This is the Lebanon that I know!

Photos courtesy of Steve Kozman.

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I hate the war! This is no way to live!

My story with "the standards"

Oh wow, it's been so long. I got a few things to say, maybe not very interesting, but quite baffling. At least I can guarantee that!
Some of those closest to me have, at occasions, have accused me of living in lala land, you know, the "peaches and cream" type of life. They could be right, but I don't care. That's not the point. The point is that I always wanted more from life, and I always naively believed that the world is good.
I discovered a long time ago that the good guy doesn't always win. Actually, it hardly does.
I'm 28 now, and I've had my share of disgruntlement with life and the fakeness in it. But nothing was more shocking to me than what I am about to tell you. Most of you might have gone through something similar a long time ago, but this was a first to me. I got turned down because I'm too good. How ironic is that?!
There's this huge store in Lebanon called Aishti. You need a few thousands bucks to get in there, simply because they don't sell anything cheaper. They have most of the biggest brands in the world, like YSL, Fendi, Prada, D&G, etc. Apparently, they have a magazine. Someone told me I should apply. I said, "Sure, what the heck!" So I contact the editor-in-chief and I go see him. I'll skip the boring details to the part where he likes a certain idea of mine and wants me to write about it. He wanted to know where I'm going with the article, what I'm trying to get at. I told him it will be about "Golf and Public Opinion in Lebanon." But before I go into that, I need to tell you that he said I could write about anything, as long as it is upscale. That’s why he liked my golf idea.
Well, the few times he and I talked, some 6 or 7 times, he kept mentioning Aishti Magazine standards. Everything was about those standards. That those standards are the most important. That he cannot accept my article if it doesn’t meet the standards. My head full of the standards, I got to writing. I spent on that 750-word article more time and energy than I have on any other article I’ve ever written. Of course, his words about standards kept echoing in my mind and kept me going. I knew that if I put effort in it, I would meet the standards, and I would get my fat check (they do pay pretty well!). Anyway, I send him the article that I’m so proud of it. He emails me to apologize that he cannot accept it because it doesn’t meet the standards. What is he talking about? How could it not meet the standards? He said it’s too well-researched and well-written for his audience. His readers want something entertaining, not something that makes sense and could teach them one thing about life outside of Gucci sunglasses and Dior pants! Of course, he didn’t say it like that. What he said was that my article was extremely good, very well-written, but his magazine cannot publish it because of the readers.
I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. I mean, I wanted the money! But apart from that, it was one of my most embarrassing moments. Everybody is laughing about it, I am too, but deep down I still cannot believe an editor-in-chief turns my article down because it is above the understanding and capability of his readers.
Needless to say I learned a lot from this. I know, as a journalist, I should change my writing style to fit the publication. And I can. But one thing I cannot do is be silly and superficial when I have a chance to be intellectual and deep.
I hope you all had a good laugh at this. Cause that’s what it deserves. Some serious laughter. I mean, superficial laughter!