“I’ve got plenty to be thankful for...”
Bing Crosby, Tacoma-born crooner
Hey folks, how have you been? After a six-month sabbatical while I dipped my toe into politics (more on that one of these days), it’s great to be back in the pages of my hometown newspaper.
For those who don’t know me, please allow me to introduce myself.
I’m an Onalaska native and W.F. West High School graduate. My family has been living in the hills and valleys of Lewis County for four generations. My wife and I are blessed to be raising the fifth generation in a little patch of forest outside Chehalis.
I was a reporter at The Chronicle for a number of years, then left for a while to be a stay-at-home dad with my firstborn son. I eventually came back as an editor of the paper. My adventures as a full-time journalist ended in 2013, and I now work in Olympia for a trade association. Although I’ve been outside the newspaper industry for the past five years, I’m still a huge believer in the importance and value of local news. I have no say over the paper any more (and I’m honestly pretty glad about that), and of course I won’t agree with everything published in it, but I’m a huge advocate for my hometown paper. More than that, I think local news has an important role to play in unifying our community during a time of division. I’m a Facebook user (too often I’m an over-user), but social media will never be able to bring us together and keep us connected like our local paper has done for more than 125 years.
I’m grateful for Chronicle editor Natalie Johnson, publisher Michael Wagar, and web guru Eric Schwartz for their support in returning to The Chronicle as a columnist.
My hope for these 600 weekly words is to follow the journalistic creed for editorial pieces, which is to adhere strictly to the facts as the basis for any opinion that I might express. In an era when falsehoods run rampant, I wish we would return to that simple standard as the basis for any civil civic discourse.
More than that, I want to highlight the positive activities and the optimistic people in our communities. As we address challenges and difficulties, I want to celebrate people and groups who are putting their shoulders to the wheel and doing the important work to solve problems together.
I want to help host respectful conversations. We all have different perspectives, but there’s no reason for people of good will to be mad at each other all the time.
The divisions of our national politics are pretty fevered and diseased right now. Working together and respecting our neighbors is the medicine we need.
To do this column right, I’ll need your help. Please contact me with news about good people (or imperfect but good-hearted people) who are trying to do this life right.
You’d make my Thanksgiving wonderful by sending me an email with stories of some good things happening in your neighborhood: a teacher making a difference in your school. A neighbor whose stories and generosity lifted your spirit. A tale of how a stranger did something small and kind to brighten your day. All that and more. Drop me a line and let me know.
Seriously. Email or call me. Let’s share good news of our community together.
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Brian Mittge is in the midst of a monthly celebration of the greatest American holiday, Thanksgiving. Drop him a line at brianmittge@hotmail.com or call him at 360-266-0568.
