A computer and a dream

I have written my entire professional life, starting with phrases. "Coming up next on News 19....." "Still ahead....."

And no one told me that I would use my journalism degree to think up puns, "Next, Ginger lets us know how the weather will fare for the State Fair....."

From news teases, I transitioned to readers---30-second stories with a graphic, vo/sots---45-second voice-over video with sound on-tape to packages---me on-camera.

I told some of the best stories: an airman returning to his family after flying sorties in the Gulf; a come-from-behind candidate celebrating an election night victory; and a high school band practicing for their appearance in the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade.

I also entered people's lives on their worst day. Would you be available for an on-camera interview? I would ask the person answering the door the day after a drunk driver killed their son. I interviewed a man, Slyvester Adams, on the day he died in South Carolina's electric chair. I captured the suffering in the aftermath of hurricanes, tornados, fires, floods, and plane, train, and car crashes.

Through it all, it was always someone else's story. Never my own.

When I left television for higher education marketing and public relations, I continued telling other people's stories. I wrote about a researcher helping patients recover from strokes, students grateful for financial assistance from university donors, and students receiving hands-on experience treating patients.

I was the observer, never the participant.

As I created this website for what I'm sure will be an extremely successful side gig (insert smiley emoji), I added a section on writing samples that included those stories--the actions involving other people.

But I didn't think those samples gave you---the reader any sense of who I am. A blog would allow me to showcase another side of my writing, highlighting my scintillating personality, top-notch humor, and vast modesty. (Pause for laughter.)

But would I be able to write in the first person? Would I be able to feed the beast---providing daily, weekly, monthly content? It was at that point that my 22-year-old son gave me the encouragement I needed.

"Dad, any asshole with a computer and a dream can create a blog," he said.

So, here I am with my MacBook Pro and images of online fame. Feel free to comment below---and subscribe so you won't miss a word of my musings.