It was just a few months before the wedding. Laura was sitting on her pastor's porch in Kentucky, while I was on the phone in Georgia, where my television career began. Both of us waiting on Reverend Dean Cook's decision. After what felt like the longest conversation in my life, this God-fearing man said to Laura, "I think it's best that you follow Jeremy's career." This meant Laura giving up everything she had ever worked for, and breaking a commitment with PriceWaterhouseCoopers. I knew what was coming. Shortly after our meeting with Rev. Cook, Laura called me and unloaded all of her frustration. I didn't say a word. Meanwhile, her mom and dad watched her throw everything away. They stood silent while their little girl committed to a life on the move, following a guy who would make much less money for a career in local TV. The storm clouds seemed to be rolling in, but amazingly, after that day, Laura never spoke of it again, at least not in a resenting way. She moved on and said she would support me no matter what, and that God would work it all out for the better.
On our wedding day, storm clouds rolled in once again. Like, literally. We decided to get married on the beach in Emerald Isle, NC, a place where it never seemed to rain, but on August 14, 2009, it was pouring. Just two hours before our wedding, I was standing on the front porch of our beach house worrying about how the wedding was going to go down. Laura didn't have a worry in the world. Amazingly, the rain stopped just before the wedding. The skies opened up and I got to see my beautiful bride walking down the sandy isle towards our life ever after.
After the wedding, we moved to Pataskala, Ohio, where I would begin working at WHIZ-TV in Zanesville, making a 40 minute commute to work every day. We chose Pataskala because it was 20 minutes from Columbus, assuming Laura would find a job in the city and have a closer drive to work than I did. When we moved to Pataskala, Laura was still taking her CPA exams. We were paying for an apartment that we couldn't afford, and expecting that Laura would get a job within a few months. Crazy, right? It seemed like Laura had just finished the final leg of her CPA exam when Ernst & Young called her up, and offered her a job. I'll never forget that night after I got off of work. Laura and I danced to "Mighty to Save" in the living room. God never fails.
After working in Zanesville for about one year, I began the job search. And so begins the process of waiting for jobs to be posted on tvjobs.com and other useful sites. There is so much that goes into it. For those who don't understand the process, local television works in market sizes based on ratings and viewing area. For example, market 210 (Glendive, MT) is the smallest market. New York is the largest market. Zanesville, OH, is market 203. My goal was to somehow make a jump into the top 100, which is where I focused my search. For about six to seven months, I was sending out my resume and reel to different TV stations all over the country. The majority give you no reply. No emails. No calls. Nothing. It's a weary process. Finally, in February 2011, I got a random call from WICS in Springfield, IL, market 83. The news director says, "We'd like you to come in for an interview." I remembered applying at WICS in December, and hadn't heard a thing for two months. It was totally out of left field. So, after spending one year and seven months in Ohio, living close to family, going to my home church, and being around great friends, we packed up and moved to Illinois. Laura, once again, was willing to follow my career and Ernst & Young was gracious enough to keep her employed.
Now, after almost two years at WICS, my contract is coming to an end, on May 31 to be exact. I have been in job search mode for quite some time. Of the countless places I've applied, I've only had a few bites. My first interview was in Milwaukee (market 34), it didn't work out. Then, I had an interview in Louisville. I imagined how amazing Louisville would be for Laura. It's only 90 minutes from her family in Wilmore, KY, and she loves the city. I wanted it so bad, but really wanted it for her. She deserved it. The job came down to me and another guy, who was much older than me and used to work at the station. Laura and I had already met with a realtor in Louisville, and were dreaming about the opportunity to buy a house. Then, I got the call. The first words from the news director, "Well, this was tough." Ballgame.
So, here we are, almost one month away from my contract ending. We want to be closer to family. We want to buy a house, and start our own family. I've been in the business for almost five years, and it's been a pretty successful ride. And once again, it feels like the storm clouds are rolling in. What are we going to do? Time is running out. I've applied at another station in Louisville. I've applied in Memphis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. But there are no real prospects. What if I don't get a job offer by May 31? Everyone tells me that I'm good enough to make it at the next level. I want this all to happen, not just for me, but for Laura, the amazing woman who has been with me through all of this. The woman who is always there right beside me encouraging me and helping me press on. We are ready to settle down for a few years, start our own family and stop feeling like we're on the move, but time is running out. Everything will be fine, but time is running out! I feel like a wild chipmunk is running around my brain kicking my worried cells. Stay positive. Press on. Live in the moment. But....time is running out!
And then God reminds me of our wedding day, and when He gave Laura a job at Ernst & Young, and when he blessed me with a job at WICS.
God is able. His timing is perfect.
