Archie Bunker said it best, "once in a lifetime opportunities only come around 3 or 4 times". What I mean by that is in this day and age of instant communication, there is no reason not to extend the hand of fellowship to people from the past and re-connect. Life is too short to not say "thank you" to people who have made a difference.
Through Facebook I was able to connect with a former publisher's daughter. Through her (thanks Tracy) I was able to call the man who gave me my first job in the newspaper business so I could formerly thank him. Publisher Tom Dutcher allowed me to be an intern at my home town newspaper, the Olivia Times-Journal. Two years later he hired me on full time and more importantly, gave me my start in advertising.
At the time I wasn't crazy about advertising but later in life it paid off in spades as I had the experience necessary to catch on with the Minneapolis Star Tribune where I worked for 20 years. Tom taught me a lot about advertising, writing and photography. All skills I still use to this day. When I look back to my days working for weekly newspapers, I can honestly say it was a fun, wonderful time.
I had always thought my long term plans were to be a publisher or general manager for a weekly newspaper in a small town somewhere in the great white north. Being an experienced multi-tasker doing every job you could do at a newspaper, I would have been a very good publisher. But God had other plans for me and that's okay. The 20 years at the Star Tribune was exactly the time period where I raised my kids. You see, God knew best. He knew I needed stability and a good paying job in order to raise my family and he provided it. Praise God.
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