Publisher’s Perspective

Stress and anxiety overload for a good cause

Posted

It is Tuesday morning, and my stress level is at an all-time high.

This is the weekend of the Gonzales Inquirer’s Craft Beer and Wine Festival and I have hundreds of loose ends that have be tied down. I have less than 72 hours to do it. I am glad there is not a doctor in my office right now monitoring my heart rate or my blood pressure. I think he would admit me to the hospital. Wait, on second thought, somebody call a doctor because I am too young to die!

I am nervous. Calls have gone out to all the major infrastructure players about the event.

Is the tent still being delivered on Thursday? Yes.

Do you have any additional fencing? I have emailed your office three or four times over the past month and have not had a return email or phone call.

Let me see and I’ll get back to you. As of the writing of this column, I still don’t know that answer.

Next call is to the stage and sound system people. Are we all set? Yes, but instead of setting up on Thursday we will come down and set up on Friday. Is that OK?

Heck, I suppose but I’d rather have you here on Thursday so I can set up tables and chairs on Friday.

Okay, we’ll see you on Friday. Darn it.

Hey, tables and chairs people: Are we still on for Friday? Yes.  

Yay! One thing that is going as planned.

Time to call the ice company. Still on for Friday delivery? Yes, we’re sending a unit over on Friday morning.

Perfect.

Then there are the bands, banners, signs, mugs, tickets, wristbands, electric cords, beer tubs, checks to be written, invoices to be sent, etc.

All of which require diligence and oversight and time. And time is the one thing I am running out of.

Then there are the people/volunteers who help make this such a successful event. We were to have met on Wednesday night at the Running M for the volunteer team meeting to hand out time assignments, beer stations, collect TABC permits, and to hand the volunteer T-shirts. Now, as I sit here writing this, the weather service said we are going to get slammed with bad weather tomorrow on Wednesday and Wednesday evening.

Dang. Come on Lord, help me out here!

Following the Wednesday night volunteer meeting that will probably last until 9 or 9:30 p.m., then it was back up again this morning at 6 a.m. to meet with Main Street Executive Director Barbara Friedrich to close off the parking lot. Sleep? What sleep? We’ve got a festival to run here people!

Then later today and tomorrow, all the inspections and last meeting issues that inevitably crop up.

At least the weather forecast for Friday and Saturday is perfect. Maybe it’s a reward for all the stress and anxiety I am feeling today. Or maybe it’s God’s way of saying we are going to have beautiful weather for your funeral this weekend Mr. Fitzwater.

Yikes.

But as I sit here and contemplate all that is front of me, I can only say how proud I am to be able to work on this project. It is designed to bring people into Gonzales, help with local retail, and then at the end of the day, put money into the coffers of Project 2030, a scholarship fund at Victoria College.

And if everyone has a good time listening to the great music we have lined up, then all of this was worth it. Please come on down to the square and attend the festival. We will have good food, good wine, great beer, corn hole, dominoes, great music, and great fun and conversation. And it all benefits Gonzales.

I hope to see you there.

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