I am horrible at goodbyes. I am not that girl who starts bawling like a baby or the person who can just laugh it off and move on.
My goodbyes are usually awkward moments with long periods of silence as I try to figure out what to say next without sounding like a complete tool.
Seeing as my time in Leduc was filled with those awkward moments that have shaped my life in the past year and a half, I am just going to try to skip that with a final column to say one last adios before I leave the paper on Oct. 29. I learned a lot during my 18 months employment, one summer internship and two practicum’s at the Leduc Rep. But that is just the icing on the cake compared to the people I have met and interesting events I had the opportunity to take part in.
The first person I need to thank would have to be my editor Michelle. Not only did she teach me so much about journalism but she never hit me over the head with a stapler, even though I know for a fact that sometimes after a long day of working with me she had to have been tempted. It is also important for me to mention Neil, Anthony and Suzanne. These three people were the first ones to help me get my foot in the door and without them I probably would have never come to the Rep in the first place or stayed during the summer that I was the only reporter.
During my time at the paper I have had the opportunity to work with some extremely talented reporters.
From listening to the boys Bill, Chris and Nick talk about every professional sport from football to hot dog eating, to just Alex and I talking about our cute pets and interesting court cases, this newsroom has had every type of combination since I have started here.
One thing that never changed here was the fact that even at the slowest times my job stayed interesting and the days were never the same. I wish I had the time and the space to personally say thank you to everyone, but I don’t, so if you have ever helped me with a story, given me a good idea or posed for a picture I would like to say thanks. It was people like you who made my job easy. There are a few people I don’t think I could write this column without mentioning though.
Not only did Const. Jodi Heidinger help me almost weekly with work, but it was because I was scared she would see my name on file if I was arrested that I behaved so well when I was off the clock.
Jim, Darrell, Jason, Taylor, Rachel, and everyone else with the City of Leduc, I cannot count how many times you all went above and beyond while helping me with stories.
John Norton and the entire Boys and Girls Club’s staff and volunteers. Besides making me dance, you all are some of the kindest people I have ever met.
To Mr. Nosyk and all the other teachers and staff at the Comp, I am still a little disappointed I never won a car when I went to school there, but seeing as you always gave me stories I have forgiven you all for that (kind of).
From little kids raising money through shaving their heads or walking dogs to adults hosting major fundraisers, I have seen the best side of Leduc, proving to me that this really is a great community I am proud to be from.
From learning to shoot a gun, to meeting a few celebrities and having a buffalo suck on my hand, I will remember so many of my experiences here for the rest of my life. As people continuously ask me what’s next the only answer I can come up with is a quote from Lauren Conrad when asked what was next after her departure from The Hills last season: “For the first time in a long time, I really don’t know.”
All I know is my dog Zoey and I are moving back to Airdrie, to be closer to my family. I may go back to school, I may just find a new job.
So thanks for the memories Leduc, goodbye for now.
To some people a headstone at a cemetery may just be a large piece of cement; to others it is a memory of a sibling, parent, grandparent, significant other, friend or child.
They represent a final laying place for those who have passed away.
Last week seven headstones at a cemetery near Calmar were vandalized leaving thousands of dollars in damage for one family.
This is not the first time headstones have been damaged near Calmar, a few years ago Calmar Community Cemetery was vandalized leaving numerous families left to replace headstones, while flowers, wreaths and other items placed by graves in memory of someone were gone or ruined.
Among one of those headstones was one belonging to my cousin Rebecca, who was taken far too early and left behind a family who spent good money on a tombstone and flowers in memory of her.
When I talked to my Auntie about when her daughters headstone was vandalized all she had to say was how heart breaking it was.
“It is absolutely devastating to get that call from the grounds keeper to say ‘come down, daughters grave has been wrecked’.”
I will be the first to admit I have done some very, very stupid things growing up, sometimes hurting people who likely didn’t deserve it, even if I thought at the time they did.
One thing I knew even as a dumb, reckless, immature child was that death is never a joke, and the emotions that arise when a person loses a loved one is not something to mess around with.
If you are drunk, stoned or just stupid and want to break stuff, do everyone a favour, go home and ruin something that means the world to you.
Photo above: One of the headstones damaged last week near Calmar. Photo taken by Carole Morris-Underhill
