Pretty much since day one, I’ve had this same desk, chair and cubicle here at the Tri-City Times offices.
I’ve tacked a calendar in its designated spot for the last 16 years and that towering stack of our print editions has maintained its claim on the corner edge.
I still rely on an early menagerie of notes and clipped papers with zip codes, phone numbers and the like tacked just to the side of my computer screen.
The Merriam Webster dictionary I earned as a county spelling bee participant came with me to work sometime that first week in 2003 but I must admit I don’t use it much these days. It’s probably time I toss the 2006 phone books I’ve kept “just in case.”
I’ve been staring at the same Georgia O’Keefe calendar scenes and a Van Gogh note card, hoping for inspiration when the writer’s block hits. In more recent years, my kids’ artwork and family photos have diversified the scenery.
Another constant…the dust bunnies that magically appear!
Some seven years ago my workspace diversified when I started splitting my week between this spot and my home office where I made phone calls, sent emails and typed stories while tending to my kids. I’m very fortunate to work for a great company and have fantastic co-workers who made that all possible.
Later this week, I’ll gather up my things—except for the stack of newspapers—and move it all of 10 feet into the editor’s office. It’s both an exciting and nerve wracking time but I know those dual emotions show up anytime big “change” happens.
Although I’ve been writing and reporting for what seems like forever, there’s still a lot of people for me to meet and things to learn about this corner of the world that’s seeing its fair amount of change too.
The news world has evolved a lot since I had my first byline in this paper. We’ve embraced new ways of keeping our community informed and we’ll continue to diversify our offerings in the weeks, months and years to come.
In midst of our ever-changing lives, I am grateful that some things, like the tenants of journalism, remain true. No matter the edition date, writer or subject, we are committed to keeping our readers informed, promoting open government practices and offering a platform to respectfully express opinions.
Thank you for reading!
Email Maria at mbrown@pageone-inc.com.
