Following that bend in the road
By Lori Berglund — Daily Freeman-Journal EditorArticle Photos
Somewhere, up ahead, I have known it was out there; I had felt its presence, but could not measure the distance.
A bend in the road, I have felt it coming for some time now. A new direction. Sometimes uncertain, but out there, just ahead of this road I have known so well and travelled so long.
Make no mistake, I have enjoyed the ride. Wouldn't have missed it for the world. And, even now, several weeks after choosing to follow that new bend in the road, I have told so few. I think I wanted to savor these last weeks of the journey with the attention still on the journey, rather than my own new path.
As I pondered the path to take, I relied on the counsel of a few trusted souls. Actually, these trusted advisors of mine are both Kamrar boys - and no, I'm not talking about Gilbert and Stoagie, although Gilbert and Stoagie are certainly great bastions of wisdom in their own right and I have enjoyed sharing their stories with you from time to time.
No, these old Kamrar boys had come to their own bends in the road before me, and their counsel was much appreciated. One of them said he had just known when it was time to depart from the road he had travelled so long and find a different route.
"You know when it's time," he said back then.
And he was right. You do know when it's time. But daring to make that move still takes more than just a little bit of courage. And, for me - a soft-hearted thing who cries at the drop of a hat - such a change doesn't come without spilling a few tears. (Another good reason there are many good friends I said not a word to in the last few weeks.)
But folks, gentle readers, the time has come for me to take a new path, and that means stepping away from the editor's desk here at The Daily Freeman-Journal - my home away from home for 20 years now. Two more years in high school gives me a total of 22 years with The Daily Freeman-Journal.
I would never have believed, 20 years ago, the things this job would allow me to do.
I have flown in a B17.
I have stood on top of a working threshing machine, cautioned by the operator: "Whatever you do, don't fall in there." I promised that, whatever I did, I would not fall "in there."
I have covered two murder trials, which is exactly two more than I ever thought would come my way at The Daily Freeman-Journal. But if I stopped to count the criminal death investigations Hamilton County has seen in the last 20 years, it would be both shocking and overwhelmingly sad.
I have learned that, when covering the accidental death of a child, the writer cannot use the word "tragic" too often in the story. In Journalism School, they teach writers not to state the obvious - the accidental death of a child is obviously tragic, and a good reporter avoids the redundancy.
But I disagree. I believe that a good reporter, a good editor, is part of the community and experiences the tragedy along with those in the community.
I have learned that nothing we print in a newspaper can make a tragic death better, but we can make it worse.
I have tried not to make it worse.
Your personal tragedies are often my personal tragedies as well. And thankfully, your joys are my joys as well. I have had an absolute ball watching the children of so many friends grow up showing their livestock at the Hamilton County Fair. Pay me for a day of getting hot, smelly and sweaty at the fair and I'm just about in heaven.
And I will never forget the night I donated at least 3 pints of blood to the mosquitoes living at Gordons' Marsh. Hamilton County Conservation Board "field trips" led by former Executive Director Brian Holt were some of my very favorite nights on this job. And, trust me, they involved a lot of late nights.
I remember getting extremely mad at myself for getting turned around after leaving a Conservation meeting at Bells Mill Park at about 11:30 p.m. one summer night. However, I felt better about the mistake after former Deputy Sheriff Denny Jackson revealed that he had gotten so turned around down in that area one night, early in his career, that he had to call back to dispatch for help.
"At Bells Mill, the sun comes up in the west," he told me. And I just about believe it.
But I will say that those Conservation "field trips" throughout the summer each year were a great education, and a great experience.
I have long kept a clipping on my computer that says, "A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world." Well, the same can be said for a board room or a meeting room. You have to get out and see the world, brave the mosquitoes, the dark of night, or the heat of the sun. It's worth it. It is so worth it.
Back in Journalism School, I also never realized how closely I would work with law enforcement, but we deal with them on an every day basis - and it has always been a pleasure. From Jerry Farnham to Scott Anderson, Dave Hansen to Mike Petricca, the McConnells, Scott and Mike - Paul Whitmore, and all the rest of the guys still out there - and don't forget Luanne, you can't forget Mary and Luanne and Sharon - these folks have made my job so much easier, and always a lot more fun. And I still have a bunch of deputies and IHP programmed into my cell phone, so they haven't heard the last of me yet.
Speaking of making my job easier, Kim Schaa and the entire staff at the Hamilton County Auditor's office have to be at just about the top of the list. I can tell you, for a fact, that Kim is such a great auditor that she gets write-in votes in Webster County.
And I can't leave out a fellow Irishman: Pat Chambers brings compassion to justice, and Hamilton County is fortunate that such an experienced attorney is willing to serve in public office. He could really make more money on his own, but I knew his folks and they probably taught him that it's not all about money.
I also can't leave out former City Clerk Jerry Kent (and Pat Nokes, too). I learned so much from Jerry and I think every young reporter could learn much about reporting on public financing by attending the School of Jerry.
Now, on to the board of supervisors. Miles Butler, Marv Johnson and Gene Willis welcomed me into this job and I have long considered them the best board the county has seen. They are still among the greats. But I am happy to report that, the longer I have reported on Dave Young, Wes Sweedler and Doug Bailey, the more my respect for them has grown. They are also among the greats. Be glad we have them.
What these two boards have in common is that, while individually they have different strengths and are of different parties, they put people before party. I am happy to have worked with all six of these guys. They let me have a little fun at meetings and, for that, I am grateful.
I am also grateful for the people I work with here at The Daily Freeman-Journal. My newsroom buddies of Anne and Troy, my computer gurus, Angie and Helen, our ad guys Todd and Cory, my boss Mike, the woman with the checks, Ruth, and so many more, Randy, Harry, Janice and everyone.
Well, as usual, I have gone on here so long, and I still have so much to say, so many to thank. But that bend in the road, that new adventure, is calling me, and it's time to move on.
I thank those Kamrar buddies for being my listening posts on this journey. Come to think of it, Dad was a Kamrar boy, too, so it's hard to go wrong with a Kamrar boy. Makes me glad to know that the tall man right beside me for the rest of this ride is the son of a Kamrar girl.
Serving as the editor of The Daily Freeman-Journal has been an honor and a pleasure. It is also incredibly demanding, perhaps even more so in a small town than in a large city, where no one knows your name or face. Here, there is never a moment, not a moment, when you are not on the job - trust me, that is true - it just comes with the job.
And as I venture down that bend in the road, please know one thing is true: I will always love The Daily Freeman-Journal. This is a great newspaper in a great community.
Now, as for me, don't ask me to say good-bye for I will be around, just over the rivers and through the woods.
Thank you, dear readers, thank you! Lori (Nilles) Berglund.
Contact Lori Berglund at
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2tuff2call
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08-26-09 8:48 PM
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Geez Lori, I read your entire column hoping to hear about your next "around the bend" adventure, but to no avail. New Job or New Career Move? Keep us readers informed, will ya? Best of luck on whatever you are going to be up to next.
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