A Look Back at 2007
By Bruce A. Love
The start of the New Year is a great time to reassess where we have been and where we are going. Part of that process involves looking back at the decisions we have made, and figuring out how we could have handled some situations better. We understand that we cannot undue what has already occurred, but we can usually make some adjustments and correct some mistakes in order to avoid similar blunders in the future.
I have been contributing columns to the Altoona Mirror for over 4 years and enjoy writing these them, but I must admit that I like some columns more than others. I’ve even had minor regrets after some columns went to print! This week, I try to make amends for inaccuracies and other shortcomings that may have appeared in this column over the past year.
It can be challenging meet deadlines and craft columns that are 525 (+/- 5) words. Too often, I or my editor must chop some good stuff from the column in order to make it fit into the allotted space. The Thanksgiving column, in which I recognized some well-deserving local businesses, started at well over 700 words! Unfortunately, I had to cut several businesses from that column to make it fit. Among the casualties were Jen and Kira at “Mandie’s Hairs to Ya,” Jerry Burke’s Barber Shop, and Barry Rodgers Barber Shop (Duncansville). All of these individuals are skilled in their craft, and all can carry on an interesting conversation.
Very rarely do I get important details wrong in my column, but in the Thanksgiving column I gave the wrong name of a favorite store - the Country View Market on Route 36 near Martinsburg. I must have had turkey on my mind when I wrote that column!
One of my biggest blunders of the year was a column devoted to social networking pages such as MySpace and FaceBook. The whole point of that column was that these sites are not just for teens. My evidence of this was the use of such pages by several presidential candidates. Well, we all make mistakes, and I admit now that after launching my MySpace page, it was a complete flop for this adult. I suspect Mitt Romney had the same experience with his.
In late 2007, I launched my blog at www.blog.loveconsulting.com. Eventually, I plan to post every column that I have ever written on the blog. Launching the blog was not a mistake, but I am disappointed that I don’t have more visitors to it to add their views and experiences in response to columns - this is a not-so-subtle plea for you to participate on my blog!
My editor often protects me from crossing the line whenever I try to pen a particularly pithy political remark. Sometimes this disappoints me, but I figure she understands this business better than I do and knows that if I go too far, I may lose readers with opposing ideology - either that or she disagrees with my politics. If ya ever want to see the uncensored versions of my columns, visit www.blog.loveconsulting.com!
Have a Happy New Year! (525 words exactly!)
