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Among the songs that make up the soundtrack of my life, there are just a (small) few that were not recorded by Garth Brooks in the 1990's.  One of these is "Small Town," by John Mellencamp, recorded much earlier, but discovered by me in the late 1990's.  It's been featured on plenty of graduation slide shows over the years, but it's just so darn true, it never gets old for me.  Some of my favorite words of the song are  

No, I cannot forget from where it is that I come from
I cannot forget the people who love me 
Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town 
And people let me be just what I want to be

This song has come to mind once again these past couple days as I now get to--sort of, at least virtually--return to that small town that raised me, and the one nearby with which we shared a football team.  (Now all high school sports are shared, as many years have passed since then!)

I am excited to be a part of the Pride Publications team, which includes the Prairie Pioneer of Bowdle and my hometown paper, The Northwest Blade of Eureka.  I am serving as their copy editor and--something new for me--trying my hand at a little reporting.

Ahh!  That's a little scary!  Yes, I have been writing since I have been able to write, and I write because I HAVE to write (or my head may explode)!  But the reporting will be new to me.  It's going to get me out of my comfort zone just a little, but I suspect that will be an all-good thing.  I've felt like I've been back in college these past couple days as I've been brainstorming for story ideas and considering contacts for interviews.

Another new (and good) thing will be getting paid to write!  I've had several columns published over the years, but I've never actually gotten paid to write anything!  When I first took Journalism as a college freshman, I dropped the class because I couldn't take the stress it caused.  (I re-took it as a senior with much greater success.)  Now look at me--a budding journalist.  Who knew?

I must once again quote my once-toddler Teresa--"My didn't saw that coming!"