Opinions

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.

But…why? I love journalism, and I love dealing with my kids. When your kids are growing up, one of the most dreaded questions to parents is always the “why” of something? When you’re in journalism, finding out the “why” is often that part that people, especially those being asked, dislike the most.

I’m a pretty simple guy, really. I’m not much of a “man’s man” - I was an Eagle Scout, and I love tying knots and stuff, but camping just really never became my jam.

Read all About it! There’s a lot of discussion about how newspapers don’t have time to cover important things, or they don’t cover everything, or they don’t even cover the things people care about. It’s no secret – communities are running short on folks brave enough to put their words into permanent, indelible nature.

I’ve held for a very long time that I believe a major shift in our country has been in the way our government communicates with us. The advent and installation of the internet has had recorded detrimental effect on the people of this country.