Remembering the many firsts of our lives

Home sick with a stomach virus Monday, and apparently somewhat bored, my 9-year-old daughter Katie dug out the old video made the day she was born, and in the days that followed. Laying aside for the moment how unfathomable it is that this tape was made nearly 10 years ago (eek!), it was a nice bit of nostalgia.

It’s interesting to me how well we remember the various firsts in our life. Though it was nearly a decade ago, I remember Katie’s first days well. She was our first-born, and as such, her arrival is stuck in my memory with indelibility. I remember the moment she was born, and the hours that followed. I remember how she was loaded into an ambulance the next day and taken to a larger hospital with a case of pneumonia. I remember how well she bounced back against the infection, only spending a few days in the NICU, and coming home a week later.

For my 6-year-old son, Drew, I remember his first day for the excitement it brought. Drew came into this world a full 35 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. The doctor didn’t even make it time for the delivery. When then-2-year-old Katie saw him for the first time a few hours later, I remember the first thing she said: “I love him.”

I remember Katie’s first steps, a series of about six or seven taken at the edge of our driveway. The feat was witnessed by her mother, me and the neighbor boy, Josh. For whatever, reason, however, I don’t remember Drew’s first steps. This is probably because Drew went from crawling, then to walking, then to running at a full sprint, in what seemed like a matter of hours. And he really hasn’t stopped moving since, save for the moments he spends playing the Gameboy.

I remember the first time Katie read a book by herself, a book about a dog trying to cool off, called “Hot Dog.” I remember Drew’s first laugh, a cackle that came in response to his big sister’s silly antics.

I remember some of my own firsts as well. I remember my first day of elementary school, though my memories of this one are pretty foggy — I remember being surprised, but not upset, when my mom told me she was leaving. I remember my first days of high school and college — chaotic days filled with uncertainty and insecurity.

I remember the first time I visited Arkansas. I was a college student, en route to Memphis for the day. And I’m sad to say, it wasn’t a great first impression. Stopping at a convenience store in West Memphis, we encountered rude service from the store clerk, and a disgusting mess in the bathroom. Luckily, my impressions of Arkansas have only gone up since then.

I remember the first time I walked into a big-time football stadium. I was with my dad, going to see the University of Illinois play at the University of Iowa. I remember being taken aback at the bright colors, which were much more vibrant than what I had seen on television.

I remember the first time I laid eyes on the Grand Canyon. And the Lincoln Memorial. And the Rocky Mountains. And Mount Rushmore. And Cinderella Castle. All were awe-inspiring in their own way.

What I think is interesting, though, is that for all the time we spend recalling "firsts," we almost never remember "lasts." For instance, I can’t remember the last time I actually carried my daughter in my arms. I can’t remember the last time I rocked my son to sleep for the night. I can't remember the last time either sat in a high chair, or the last time I was called "Daddy," instead of "Dad." It's stuff like this that fills some of the fondest recollections of our lives, so it's odd — and a bit sad — that such things disappear from our daily routine without fanfare or even so much as a notice.

Then again, I also can’t remember the last dirty diaper that I changed for either of my children. Some things are worth forgetting.

Remembering presidents on a do-nothing holiday

Monday was Presidents Day, more or less one of the do-nothing holidays. Save for the handful of American flags flying around town and the various students and federal employees with the day off, the holiday nearly went by without notice.

It used to be that we had Washington's birthday, and Lincoln's birthday. But in the name of efficiency, I guess, they've been rolled all into one day, which apparently now honors all 44 of our presidents. I guess one do-nothing holiday is better than two.

The History Channel, at least, marked the occasion by rerunning its series of specials spotlighting the presidents through American history. It's a good bit of TV viewing, if you managed to catch it. For every Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt who we know all about, there's a Garfield, Arthur and Buchanan who remains pretty much a mystery.

I've always been a fan of Thomas Jefferson, myself, though his greatest accomplishments probably don't include his terms as president. Even the epitaph on his tombstone omits the presidency from his life's accomplishments, instead mentioning only his authorship of the Declaration of Independence, his founding of the University of Virginia, and his responsibility for Virginia's Statute of Religious Freedom.

James K. Polk falls into that category of presidents that are no more than answers to trivia questions, but he seems like another guy I would have liked. Polk defined four specific goals for his administration, and pledged to accomplish each one within four years. And he did just that. And he even declined to seek a second term. It seems odd today to think of a president actually fulfilling a complete agenda, and then so readily giving up the reins of power.

