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I’ve probably been writing all my life; I think I started with finding ways to choose the right words to reflect what I was experiencing before I even knew how to write. I believe I instinctively wanted to be able to remember things with vibrance and an exactitude that the English language can provide. It is a rich language and  for that I am grateful.

I wrote a lot in Cincinnati, Ohio, first as a columnist, telling people’s stories and then writing the content for a weekly supplement that addressed major developments in Cincinnati’s  philanthropic, artistic, medical, public institutions, such as museums and the zoo . . . and, actually, on and on.

I interviewed CEO’s of major corporations, including Procter & Gamble and Kroger.’s. In fact, I interviewed college deans and opera directors and all sort of  – cliché alert – movers and shakers. I once interviewed a head administrator, a priest at Xavier University, who wrote my editor to say that I was the only writer who had ever quoted him  correctly.

That’s because I always recorded the interviews. You can’t be careless with people’s words – especially when they are doing you the favor of sharing personal thoughts. And I always let them see the article before it went to print. The editors hated that; but I insisted.

When I came to Kendallville it was to be close to my parents since I am an only child and my father was in failing health. I needed to be closer to him. But I had found a real satisfaction in finding out things about people and sharing them. I always remember the fighter pilot who was shot down and spent time in a POW camp. One day when he was out working on his house, two of his neighbors came over and said they wanted to shake his hand and say thank you for what he had done.

And so I started writing little articles here – and found myself once again stumbling into stories of dedication and bravery and compassion.

I wrote of CEO types here as well; in fact, I interviewed every new president of Parkview Noble with the exception of the most recent one. I remember John Hatcher talking about working in the boiler room in a navy ship and giving it all  he had; I remember Dave Hunter talking about losing his father to a heart attack in a small community hospital and feeling drawn to help people get care and to see that patient’s families were treated with deep respect.

I have written of D-Day soldiers, the moveable Vietnam Wall – and remember being touched by the instructions sent to the local sponsors not to let the older veterans work too hard. I have written about outstanding students and children who are ill.

It is easy for a writer to slant things, just look at political ads, and I took pride in telling a fair and true story. Even if I was not writing about big city VIP’s, I still recorded everything. It wasn’t fun transcribing; it took a lot of time. But it was necessary for the nature and accuracy of the story.

It was the right thing to do, and that is something my father always drilled into me. You can make an honest mistake, but you must always try to do what you know is the right thing.

I miss the intimate stories; it was like posting pictures of nature on the internet.

I came across a batch about Kendallville on my hard drive and I’m going to share them.  Because you don’t sing a song only once.