Columnists
May day!
What? The Times has a new owner? I’m not sure if I saw that coming. I miss all the good stuff. Heck, I wasn’t even sure I’d heard it correctly when I spoke with old Rick What’s-his-name prior to the changeover. Don’t get me wrong, I understand their reason (Rick’s and Kathleen’s) for the stepping back. It’s a tough decision, sometimes, to put your private life and your family life ahead of your business life. I get it. I wish I’d made a similar choice a whole lot earlier in my life. But that was then and this is now
So, once in a while I think about things. I “think” I’ve been a columnist for The Times since 2006. I could be wrong, but I think that seems about right. I don’t know why Rick got in touch with me, suggesting we have a coffee and a chat. I’d been having a tough go with my life and just thought he was going to treat me to a dressing-down for my lack of internal dialogue on some matter or another. I didn’t know him. I’d never met him. I was photographing for another publication at the time. I think he paid for the coffee. I believe I said “no” to the offer of the column space the first time he offered. I might have been surprised and confused about what was being said at that meeting. Mostly I figured Rick must have confused me with someone who was a whole lot smarter than I am. Someone, obviously, had sold him a bill of goods. He had, at that point, recruited some very astute writers. Funny thing is, I’m very happy he got in touch again and I’m happy I agreed to write something every other week. For the record, I’d read The Wellington Times a few times before it fell into the hands of Rick and Kathleen. It was because of what I’d read in the first incarnation of The Times I was not sure I understood, exactly, what was expected of me. Rick, more or less, said he just wanted me to write something and hinted that it could be a bit edgy. Me, edgy? Where did he get the notion I’d have something to say about anything? Sometime in 2006 I delivered a column about big box stores. I believe I emailed it with the subject line, “Big Boxes Rock my Socks”. It was my impression of how big box stores had destroyed downtowns in small communities, in particular places like Napanee. The payoff for it was the email from Rick saying he liked the column. I’m still worried about big box stores ruining downtowns.
And here I am. In my comfy clothes on Sunday, the last day of April. It’s the day before The Times is no longer owned by Rick and Kathleen. I’m watching the morning news on television while reading the Sunday newspaper. In the background LOML is playing a new album he picked up in the UK, and I’m writing this column for the new owner. For the record, writing a column has never been easy for me. Sometimes the topics are easy enough to pick, but there are days when I think I just can’t get a word onto the screen. The publication deadline helps me focus. As a columnist, I try to leave the politics to the people who devote their time to politics and the research of issues. I’m thrilled I had the opportunity to write for the Conroy/Sabyan team. It’s been 11 years on this learning curve. I’m looking forward to seeing where “the new kid” will go with The Times.
If you play your cards right, it’s all weekend from now on, Rick and Kathleen. And from this point on, it’s all Tuesdays at noon, Corey!
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