My Funny Valentine

Valentine's Day is a very memorable day for me. Not because of a love story, though but a funny one about the first blunder I committed as a journalist.

It was the eve of Heart's Day, when, as a newbie reporter covering the general assignments and regional offices beat, I was tasked to do a story about the different gimmicks for the celebration of Valentine's Day. How expensive flowers are and the fact that restaurants, hotels and motels are fully-booked on that day were to be the topic of the article. Aside from the usual interviews with motel managers and motel goers, one of the editors also asked me to get the side of the Church, what the priests think about the different things that happen during the celebration, with emphasis on those that happen in the motels, which are, more often than not, illicit affairs.

And so I did my interviews and, with the help of Cebu Archdiocesan media liaison officer Msgr. Achilles Dakay, got to interview Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, too.

I can no longer recall if I had something important planned that day. All I could remember was that I wanted to finish writing early so I could leave the office early. I remember being disappointed after finding out that my story was one of the stories chosen to be in page one. You see, during my time as a reporter, then managing editor and now editor-in-chief Jerry Tundag edited page one stories. Having Sir Jerry as the editor of your story meant you have to stay until he is done editing, or else! But luck, or so I thought, was with me that day since Sir Jerry said it was okay for me to go on home even if he has not edited my story yet.

Then it happened. While Sir Jerry was editing my story and I was somewhere celebrating my freedom, he stumbled upon a mistake I made. Instead of writing Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, I placed "Jaime Cardinal Vidal." Hmmm. I must have been thinking of Cardinal Sin! The thorough editor that he is, Sir Jerry immediately saw the mistake but could not help but laugh at my carelessness. He also could not pass up on sharing the whole thing with the other people in the newsroom. Everyone had a good laugh, so good that Sir Jerry and the proofreaders forgot to correct the mistake!

The next day, Valentine's Day, I got a call from Msgr. Dakay. Wow, the monsignor greets the reporters covering the Church beat on Valentine's Day, I said to myself. However, instead of a greeting, I got a "Day, unsa gani pangalan sa Cardinal?" I immediately checked the day's newspaper and saw the mistake! Being new, I felt so embarrassed. I wished the floor would swallow me that instant. I then apologized to Msgr. Dakay and vowed to ask Sir Jerry why he did not see the mistake. When I talked to Sir Jerry when he got to the office, we had a good laugh and that was when I found out about what really happened after he saw my mistake.

And the moral of the story? Review your work, not only once or twice but many times as possible to avoid mistakes.

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