To say I have had an exhausting month and especially last week would be such an understatement. From recovering from RSV to OPA Legislative Summit in OKC to Night to Shine to heated City Council meetings to my daughter being involved in a wreck on Valentine’s Day to Checotah Chamber Banquet and announcing Citizen of the Year to Lunch & Learns to Saturday Livestock Shows, I literally feel like I’ve been caught up in a whirlwind. Add to all that, more meetings, interviews, putting together two newspapers each week, getting more photos, dealing with my insurance company and wreckers and even having to call a plumber because my washer machine decided to quit this week and flood my laundry room, hallway and closet. Ugh, I get it – I have 100% wanted to throw in the towel myself this week but I can’t because there’s still more interviews to do, puppies to be saved at Eufaula pound, Checotah Band Daze to cover, Chili Cook-Off to judge and three family members’ birthdays to celebrate. I say all this to really say, please people you don’t always know what people are dealing with so in an already cruel world, just be kind.

I literally run myself ragged every week trying my hardest to cover our little communities as best as I can. That’s why I absolutely love when I have former coworkers call me so I don’t miss meetings. I appreciate principals and school staff that know I can’t make every school event, so they send me pictures and information to put in the newspaper. I am utterly thrilled when friends call me to give me the heads up on what’s happening so I can cover it if at all possible.

However, I am a one-woman show with many irons in the fire, just like so many people. On top of being the “Paper Lady” I am also a daughter, a wife, a sister, a friend and a mother still trying to juggle everything on her plate. I do all this with a whole lot of prayer, patience and undeserving grace from above. I may not always get it right but I know I am always trying to.

So, imagine my dismay when someone stops me to complain and ask why I don’t cover enough events and the topic they are speaking about is on the front page but they haven’t managed to pick up the paper to read it. Then they proceed to tell me “hear say” which I will never use unless I find factual, and end with saying “I guess I just miss the young go-getter reporters who beat the bush to get their story.”

Well, all I have to say is that I’m not young anymore and I don’t feel the need to “beat the bush” to actually “beat up people in my community” like you would suggest. Hopefully I’ve learned in my “old age” that you get more accomplished when you “use a little honey” and are kind even in bad situations.

Do I know that there are people that do bad things in this world? Yes. Do I know that the truth will come to light? Yes. Do I think I am the hook to bring them down? No, but I am a watchdog for our communities and I will report factual material to our citizens. I will also call out careless bullying and wrong doings but hopefully with some kindness because in an already cruel world can’t we just learn to be kind. We don’t have to stomp our feet or yell to be heard. We don’t have to act as if we are superior because no one is. We just have to learn to listen, search for truth and realize everyone has a lot on their plate. So in a cruel world that already tries to knock people down, I choose to above all else, be kind.