On birthdays and bylines

Someone sent this to me many moons ago. Alas, I do not have a source. Please let me know if you've seen this image copyrighted somewhere.

I’m halfway through my two-week stint at the Globe and Mail’s B.C. bureau … and I’m also a year older.

No, I’m not saying my work/study position has rapidly aged me. My actual birthday did come and go on Friday.

It was an interesting week, to say the least. Every day, I’d arrive at the Globe at 8:30 a.m., read the paper, research, write, repeat, and go home at around 5:00 p.m. Then, I’d eat dinner and work on any number of school-related things… not the least of which is my documentary for TV class.

I was averaging about 4 hours of sleep a night, and as the week went on, I started to feel more and more stressed out and exhausted.

By the time Friday (my birthday) came around, all I wanted to do was have a full night’s rest … and maybe a bubble bath.

(But alas, I have no bubble potion.)

Don’t feel too bad for me, though. I partied with 300 people at Science World last year and made headlines for it, so I’d say I’m cool with skipping a celebration this year. My mom did all the work 25 years ago anyway. I just showed up.

Also, something really “career-cool” happened! I had a national byline in the paper! My story was on A12 in the Vancouver version, my mom saw it on A13 in Toronto, and other friends in Montreal and Calgary saw it as well. Not a bad birthday present!

Best of all, the story is about an important issue: adequate shelter space so that people aren’t forced to sleep on the streets this winter. Period.

B.C.’s cold weather sparks concerns about adequate shelter space …

FABIOLA CARLETTI. VANCOUVER— From Saturday’s Globe and Mail. Published Friday, Nov. 19, 2010 8:27PM EST. Last updated Friday, Nov. 19, 2010 8:46PM EST …

An iPhone shot of my national byline in the Globe and Mail

At some point, though, I’d better sit down and reflect on what it means to have hit the middle mark in my 20s. A big part of this is figuring out what kind of a journalist I really want to be. All I know is that I would be happy to write more stories like the one above. If I can keep on contributing to discussions about the important issues of the day, I’d say that’s a pretty decent future.

Despite all the stress I’ve felt this November, I’m counting my blessings and coming up rich.

Here are some other stories I wrote last week:

• Goldcorp donates $5-million to affordable housing

  FABIOLA CARLETTI. From Friday’s Globe and Mail. Published Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 10:15PM EST. Last updated Friday, Nov. 19, 2010 3:18PM EST …

• Vancouver man seriously injured in early morning shooting – The …
  FABIOLA CARLETTI. Vancouver— Globe and Mail Update. Published Wednesday, Nov. 17 , 2010 10:36AM EST. Last updated Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010 1:33PM EST …

• Wind warning issued across region

  Wind warning issued across region. FABIOLA CARLETTI. Vancouver— Globe and Mail Update. Published Monday, Nov. 15, 2010 3:09PM EST …

Help for the Homeless in British Columbia

What if we chose to see the homeless as more than just statistics?

Last Friday I sat down with Monte Paulsen, the investigative editor of the web-based magazine The Tyee.

For three years, Paulsen has been writing solution-oriented journalism on homelessness in BC, talking to everyone from politicians and outreach workers to people living beneath the Science World docks. We spoke before his free public talk, “Ending Homelessness: What Works,” an event that was co-sponsored by The Tyee and the Museum of Vancouver, and timed to coincide with the region’s fourth annual Homelessness Action Week.

Paulsen wants to prove, beyond an optimistic sentiment, that the province can end homelessness for the same amount it currently spends to maintain it.

To read my article on Paulsen’s ideas, click here.  (There’s also a link to hear audio)