Everyone knows the names of James Madison and James Monroe, but little is really known about their presidencies. When I read about them, I find that I am drawn to both. This pair served over what had been called the "Era of Good Feelings," as it was a time in the political history of the United States in which partisan bitterness abated. That idea is pretty appealing nowadays.

Two of the most highly overrated presidents have been in the few decades — John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. I'll no doubt get hate-mail for saying so, but both of these men are more about mystique and charm than actual presidential accomplishments. This isn't to say that one or the other, or both, weren't decent, or even "good" presidents. The blunder is when Kennedy and/or Reagan are ranked among the top five or so presidents in American history. Neither has earned that distinction.

There's only been eight presidents in my lifetime, and I don't see a "great" one in the bunch. There's been a couple that clearly had their moments, like Reagan and Clinton, and even George H.W. Bush. Others, like Nixon and George W. Bush, will have long battles with the history books when it comes to their legacies.

I'm hopeful for Barack Obama. He is probably to his generation what Kennedy or FDR were to their generations. He's as much a symbol as he is a president. And with that, of course, comes monumental expectations. Only time will tell whether Obama becomes a great president; or if he never amounts to anything more than a generational icon.

I wonder how may of those local students who were home from school Monday watched any of the History Channel's presentation, or did any other presidential-related learning with their extra time. I'm guessing not too many. It's a pity that our communities have deemed this a holiday, then virtually ignore it.

It kind of makes you wonder: If we're going to have do-nothing holidays, why have the holiday at all?

The importance of newspapers

Anyone familiar with Facebook, or any other social networking Web site, is no doubt familiar with the regularity of invitations to join "causes."

There are causes dedicated to fighting childhood illnesses, causes dedicated to political campaigns and even causes dedicated to changing the way Facebook works. I've pretty much ignored most of these causes — not that I don't believe in them; but rather that when you sign up for every cause under the sun, it just starts to seem trivial that you ever even enlisted your "support."

But I got a cause invitation the other day that I couldn't just ignore. It struck close to home — most specifically, to my profession. The cause is "Tell Five Friends How Important Newspapers are," and I am the 12,164th person to join. As of this writing, I've even recruited three additional people to the cause, with a handful of other invitations still pending.

The idea, of course, is that by signing up, I am to tell five other people why newspapers are important. Well, I thought I'd do just a little better by telling a few thousand, via this weekly newspaper column.

It's not hard these days to find stories about the impending death of the newspaper industry. I’ve attended conferences of editors where the gloom-and-doom was positively thick. And Web sites and blogs across the globe have been writing the obituaries for newspapers for the past several years.

Well, I may be consumed in a haze of self-preserving wishful thinking, but if you ask me, this "death of the newspaper" stuff is a bunch of hogwash. Newspapers are a pillar of the communities they serve and a vital source of communication. They've served this role for a long time, and will continue to do so in the future.

The fact is, the information in a newspaper can't be found anywhere else. In small, community newspapers, like the Blytheville Courier News, this is even more true.

Where else are you going to find stories about the most recent City Council Planning and Development meeting, or an account of what happened at the Quorum Court's Efficiency Committee meeting?

Where else are you going to find a write-up on last night's high-school basketball game, complete with photographs?

Where else are you going to go to learn who was named a Citizen of the Month at a local elementary school, or to the President's List at the local community college?

Where else are you going to read comprehensive news — including analysis and citizen's views — about an upcoming tax election? Where else are you going to find complete results and reactions to that election?

Where else are you going to go to find out which of your neighbors got married, who had a birthday, who had a baby, or who passed away?

Where else are you going to find complete listings of upcoming meetings and events for local clubs and organizations?

Where else are you going to find reports of local homes and businesses that were burglarized?

Where else are you going to go to find comics, crosswords, advice columns and horoscopes, all in one convenient location?

Imagine if the newspaper didn't exist. Where would citizens go for this kind of information? The loss of a newspaper would leave a gaping hole in any community, a hole that no Web site, blog or Internet message board could ever fill. When was the last time you saw an out-of-town TV crew at a local school board meeting? When was the last time anyone blogged about high school honor rolls?

