I live in Seward. We are the Fourth of July City. That means the Fourth of July is crazy. If you've never been here for the Fourth, you are missing a celebration like no other. We start and end the day with explosions and have something for everyone in between. Patriotic concerts, colorful dances, a square full of crafts, lectures and a parade fill the day's schedule.
This year was my 21st Fourth of July in Seward. The Fourth was the first major event I covered after I started at the Independent. I went to the fireworks that night and was still at work the next day. Keep in mind, I wasn't living *in* Seward yet. I was staying with a cousin in Firth, about an hour's drive away. Granted, I was 21 years younger than I am now, so the quick turnaround was no big deal.
This year, when I got home after a full day and sat down on the couch, I found myself wishing I weren't a muggle and could use the accio charm to get myself a glass of water without having to get back up. The force would also work, but alas, I'm not a Skywalker.
Anyway, as I was walking home, I was trying to keep my mind occupied so I didn't turn into a zombie just shuffling along, so I was thinking about potential lines for a haiku poem about the Fourth of July. Yes, haiku. Yes, I am an extreme English nerd, apparently. Then I realized haiku wasn't quite long enough, so I expanded the idea to a cinquain poem.
A brief digression - neither haiku nor cinquain have to rhyme. Both forms are based on the number of syllables per line. Haiku is a three-line form with a 5-7-5 count. Cinquain is six lines with 5-7-5-7-7-5 as its counts. So here's what I came up with.
Haiku attempts
Gunpowder haze fills
nooks and crannies. Silence means
one thing - July 5.
Today’s rain shower
washes away the remnants
of yesterday’s show.
Cinquain attempt
The smell of powder
lingers as its gray haze wafts
away on the breeze.
The silence deafens just as
the shells that shattered the calm.
Peace returns at 12.
And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Friday, July 5, 2019
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Time to be sad
Perhaps sad isn't the best word for it. This time of the year, though, is filled with melancholy and sadness for me. The school year is almost done (hooray!), but that means seniors are leaving (not hooray). It happens every year, I know, but it doesn't get easier and some years are harder than others.
This year is one of those. The kids who graduated this year have been a generous group - they've allowed me to pretend I'm cool. I'm not cool, you see. Many actually talk to me, which never ceases to amaze me. But I feel like I've gotten to know some of these kids. I've been fortunate enough to interview a lot of them, and they all were more than willing to answer my questions. Watching these seniors play their last games and run their last races has been tough. It's tough every year, though, so I don't know why I thought it might get easier. At least I didn't burst into tears at graduation. 😄
Many are going to participate in sports at the collegiate level, which, as the sports editor for five newspapers, makes me really happy. Some are staying local, which makes me even happier. That means I don't have to say goodbye to them yet. I'll get to watch them continue to compete and improve their skills for the next four years.
Now, please don't think I'm one of "those" people who are obsessed with athletes and their careers. I'm not. I just like to see "my" kids succeed in whatever they do. (I call them all my kids just because I can. 😀) I've watched them play, often every season, for the last four years. As I said earlier, I've gotten to interview them. I know this year's seniors are an incredible group of kids who will do great things. I've talked to young people who plan to be farmers, teachers, business people, even a senator (I promised to vote for him if he's running for a seat to represent my area).
These kids have set records by the boatload. I can't even tell you how many new marks were set this year and over their careers. They've kept my schedule full by regularly qualifying for state. I think I've been to almost every state competition imaginable this year. And I've loved every minute of it.
Next year will be different. This happens every year, I know. Every team looks different. I get to learn new names and positions and sometimes I have to train new coaches. It's part of the cycle, but that doesn't mean I don't miss kids or coaches who have moved on.
So to all of you who have graduated and are moving to the next adventure in your lives, I wish you all the best. If you're sticking around, I'm really excited to see continued success for you. If you're moving away, I'm excited to see what you can do, although I may not be able to follow your career as closely. Keep us posted on how things are going.
This year is one of those. The kids who graduated this year have been a generous group - they've allowed me to pretend I'm cool. I'm not cool, you see. Many actually talk to me, which never ceases to amaze me. But I feel like I've gotten to know some of these kids. I've been fortunate enough to interview a lot of them, and they all were more than willing to answer my questions. Watching these seniors play their last games and run their last races has been tough. It's tough every year, though, so I don't know why I thought it might get easier. At least I didn't burst into tears at graduation. 😄
Many are going to participate in sports at the collegiate level, which, as the sports editor for five newspapers, makes me really happy. Some are staying local, which makes me even happier. That means I don't have to say goodbye to them yet. I'll get to watch them continue to compete and improve their skills for the next four years.
