Good-bye turn

Writing this last "My Turn" was not the slam-dunk I had hoped it would be.

On Friday afternoon, when I was thinking through a possible outline, my phone at the office kept ringing and ringing.

Other distractions popped up, too. My editor poked her head out of her office to announce that she had received an e-mail from her lover. What? (It turned out to be junk mail). Of course, that interrupted my train of thought.

Then silence (well, pretty close to it for this place) hit the office. I realized I was the only reporter left in the newsroom. On a typical Friday, I would have been outside enjoying the sunshine. But not this Friday. Nope, it turns out that when you trying to leave a job, one more thing has to get done.

For me, that one more thing was this column. I thought I should include some categories of highlights about working at the Herald.

Here's a few:

1. Good memories: when I was out on a story and wanting that time to last forever, knowing I did the right thing when asking the hard questions and stumbling upon a story by accident.

2. Funny times: staff meetings, writing a story at 7 a.m. (with three other reporters doing the same thing, deadline being 5 p.m. the night before) and talking to people who meant to call for the sports department.

3. Times I would rather forget: staff meetings, writing a story at 7 a.m. (I'm not a morning person) and talking to people who meant to call the sports department (only because I know next to nothing about sports).

Last year, the opening on the Herald's news staff came at a good time. The paper was down one person and I needed a job. What a match. (Okay, it wasn't that easy to get hired here — I did have to interview and write a story). Since then, I've had the pleasure to work with people I'll never forget. Among those, some who have come and gone at the Herald.

Recently, I was told that newspaper people are a very special family. That is so true. Nobody knows what working at a paper is really like, until they've done it. No matter how much you tell your family and friends about the day-to-to-day operations, you know they don't truly get it like your co-workers do.

But you know what?

My family now knows so much about this paper (yes, from me talking about it), that they rush to its defense when they hear the questions about why we do what we do and our coverage decisions.

I'm going on to work at a larger paper, which is the goal of many reporters, myself included. But is bigger really better? I don't know, but I do know I want to find that out for myself.

In the meantime, I've had to decide if this was really the right decision for me. So far, I think that it is. Besides, it's too late to change my mind!

Believe it not, though, my heart is still in a small town. Last week, I drove to Warden and was reminded why small school districts can be so great. Warden, like my hometown of Coulee City, is friendly and caring. The people are real and I instantly felt at home.

I know where they're coming from and their basic concerns when it comes to being in the paper (you know, just take a flattering photo and spell their name right).

Now today, a short time later, I'm closing a chapter of my life and starting a new one.

I remember back when I was hired here, a little over a year ago. I was so happy and excited about what lie ahead of me.

I still am.

Lynne Miller, until tomorrow, is the education and health reporter for the Columbia Basin Herald. She has done an outstanding job and we will miss her and wish her the best in her future endeavors.