Write On

I was surprised this morning to open my copy of the Naperville Sun and read a final column from a colleague. Surprised because he quoted his reason for leaving. The paper is under new management and they want to keep the content local. Not all his columns are strictly local so he decided to bow out.
What really surprised me was that no one had thought to say this to me. My columns aren't always local either, but assumed because I'm buried away at the back of the paper and he is on page two that they'd forgotten me.
I was wrong. A few hours later I received a similar e mail saying that I now had to keep the content local but they would quite understand if I wouldn't do this and would opt to leave. I thought about it long and hard......for all of 20 seconds. Why would I leave? It's a local newspaper after all. I'm surprised they let me get away with what I do write. To be honest its usually more suited to a national magazine than a local newspaper, but since no one is offering to publish me anywhere else, I've no intention of leaving.
As a writer, I would write notes for the teacher or shopping lists if someone paid me. I'm always thrilled, and somewhat astonished, if people stop me and say how much they like my column. If it becomes less about my jaunts around the world and more about the latest gossip in Jewel, so be it.
I pestered to get this job because I sought fame and fortune in my new home town. We'll gloss over the fortune part, but the fame thing is slowly working. I may not be professional enough to negotiate a decent salary, but I am professional enough to think Naperville deserves a high quality local newspaper packed with interesting local news. Lord knows there's enough going on in this vibrant town to fill the pages, and I can only hope the new management can return the paper to its former glory.