Now, please don't think I'm one of "those" people who are obsessed with athletes and their careers. I'm not. I just like to see "my" kids succeed in whatever they do. (I call them all my kids just because I can. 😀) I've watched them play, often every season, for the last four years. As I said earlier, I've gotten to interview them. I know this year's seniors are an incredible group of kids who will do great things. I've talked to young people who plan to be farmers, teachers, business people, even a senator (I promised to vote for him if he's running for a seat to represent my area).
These kids have set records by the boatload. I can't even tell you how many new marks were set this year and over their careers. They've kept my schedule full by regularly qualifying for state. I think I've been to almost every state competition imaginable this year. And I've loved every minute of it.
Next year will be different. This happens every year, I know. Every team looks different. I get to learn new names and positions and sometimes I have to train new coaches. It's part of the cycle, but that doesn't mean I don't miss kids or coaches who have moved on.
So to all of you who have graduated and are moving to the next adventure in your lives, I wish you all the best. If you're sticking around, I'm really excited to see continued success for you. If you're moving away, I'm excited to see what you can do, although I may not be able to follow your career as closely. Keep us posted on how things are going.
Friday, May 3, 2019
If someone asked me
It's May, and that means we're entering graduation season. I gave a graduation speech when I was leaving high school, but I have no memory of what I said. I'm sure it was something about how great is was to be graduating and moving on to the next phase of our lives. It probably included a mention of how I hadn't been at that school for a long time, so I didn't have any fun stories to share about my classmates doing crazy things in elementary school. Or junior high. Or high school, for that matter.
If I could tell my 18-year-old self and my classmates anything now, I would tell us to maintain balance.
Now, I'm not talking about being able to stand on one foot without falling or standing straight with a book on one's head. I'm talking about balance in life.
It's easy to lose that balance when you don't have parents or teachers around to help with it. I tend toward a workaholic personality with responsible and competitive tendencies, so my first instinct is to work and keep working because I want whatever I'm doing to be the best. When I first started at the newspaper in Pawnee City (where I was before I came to Seward), I worked all the time. I barely gave myself time to do laundry. I didn't take time to do anything else.
I've since learned that all work and no break is a bad idea. It will wear you out physically, yes, but it drains you emotionally, spiritually and any other -ly you can think of. It's not selfish to allow yourself time to unwind. In fact, it's good for you. When you take that time away, you come back with more energy, more ideas, more enthusiasm for whatever it is you're doing.
Find or continue activities that aren't related to your job or classes. They will allow you to relax for a moment. For example, for the last couple years, I've been more involved in the music program at my church. It's something totally different than what I do for my job. I've always enjoyed singing, so being in the choir is fun and provides a different outlet for me. While it's similar to my job, I'm also trying to do a little more creative writing, like the Christmas program for church.
Take time periodically to be by yourself. Not everyone likes to be alone, I know, but sometimes you just need a few moments of silence to reset your mind. I don't have a roommate, so when I get home from work (whatever time that happens to be) I can just breathe. I don't have to worry about being social or carrying on a conversation or even listening to someone else talk about their day. Maybe that sounds selfish, but I think it's important.
Make sure you eat right, sleep enough and get regular exercise (said the person who frequents too many drive throughs, stays up way too late most nights and manages to talk herself out of any kind of work-out). Again, I'm speaking from experience. When I get enough sleep, I have more energy to get through the marathon days. And if I eat food that doesn't come from a fast-food restaurant and throw a little exercise on top of that, my energy level is higher and lasts longer. You'd think, since I know that, I'd follow my own advice.
So that's what I'd tell myself and my classmates. I'm sure we wouldn't listen and probably wouldn't remember what was said. But there it is. Thanks for listening.
If I could tell my 18-year-old self and my classmates anything now, I would tell us to maintain balance.
Now, I'm not talking about being able to stand on one foot without falling or standing straight with a book on one's head. I'm talking about balance in life.
 |
| Julie Jackson and I were the student speakers at our graduation. |
I've since learned that all work and no break is a bad idea. It will wear you out physically, yes, but it drains you emotionally, spiritually and any other -ly you can think of. It's not selfish to allow yourself time to unwind. In fact, it's good for you. When you take that time away, you come back with more energy, more ideas, more enthusiasm for whatever it is you're doing.
Find or continue activities that aren't related to your job or classes. They will allow you to relax for a moment. For example, for the last couple years, I've been more involved in the music program at my church. It's something totally different than what I do for my job. I've always enjoyed singing, so being in the choir is fun and provides a different outlet for me. While it's similar to my job, I'm also trying to do a little more creative writing, like the Christmas program for church.
Take time periodically to be by yourself. Not everyone likes to be alone, I know, but sometimes you just need a few moments of silence to reset your mind. I don't have a roommate, so when I get home from work (whatever time that happens to be) I can just breathe. I don't have to worry about being social or carrying on a conversation or even listening to someone else talk about their day. Maybe that sounds selfish, but I think it's important.
