Opinions

Well, ladies and gentlemen, hopefully by the time these pages are printed and to you - nothing has happened. This past week the Iranian and Israeli leaders, and then joined by the United States commenced bombing each other in some precision strikes, combined with apparently, some “send it all” type of warfare.

I'm often invovled in conversations about the tenacity or longevity of newspapers. I have a few fun talking points, and since this is the edition that goes to everyone in the local 'world' - it seems like a great way to deliver this message another time.

When I started this game of newspaper printing and commercial printing and graphic design and all the rest, I didn’t really know a lot. College isn’t great at preparing you for trades, especially if they’re not a trade school - but I sure do appreciate paying for classes to learn how to submit articles to a magazine and mess with Photoshop.

It’s frustrating being a journalist these days. I’m not talking about someone that’s taken a penchant for enjoying writing to their followers on a social media platform a few times a week - I’m talking about real, trained journalists.

The last few weeks, after my adventure in the hospital a few months ago - I have to admit, my life, as it was/ is, flashed before my eyes a little. I do realize how cliche it is to say, but you just learn to appreciate things once they’re at risk of being gone.

“Tis better to give than receive” - that old adage certainly seems to make some waves here in Albion. I was at the Boone Central Honors Night the other evening to continue the Dickerson’s tradition of encouraging local journalism and youth going into journalism by giving away a scholarship.

Watching the mass media attempt to figure out rural America is becoming more and more entertaining every day. It just goes to show the massive divide between the majority of land space in America, and the majority of the City-scape inAmerica.

I was never much for horses. I say this understanding that there are still a great number of folks around here that love horses and ride horses and compete on horses and probably would sleep in the saddle if necessary.

It’s really part of the job, I can’t avoid talking about folks. It’s sort of like church, where every discussion starts with ‘not to be a gossip, buuuuuuuut....” As I’ve been able to spend more and more time writing and learning about this community, I have to say, I’m continually impressed.

I’ve tried for a few years to very humbly, cautiously and carefully explain to everyone how big of a deal I really am. “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, but I’m doing the best that I can...” really doesn’t describe the sheer weight of what we’re talking about.