Trivial Pursuits: Here to stay
By:
Jamie Hult/Journal staff writer
Jamie Hult, Journal staff writer
I write because I love it. I write because I have to. I write because I’d have to rack my brain and get back to you on any other talents I might have.
Growing up, I was a voracious reader and embarrassed my mother to no end by taking books to restaurants, my brother’s ball games and movie theaters. There’s a small window of opportunity before the lights dim, and by golly, I wasn’t going to squander it. It’s no wonder I had to start wearing glasses in the fifth grade.
I started writing when I was about 8 – mostly short stories, plays and silly commercial jingles. I didn’t wonder if I was any good. I didn’t force it. And the more I read, the better my own stuff became.
I got my first newspaper gig as an intern when I was 16 and with that came my first column. I filled “Jamie’s Jots” with a hodgepodge of topics: how to find sweet deals at thrift stores, my high school trip to Europe and a tearful tribute to Jimmy Stewart when he died. By 10th grade I was well into my obsession with old movies, and I embarked on my college career in St. Louis, Mo., with the express purpose of perfecting my filmspeak and becoming a movie critic.
I’m glad it didn’t happen, because reporting is way more fun.
I’m a community weekly newspaper gal through and through. I kind of naturally interview people. I want to know what they’ve seen, what they’ve done, what they think, what their quirks are. I like to listen. Everyone has a story.
This I’ve learned over time from several communities: Tea, Harrisburg, Mitchell, Parker and Rock Rapids, Iowa.
It was while I was reporting in Tea that I met Jill Meier.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but here was a kindred spirit: A fellow writer who adored her community and wanted nothing more than to deliver the very best stories to readers week after week.
Ten years later, Jill and I have reunited through this grand venture called the Brandon Valley Journal. She has a dream that I understand and can get behind. She has a plan I want to be a part of.
And here we are.
The Journal has a lot of swell people supporting it – not only here on staff, but also behind the scenes and, I hope, many of you reading these words now.
We believe in Brandon’s need for a community newspaper with all local content. We believe in Brandon’s right to news that pertains to you, to stories featuring familiar names and faces on topics and issues you care about, to a newspaper with its pulse on the community.
The Brandon Valley Journal is here, and we’re here to stay.
And, by golly, I hope you like us.
