Last week, a few kind words made my entire week.
I was walking into City Hall when a gentleman stopped me and
told me how much he loved my column.
I beamed, and am sure turned a shade of pink, heartened by the
wonderful compliment.
Last week, a few kind words made my entire week.
I was walking into City Hall when a gentleman stopped me and told me how much he loved my column.
I beamed, and am sure turned a shade of pink, heartened by the wonderful compliment.
“Wow,” he said, noting my pregnant shape. “We’re following your progress.”
I laughed and said thank you as graciously as I could, touched by the remarks.
As a columnist, whose words are transmitted from the computer screen to the newspaper page then float around “out there,” I often forget that my weekly entries are read by all of you.
As a matter of fact, when I’m sitting in front of my computer, my dear readers are rarely at the forefront of my mind.
Instead, I am focusing on the next sentence, searching for the next word that will capture what I want to say and propel my column forward.
When my editor asked me to write this column two and a half years ago, I was more than a little doubtful. I had never written a column before, save the editorials I used to write for my college newspaper. But this was different. This would be about me. What would I possibly say every week? What could possibly be interesting enough?
But I vowed from the start to all of you that I would deliver one thing each week: utmost honesty.
I have always envisioned this column to be a celebration of the joys and challenges and the ups and downs of real life in this wonderful town.
Miraculously, each week I found more than my share of topics to write about. I’ve looked at people and situations in a new light. I’ve remembered things that had long been tucked away.
Not only has this column been fun to write, but it’s also allowed me to explore topics and delve into issues – some weighty, others light – that I wouldn’t get a chance pick up and look at close-up otherwise.
For me, it’s been a type of journal, something I can look back on one day and laugh or cringe or smile over. And in the process of writing it, I’ve discovered multiple things about myself
Ultimately, I feel it is as much a gift to me as it is to you – maybe more so.
In opening my heart, I’ve been able to share moments of my life, laugh at myself and hopefully relay experiences that we can all relate to.
Perhaps most importantly, my column has served as a bridge to all of you. I have cherished each time one of my readers has come up to me and asked me how my dog Lucy is doing or some other topic they had read about over their supper or morning coffee. And in sharing a bit of my life, I’ve come to learn something about yours.
That has been another unexpected gift. I’ve talked to fellow owners of miniature dachshunds, I’ve listened to your embarrassing moments, I’ve heard your airline stories and pregnancy experiences.
In doing so, a wonderful thing happens: A connection is made, and we realize that we are not alone. That someone else actually had the same thing happen to them.
I look forward to many more years of columns and sharing each new chapter of my life with you as it unfolds. Sometimes it’s really hard. Other times it’s more fun than I would have imagined.
But I know I can trust all of you to read each one with a bit of empathy – and a little bit of kindness. I think a little bit goes an awfully long way.