Make sure you eat right, sleep enough and get regular exercise (said the person who frequents too many drive throughs, stays up way too late most nights and manages to talk herself out of any kind of work-out). Again, I'm speaking from experience. When I get enough sleep, I have more energy to get through the marathon days. And if I eat food that doesn't come from a fast-food restaurant and throw a little exercise on top of that, my energy level is higher and lasts longer. You'd think, since I know that, I'd follow my own advice.
So that's what I'd tell myself and my classmates. I'm sure we wouldn't listen and probably wouldn't remember what was said. But there it is. Thanks for listening.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Welcome to 2019
I accomplished two of my goals for today. 1 - I finally got through all the stamps I've gotten in the last month or so. I had to pick out the ones I needed for my collection. It took awhile (I had to get through them and soak/unglue them), so now I'm ready to put them in my books.
And 2 - I didn't unlock my door. I didn't have to work today, nor did I need to do anything outdoors. It's kind of nice to have a day where I don't have to leave my apartment. :) I watched the Rose Parade, one of my favorite things to do on New Year's Day, watched a little football and a little Mythbusters. I even made chili for supper tonight - yes, I do know where my kitchen is, and I know how to operate a crockpot.
One new year's tradition that I haven't really thought about it is resolutions. Many people use Jan. 1 as an opportunity to start over. They set a series of goals to meet throughout the upcoming year, everything from being healthier to making their lives simpler. I've done resolutions before and haven't managed to keep them. I do think setting goals is a good idea, so here are a few for me this year.
1. Write the 2019 Christmas program for church. I've got the basic idea for the story. I just need to put it on paper. Easier/faster said than done, though. I don't have a lot of free time to spend, so it's a matter of better time management, I think.
2. The traditional/annual health goal. I know I'm carrying more weight than I should be, and I eat way too much fast food. So, cut back on the drive throughs and add a walk or two. That's the simple solution, but again it's easier said than done. Fast food is a lot simpler and, well, faster than making stuff at home, especially when I'm running from the office to a ball game. So I need to do a better job of planning ahead and following through on those plans.
3. Another writing goal - finish writing the book I started in college. Again, I know where the story needs to go. It's just a matter of time and energy to put the words on the page.
I don't want to overdo it, though, so I think I'll stop there. I was thinking about what I accomplished this year, whether they were resolutions or not. I read through the Bible chronologically, which is fascinating if you've never done it. I wrote the 2018 Christmas program for church. I read or listened to 48 books. I got to see some of the sites on Lewis and Clark's expedition. I went back to Memorial Stadium and got to watch a team I cover win the state championship. Don't ask me how many words/stories I wrote for the paper(s) because I can't count that high. Overall, 2018 wasn't bad.
I hope 2019 is a great year for all of you and you're able to accomplish the goals you set for yourself. I hope I can accomplish mine, too.
And 2 - I didn't unlock my door. I didn't have to work today, nor did I need to do anything outdoors. It's kind of nice to have a day where I don't have to leave my apartment. :) I watched the Rose Parade, one of my favorite things to do on New Year's Day, watched a little football and a little Mythbusters. I even made chili for supper tonight - yes, I do know where my kitchen is, and I know how to operate a crockpot.
One new year's tradition that I haven't really thought about it is resolutions. Many people use Jan. 1 as an opportunity to start over. They set a series of goals to meet throughout the upcoming year, everything from being healthier to making their lives simpler. I've done resolutions before and haven't managed to keep them. I do think setting goals is a good idea, so here are a few for me this year.
1. Write the 2019 Christmas program for church. I've got the basic idea for the story. I just need to put it on paper. Easier/faster said than done, though. I don't have a lot of free time to spend, so it's a matter of better time management, I think.
2. The traditional/annual health goal. I know I'm carrying more weight than I should be, and I eat way too much fast food. So, cut back on the drive throughs and add a walk or two. That's the simple solution, but again it's easier said than done. Fast food is a lot simpler and, well, faster than making stuff at home, especially when I'm running from the office to a ball game. So I need to do a better job of planning ahead and following through on those plans.
3. Another writing goal - finish writing the book I started in college. Again, I know where the story needs to go. It's just a matter of time and energy to put the words on the page.
I don't want to overdo it, though, so I think I'll stop there. I was thinking about what I accomplished this year, whether they were resolutions or not. I read through the Bible chronologically, which is fascinating if you've never done it. I wrote the 2018 Christmas program for church. I read or listened to 48 books. I got to see some of the sites on Lewis and Clark's expedition. I went back to Memorial Stadium and got to watch a team I cover win the state championship. Don't ask me how many words/stories I wrote for the paper(s) because I can't count that high. Overall, 2018 wasn't bad.
I hope 2019 is a great year for all of you and you're able to accomplish the goals you set for yourself. I hope I can accomplish mine, too.
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