I know I've said it before, but can you believe it's already been five years since I started invading your living room for our weekly visits? I can honestly say that I have truly enjoyed this time and I am hoping and praying for many, many more years of visits. I rather like being able to (figuratively, at least) come into your living room, your kitchen, or whatever room you happen to be occupying when you join our weekly visits. I hope I've made you laugh. Other times, I hope I have prompted you to perhaps think and ponder somethings. In each case, I hope I have left things better than I found them. I'm reminded about camping trips with my dad. One of his primary rules was you “leave the campsite cleaner than how you found it.” I believe that could be one of those “life lessons” my dad was often trying to teach me. In any situation in life, and in life itself, we should always endeavor to leave things better than we found them.
There are times when my job has its own set of challenges. There are times when I have to report something that may seem to be unflattering about an individual or even a group or government entity. I have had people approach me (sometimes in the oddest of places) with the comment, “I know you have a job to do ...” or “I know you're just trying to sell papers ...” then it inevitably is followed by, “buuuut.” That's not an exaggeration, they usually stretch the “buuuut” out when they say it. Yes, I do have a job to do and yes, I do like to sell newspapers, but that's not the major reason I do what I do.
I heard once that, for many modern journalists, if they can “bring someone down,” that's a major professional accomplishment. I don't see it that way. Having been put in that very position, in a way, I can say it doesn't carry with it a great deal of personal satisfaction. I don't relish having a part in someone losing their job. “Buuuuut,” I do have a strong desire to expose the truth, especially when there may be those who try to hide the truth. If by exposing the truth, justice is done and certain people are forced to face consequences of their own actions, then I admit, I do take a bit of satisfaction in that. It doesn't matter if it's a health care facility that may not be doing its due diligence in ensuring patient safety, or politicians who attempt to deny people of their due rights, or a coach who is supposed to be providing a positive example for young people doing just the opposite; I will tell the truth.
I'm reminded of something the late President Harry Truman once said. Someone had told him to “Give 'em hell.” His response was, “I don't give them hell. I just tell the truth about them and they think it's hell.”