Life’s Reflections: Looking back and enjoying the memories

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It's people like Craig Francis, with whom I am pictured, who have made the news business so much more interesting. He is known for getting photos of people just about anytime and anywhere. We are shown here at a car show in downtown Greenville a few years back. (File photo)

I ran across this quote while checking out my Facebook items this past week: “When you have more years behind you than ahead of you, you think about life differently.”

How true! How timely! The more I thought about it, the more I knew I was going to be affected by it.

In recent months, I’ve felt like I’m not good enough for some people, and, that’s okay. I can live with that.

I have since done a lot of reflecting on my life, and know that I definitely don’t regret the career I chose in my 55-plus years in journalism. Nor, do I regret the life I created or the family for which I was destined and that includes from all the generations involved.

I’ve always enjoyed writing and that opportunity came while I was working at a part-time job at a local restaurant after being laid off from a factory job that I started working at the day after I graduated from high school.

I read that a reporter was needed at a local newspaper office and I checked into it, and by golly, I was hired. Little did I know the great impact that it would have on my life.

I feel honored that, to date, I have interviewed hundreds, maybe thousands, of people I would have otherwise not met. I am a Darke Countian, and I’d hate to guess how many lives I’ve touched and how many have touched mine.

I have penned success stories; reported on how various illnesses have affected people in this area; and, in addition to individuals, I have written up accident reports which included a few fatalities.

I also highlighted various businesses over the years and have even written about and attended several sporting events.

I had the privilege to meet some other TV news personalities throughout the years in the Miami Valley, especially Steve Baker of Troy. I first met him while covering a fatal farm accident in Darke County. Little did I know that he would have an impact on my life.

My news writing took me to about every town council meeting in the county, not to mention some township trustees meetings and most of the board of education meetings at one time or another. And, don’t forget, I attended numerous fair board meetings.

In addition to featuring articles on local churches, at one point in time, I believe I had written about the ministers at each.

Including the Great Darke County Fair, my work sent me to just about all of the festivals in Darke County at one time or another, which meant there were more people to meet and become friends with. Those events, some of which were annual, have taken me to not only Greenville, but Ansonia, Versailles, Rossburg, North Star, New Madison, Pitsburg, Union City, Bradford, Gettysburg, Arcanum and New Weston. I sure hope I’m not letting anyone out.

My work has taken me to the local hospital for a lot of years for such events as the first baby born in a new year.

And, I’ve written about people with milestone birthdays which was a pleasure to get their words of wisdom in growing older.

Maybe the only regret I have in life is not taking courses on technology. Little did I know I would be working with computers and cameras in my lifetime. Getting educated on that would have been an even bigger boost for me, but it’s too late for that now.

But, I am proud to say that Darke County has a lot of interesting and fascinating people. And, to think, I was privileged to meet and get to know them. And, many of them are still friends today. I do miss those who are not around anymore, especially Betty Grimes who was a true spirit in everything she did. She is missed so much.

Yes, now I am semi-retired, working part-time for My County Link, owned by Gaylen Blosser and Dale Barger. I am not as busy as I used to be but I, too, am getting older, and feel like I can only write so many stories.

I still write a weekly column unless something unforeseen happens and, of course, news stories if it works out.

I am grateful for having worked for the daily paper when it was locally owned, and then to Gaylen Blosser who talked me into coming into this world called online journalism, something I didn’t think I would ever enjoy doing. And, I have to mention Keith Foutz who took me in as an employee of the Early Bird, for whom I worked for three years before I was accepted at My County Link.

I don’t want to sound vain, but I hope I made an impression on people just as they did on me. I love most people and hope to meet more in the days to come.

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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of Greg Price, Mark Rismiller and Donald Miller Jr.

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Seeking prayers for these people: Shane Clark, Angie Byers, Jack Edwards, Sandy Gunckle, Tonya Kelly, Jody Christman, Robert Christman, Mike Hopkins, Bruce Knick, Beth Royer-DeLong, Debbie Francis, Melikka Riffell, Roan Brubaker, Bob Christian, Dan Garber, George Kenworthy, Mike Doyle, GraceLynn Harter, Chester Bryant, Linda Johnston, Terri Hunt, Patricia Maier, Ken Wombold, Delores Beisner, Jodi Gilpin Snyder, Charlie Bulcher, Ron Moody, Charlyee Severance, Justin Fritz, Jeremy “Jerm” Burke, DeWayne Yohey, Katrina Hoening, Kent Snyder, (cousin) Carol Byrd, Gladys Neff, Kara Didier, Carl Francis, Craig “Cheese” Thompson, Bridget Brown, Don DeBord, Otis Stewart, Chris Clark, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Phyllis Brumbaugh, Judy Collins, Linda Gasper, Carol Hemmerich, Stephanie Klingshirn, Brenda Schlechty, Betty Burnfield, Dan Lockhart, Roberta Hall, Pam Norman-Penticuff, Kelly Kelch, Mike Mayse, Steve Waymire, Nikole Baldridge, Lester Beisner, Mark Lovejoy.
Also, Judy York, Donald Booker, Dennis Leeper, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Ralph Byrd, Sonja and Dan Coppess, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Paul Gigandet, Doug Whittington, Neal Gray, Judie Hathaway, Randy Garrison, Kathy Gragorace, Donna Bixler, Cathy Melling, Scott Clark, and all others who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.

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Happy birthday to:
Oct. 22 to Tina Kiser Deaton, Romie Kremer, Dillon McCowan, Jack Riegle, Devon Daniels, Helen Locke, Bonnie Alexander, Madison Young, Rose Stegall, Amanda Jo Gibboney and Eddie Cline.
Oct. 23 to Gary Francis, Jay Kimmel, Joseph Floyd Ray Riffell, Rick Hunt and Ashley McCleskey.
Oct. 24 to Ron Cox, Gary L. Jenkinson, Amber Everman, Bree Hall Sanders and Marty Davis.
Oct. 25 to Kami Phlipot, Mark Phlipot, Jim Brewer, Renea McCleskey, Jason Newbauer, Dianna Keller, Doug Falknor, Danette Fitzgerald, Stan Cox, Cuyler McCartney, Lois Hittle, David Buxton, twins Rick and Dick Hunt, Kali Wilcutt and Vic Rifenberg.
Oct. 26 to Russell Rex, Sue Leugers, Jennifer Kreider, Katherine Obringer, Karen Price, John Hathaway Jr., Tracy Post and Jeff Zumbrun.
Oct. 27 to Rusty Maloy, Dianna Bang, Evelyn Loy, Benjamin Barnt, Ed Curry, Tammy Arnett, Ann Mills Moore, Stacey Spahr and Tim Robertson.

Happy anniversary to: Gene and Cheryl Clouse, Doug and Carla Cothran, Drew and Roxanne Meadows and Mike and Rosie Stegall, all on Oct. 22; Dan and Tara George on Oct. 23; Sheila and Dan Lenker on Oct. 24; and Jeff and Candy Stump on Oct. 25.

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Think about it: “Success is getting what you want; happiness is getting what you need.” –Author Unknown