It was evident how much a local newspaper could be missed a few weeks ago when, due an afternoon power outage, the Courier News was several hours late in reaching homes. The phones rang off the hook that afternoon. I heard the ladies up front repeat, “I’m sorry, we had a power outage so we’re a few hours late today,” over and over and over again, to the endless stream of readers who were waiting for their paper. There had to have been more than a hundred calls in just a couple of hours.

This isn’t to say newspapers are perfect. From the Blytheville Courier News to the New York Times, there is room for improvement. And as more and more Americans get comfortable living in the digital age, changes will have to come. Without a doubt, newspapers have challenges ahead.

But newspapers have always adapted to the changing world. Whether it has been radio, or the telephone, or TV, or cable, there have always been changes to the ways Americans communicate. But newspapers have always been there. And there is no reason to think they can’t continue to adapt.

So it’s my hope that communities across America embrace their newspapers, and I’m not just looking out for my own long-term job security. Newspapers make better communities. They inform, they entertain, they educate, they enlighten. They bring people together. They serve a purpose that no other medium has ever, or will ever, match.

Newspapers are a cause worth fighting for.

No longer taking electricity for granted

You walk into a room, flip the switch, and the room is instantly bathed in light.

You turn on the faucet, maybe wait 10 seconds of so, and soon the hot water warms your skin.

You pull into the driveway, push the button by the visor, and like magic, the garage door goes up.

You’re a little chilly, so you go to the thermostat in the hallway, and nudge it up a couple of degrees. You hear the furnace kick on, and not long after, the room begins to warm.

You want to check in with a friend, so you pick up the phone and dial the number. Or better yet, flip open the cell phone, and scroll down to the name you’re looking for.

These are all incredibly simple, everyday tasks. They’re the things we do every day of our lives, rarely stopping to consider what life would be like without them.

But in the past week, area residents have learned just exactly what it is like to live without such conveniences, after a devastating ice storm swept across the region, leaving thousands of homes without electricity.

It hasn’t been fun. For anyone. Homes were left dark and cold. Businesses were silenced. Local residents were left scrambling for ways to stay warm and stay fed.

I’ll never forget my pre-dawn drive to work last Wednesday morning, through the deathly dark streets of Blytheville. Nor will I forget the scene that appeared as the sun came up — block after block of storm-ravaged streets, a hellish tundra of frozen trees, downed limbs and blocked roads.


We should give thanks that the situation has improved in the past week. The army of utility workers that has descended upon our community has restored power to many. Key service providers, such as the hospital, city hall and grocery stores, are up and running. Many lights have come back on.

But for as a dramatically better as the situation is today, compared to a week ago, it is dramatically horrible for those who still lack power. There are still thousands living as best they can in cold, dark homes, waiting in anticipation for the joyous moment when the electricity comes back on. But there’s no telling when that might be.

You can learn a lot about the character of community by how it reacts to adversity. And in the past week, Blytheville has proven its mettle. It would be impossible to recognize all the acts of heroism that have occurred in the past week, but a few can’t go without mentioning.

First, there’s the utility crews which have worked absurdly long hours — and continue to do so — to bring power back to the community. Those crews include hundreds who have come from several different states to lend a hand.

Then, there’s the American Red Cross. The local chapter had already sprung into action by Wednesday morning, and within hours of the ice storm, was establishing shelters across the country. If you’re looking for a way to help others, consider a donation to our local chapter. Call 763-4481 for more.

And, of course, there are the fine employees of the city of Blytheville. From the police officers striving to keep the streets safe under blackout conditions; to the firefighters taking on a new wave of power-outage related threats; to the public works crews, clearing our city streets; there are plenty of folks who deserve our thanks.

On a purely personal level, I would like to give a shout out to the employees of the Blytheville Courier News. It’s not easy to publish a newspaper when you don’t have any power. But I will forever remember the way the people in this building pulled together to provide our readers with information in the wake of the worst natural disaster to strike our area in recent memory.

As difficult as the last week has been, and despite the challenges that still lie ahead, we have reasons to be grateful. In time, our community will recover. The power will return. The lights will come back on. Even the trees we have lost can be regrown. The destruction wrought to Blytheville by the ice storm is nothing compared to communities that have been ravaged by things like tornadoes, floods and earthquakes.

It won’t be long before we’re all able to get back to our everyday lives — when we can illuminate a room with the flip of a switch, warm our homes against the cold winter wind, and take a hot bath whenever we feel like it. Soon, life will get back to normal.

And one thing’s for sure: Normal never looked so beautiful.