Friday, September 25, 2015

It's been three years, Mr. Alderman

YOUR IDENTITY IS tied to your occupation. For 16 years I was The Guy From The Paper. And I was fine with it.

About once a month somebody will come up to me and say, "I really enjoy your stories in the paper." When I tell them I retired from The Herald-Whig three years ago, they look at me like I'm nuts. "Really?" they say. "Huh. I didn't know."

That doesn't bother me a bit. We are all accustomed to routine and we all engage the outside world in our own little way. There is no such thing as keeping score when it comes to who is leaving our local media outlets. I tend to pay attention since I used to be a media person.

Where I work and where I write my blog.
However, when you are mad at me for something I've written on my own personal blog, it might behoove you to do your homework and read the blog first, and realize it's not tied to any news organization out there.

I'm not mentioning any names, but there's a certain Quincy alderman who called The Whig recently, all bent out of shape about this blog. I have no problem with him being upset - the blog was controversial and I had several discussions with other aldermen about it. If they didn't get the point, well, maybe I need to be a little less obtuse.

It's bad enough this alderman didn't realize I wrote this on my own blog, and it's not tied to any other media outlet. But when he was informed I haven't been a full-time reporter at the paper for three years, he proceeded to rant and rave and go off, blah blah blah.

I have no interest in rehashing the whole thing now. But, for the record, Mr. Alderman, if you do get mad at me again (and you probably will), you can find me at the corner of Fifth and Maine most days, hanging out and strumming my guitar and just generally at peace with the world.

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