about Derek Owens,” a teacher from the high school said, referencing my story about the former BHS baseball player starring on the Clemson drumline. “It’s exactly those kind of stories that we all need more of, and it’s why Bluffton Today is so important.”

Two other folks offered more smile-inducing praise. The fifth person was kind enough to tell me that my shirt was buttoned wrong. I went to the bathroom and, sure enough, one button was too high on top and another too low on the bottom. That’s what happens when you dress at 3:30 a.m. on short sleep. On Sunday, I was tensed up to the point of calf cramps, ready for the backlash. Instead, you’ve told us that you like us. You really like us. (Thusly, the Sally Field reference up above. See, there’s a method to the madness.)

The most feedback I received was on the headline of my Sunday column, “Dang, them sure are purdy deck chairs.” Truth is, I was so uptight about the column, I figured I’d put some levity in the title. We’re asking a lot from you to write a check at the worst time of year in a horrific economy. I still feel guilty and embarrassed for asking for your money. But you’ve given me a bit of hope that we might survive this drastic change together. Keep the feedback coming. We want to continue evolving Bluffton Today into the kind of paper that earns your quarter every day.

Over Medium appears Wednesdays and Saturdays. Contact Tim Wood at tim.wood@blufftontoday.com and by phone at 815-0830.