Thanksgiving is going to be a little rough in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood this year. With Amelia’s death last month, my life and the lives of her family and friends have been turned upside down.
But with November comes a feeling of thankfulness. You see, November marks several special anniversaries for me. Without one of them, I wouldn’t be here in Mississippi.
I’m thankful because nine years ago this week I sat in a hotel room in Greenville trying to make a decision about a move to Mississippi. I’d flown down from Michigan and toured the Delta Democrat Times and had been asked to join the management team there.
As I pondered my future, I wondered to myself, “Why Mississippi?” I wasn’t sure what the future would hold for me. The next morning, before catching a flight back to Kalamazoo, I accepted the job and quickly rented an apartment. Two weeks later, my cat, Dimey, who’s still here in Columbia, and I were Mississippi bound. As I said, I wondered why and what my purpose was at the time. I now know what the purpose was.
A little over a year later, Emmerich Newspapers, which owns the Delta Democrat Times and The Columbian-Progress, offered me the chance to come to Columbia in my current role. Though I didn’t know anything about Marion County, something felt right.
By December 2009, I was headed south from Greenville and I made my way into the Pine Belt to Columbia. The rest, they say, is history. As everyone knows, I’d only been here a few months when I met Amelia and we spent the past seven years together.
Since her death, I’ve realized that I’m right where I was supposed to be.
Why Columbia? Well, I can tell you that I never would have received the support I’ve gotten since her death anywhere else. I’ve also never had this kind of support at work. I’ve got to thank everyone who is always so helpful. Even on the tough stories, my sources and the folks around the community share their feelings or information. It’s one reason why in my more than 30-year career I’ve stayed in Columbia longer than anywhere. Perhaps that was part of the plan I didn’t understand.
This past weekend, I saw a lot of the good in our community. Volunteers made it shine. Gator Fest drew crowds despite cold and rainy weather to start, and a quick trip downtown revealed dozens of classic cars and good food as the second annual Carpacaylpse took place. However, the volunteers that put it together weren’t done when the final vehicle rolled out. Many of those same folks were the ones that made this year’s Main Street House of Horrors a success.
I didn’t get to help this year, though we had planned to. You see, Amelia and I began dating seven years ago thanks to the haunted house, where we had volunteered. The fundraiser for Main Street Columbia Inc. has always been special to me. With Amelia’s death, we weren’t able to volunteer, but I made my contributions in a different way – as a paying customer several times. The final time was on the last night, when I was convinced by a friend who didn’t have anyone to escort her to go through again. It may be the best $10 I’ve spent on entertainment. Maybe I’ll be back in costume next year.
This is a month of anniversaries for me and a month of giving thanks for everyone. So as Thanksgiving approaches and then Christmas, let’s give thanks for everything we’ve got, including the bad times. Those bad times make the good memories even sweeter.
Reach Managing Editor Mark Rogers at 736-2611 or news@columbianprogress.com.
