It’s not all long, boring meetings; it’s fun
Sometimes, a reporter’s job feels like an endless succession of government meetings — city councils, school boards, county boards, planning commissions, etc. — in which we sit through long, detailed discussions, absorbing facts and figures, which we boil down into informative articles so you don’t have to sit through the long, sometimes tedious meetings.
You’re welcome.
But we also get to do a lot of fun stuff, and the past couple of weeks, I’ve gotten to do some really fun stuff.
I got a call from Dennis Vinar, a former Brownton resident, who asked me if I would be interested in reporting on a “true love story.”
It took me a little by surprise, but it turned out that Vinar managed to find his “first love” from high school after being out of touch for over 25 years, and married her in January.
I had wonderful phone visits with both Vinar and his “true love,” Karen Lehmann, and it is my privilege to bring their story to our readers.
As much as I love reading feature stories, I tend to be hesitant about writing them, because I want to do a good job. People are trusting us with their life stories, and with us sharing them in public. That’s a huge leap of faith — that a reporter will do justice to the very fabric of their lives.
I hope you enjoy reading about Denny and Karen. I certainly enjoyed writing about them, and I hope I did justice to their love story.
And Friday, I was invited to attend the all-school meeting at GSL’s Lakeside Elementary in Silver Lake.
Along with the usual Panther Paw award announcements, Lakeside celebrate the close of “I Love to Read” month with a “Minute to Win It” competition, and the reward of being able to throw cream pies at staff members.
I found myself crowding in with the students to watch the activities, and scarcely noticed that nearly two hours had flown by before the school day came to an end, and I had to return to the office.
It’s stories like Denny Vinar’s and Karen Lehmann’s, and times watching kids enthusiastically respond to school activities, that make up for the hours sitting on hard chairs at meetings or at the computer typing up news releases.
Life is all about balance, and variety is the spice of life. I’ve been fortunate to have both in my chosen career.
