Special to The Tribune
McALLEN, Texas - Back in the mid-1980s, when I was bureau chief for the Houston Post's Galveston office, I wrote a story about the mayor of little Santa Fe, a town out in Galveston County not known for anything in particular. The story, as I recall, centered on the veteran mayor's bid for re-election, his umpteenth, as happens in rural Texas. Well, I wrote the story, in which I described him as a tireless politician and all that. But somewhere in there, I got a little silly and called him "the fajita-faced mayor."
The story was sent to Houston, where it went into the next day's editions. It was early when I got a call from my editor, Tom Nelson.
"Morning," he said, and I returned the greeting.
"Hey," he went on. "If you get a call from your fajita-faced mayor, well, I want you to have him call me."
"Sure," I said. "You think he'll call?"
"Oh, he'll call...and he'll threaten to file a lawsuit against the newspaper. I know those people out there."
"Really?"
"Yeah, and I just don't want you to get into it with him," he said next. "He'd not take it right if you went into that literature-in-a-hurry thing you like to use about newspapers." Tom was laughing. I said okay, sure. Whatever. There were other stories on my plate. Galveston was a rocking town for news. Oil spills and trash on the beach. Wandering winos. Big U.T. hospital. Tourists decrying the lack of toilets on the beach. Local politics. The journalism gamut.
The mayor called late in the morning.
"I saw the story," he began. I readied myself to give him Tom Nelson's number at The Post.
"My wife read it," he said as I cleared my throat. Then, after a second or two, he added, "...and she's still laughing. She can't get over the image of me being a fajita-faced mayor. I haven't seen her laugh so much in a decade. I just, well, wanted to thank you. I enjoyed the story."
I ran my pen several times over Tom's direct number on the notepad in front of me. I'd not need it.
"Here," the mayor said, "I'll let the wife talk to you..."
She talked and laughed and talked. And it made me laugh in a certain other way. My story had been pretty dry, except for the fajita face reference. And as I'd sat there after Tom's call, it did strike me that the description had not been necessary. The story was the story, with it or without it.
Moral: Words do take on meaning when they're used in print. Newspapers take great care in not being silly, although the smaller the newspaper the less the care. Bloggers, on the other hand, seem eager to blast, to stomp, to posture, to humiliate. This is in large part due to the fact that Blog visitors come to the sites voluntarily; that is, no one forces them to visit this or that Blog. You find what you find and that's that.
My feeling on all that is that, here in the Rio Grande Valley, news is wild and silly enough without the hyperbole, without the adjectives, and without the boots-to-the-face. Fajita-faced mayor? We haven't used that descriptive phrase here...but all of us know it could be used daily...
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11 comments:
How can anyone have fajita face??? Man, that is new one for me, fajita face!!!
ANON:...Writer Speedy Ayala asked the same thing. He is new to the Valley. The answer he was given was this: "Hey, look around!"... - Editor
.... Oh Man, and All this Just probes and confirms that as Hispanics, Mexican - Americans, Chicanos, We are in so much Trouble. We are so behind in many serious Things; Political and Economic Power , Social Staus, Education ans just your Regular Guy/ gal that thinks that he has Made it just Because he receives so much Food stamps and Welfare Benefits that He has enought to Get Fajitas for the rest of The Month. mmmmmm... YUmmy This Is The R.G.V., The Poorest and remote Counties in The Entire U.S.A.!!!
Dr. Lacra (What is that anyway - Polish-Chicano ancestry?):...Well, not entirely. We know of a lifestyle here in the Magic Valley that is far removed from the stereotypes you have brought us today. Yes, there is that. But there is more. We just like to shine the light on the bad because we feel that bad can be turned into good. Silly, silly us...-Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vliI_iJuKcw&feature=related
~Claire
Mr. Editor, Eliot Elcomedor, I have noticed you have decided to mediate a dispute between Tony Chapa and Jerry Deal.
This all came about because the local paper, fails to provide real journalistic reporting.
Both blogs are filling in the empty spots.
I say, they eventually will get over their dislike and become associates.
Things are so screwed up in that city. It is hard to believe they have so many churches and so much predujice. The city is divided, there is no two ways about it.
I know Brownsville, has bad politics, but I don't think people down here are as self centered as they are in Harlingen. Oh well, both blogs have their factions and both factions are just as nasty toward each other.
I know, I will never go and shop in that town. I love Brownsville and I will do all my business here.
Mary Lou:...We're not mediating; we're hoping some goodness springs in everyone we meet. Hopefully, we'll make a difference, however small. We'll take an inch of progress here & there... - Editor
Claire:...There's your song, the one you requested. I'll send over a bottle of Shiraz... - Editor
Shiraz ... yes ... thank you
~Claire
Claire:...No, the press will never find us. And if they do, well, it's the one photograph Brownsville lives for, isn't it? Shiraz, yes. And more. And everything... - Editor
You all seem to be agroup of very nice, interesting and intellectual journalists / reporters / friend, can i join You guys?
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