After more than five years of writing this column in The Gazette, it’s time to say goodbye.
This week marks the end of a 15-year journalism career that started in September of 1997 when the publisher of a weekly newspaper in Wautoma, Mary Kunasch, hired me, sort of fresh out of college, as the news editor. I had little experience in the field – some writing and layout work in high school and college where I majored in English – but because Mary thought I was someone she could work with, she took a chance on me.
I remained at that newspaper, the Waushara Argus, for 10 years until my wife and I decided to move to Stevens Point to be closer to her job at that time in Marshfield. Learning about a job opening at The Gazette, a paper I hadn’t heard about before, I called the paper’s managing editor and one of its founders and owners, Gene Kemmeter, and landed an interview. Upon meeting Gene, I knew immediately I’d like to work for him, but judging by the paper’s rundown office on Church Street, I wasn’t quite sure if it was the perfect fit for me.
I took a few days to decide whether or not I wanted to take the job after Gene offered it to me. My decision became easier to make after reading the paper and realizing all it offers to the community. I knew working for people who produced such a quality product could help me better my abilities.
For three years I worked as Gene’s associate editor, trying my best to learn as much from him as I could. He made sure I knew the Associated Press format well, and that everything that goes into the paper requires at least three readings to make sure it’s ready for publication (and even then it’s not always perfect). He taught me more than any teacher or co-worker in my educational and professional career.
In addition to being a great teacher, Gene has also been a source of humor. Every time I hear one of his many stories for the fifth time, I laugh. I laugh not because the story is funny, but because he’s so thrilled to be telling it. I wish I could remember some of my own stories like he does, but also to have the same passion for story-telling that he shows. And nothing gets a bigger laugh out of me than hearing him spell his name – G-E-N-E – to people taking his call-in restaurant orders.
When he retired in 2010, his job became mine. It’s been one I’ve enjoyed, especially since he taught me well, and it’s one I will miss. Not many jobs allow you to meet hundreds of interesting people, experience all that is going on in the community and have fun while working.
But it’s time for me to move on. Beginning next week I start a new journey, one I returned to college for in 2011. In this new role, as director of marketing and communications for the United Way of Portage County, I’ll be able to continue working with many of those in Portage County I’ve already met, but in a new capacity employing many of the skills I’ve already learned through my journalism career.
I’m excited, especially since I know I’ll be working with a group of people I know are equally as cool and fun as the crew at The Gazette. While I’ll miss my Gazette family, I know I’ll still see many of them on a regular basis and most are a quick click contact through my cellphone or Facebook.
This column is probably the hardest thing I need to say goodbye to, as I’ve been writing it regularly at The Gazette since starting here, carrying it over from the Argus where I wrote it occasionally. Through the years, I’ve had countless people make comments about my musings, many of which were about my family and my life as a thirty-something.
“The Light of Day” has allowed me to write about the beginning of my relationship with my wife, our marriage, the birth of our first son, selling our house and moving to Stevens Point, and the birth of our second son in 2012. I’ve tried to humor people by giving my unique perspectives about popular culture, and I’ve upset people in talking about Ed Gein (seriously people of Plainfield, lighten up and acknowledge your past – it’s not going away).
But now it’s time to say goodbye. My wife said she’s somewhat relieved to know that a lot of what we do won’t become public knowledge anymore, but I know she’ll miss it. After all, she has been my biggest motivator in convincing me to write this and to continue writing it.
I thank all those I’ve mentioned who have helped me get to this point, as well as all the others at The Gazette and in the community who I’ve worked with and met over the years. Thank you.
In saying goodbye, I’ll let people know I’m leaving the paper in excellent hands. Matthew Brown, my associate editor since 2010, will take over the role of managing editor. He’s impressed me every day since hiring him, and now it’s his turn to impress you.
I leave you with some Bruce Springsteen lyrics from a song this column got its name from, “The Light of Day”: “I’m just around the corner to the light of day/Just around the corner to the light of day/Just around the corner to the light of day.” I hope we all are.
Thank you for reading.
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Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Feb. 1, 2013.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Death by Motörhead is kind of perfect way to go
This is a eulogy, maybe, to a speaker. Not just any speaker, though, but the best and most famous speaker in Stevens Point. And I’m not talking about a person who may be a speaker, but rather the other type – a stereo speaker.
Earlier this week Randy Wagner, owner of Stevens Point’ Radio K.A.O.S. – central Wisconsin’s pre-eminent CD/album store – posted on Facebook that he blew out one of the 27-year-old speakers at his store. He posted: “Listening to my stereo in mono. Blew the left speaker which blew the amp. These Klipsch Heresy II speakers have been with me for over 27 years. Hope it can be repaired!!”
Without giving it much thought, one might feel bad for him, as nobody likes to have to replace anything. But anyone who has ever been in his store should feel a little sad, as those speakers have been a big part of the Radio K.A.O.S. experience throughout its entire history.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve gone in there and asked Randy who’s on the stereo at that moment. Oftentimes they were bands or artists I had never heard of, but coming from his speakers those musicians sounded as though I needed to own their music. Coming from those speakers, those bands – some of which probably were mediocre – were the most amazing artists of the moment.
Those speakers are one large reason anyone with a love for rock music is probably jealous of Randy. He gets to listen to great music all day that sounds even better because of those speakers. While I’m sure he’ll tell you his job, like mine and yours, has its ups and downs, he’d probably agree that overall he is living his dream job.
I couldn’t help but ask what finally did in his speaker. He said he was listening to Funkadelic when he noticed the blown speaker, but he guesses it was Motörhead that caused it to blow.
For those unfortunate individuals who don’t know the band Motörhead, I’ll give a quick rock music history lesson: heavy metal plus punk rock belted out by the world’s most famous mole-faced man – Lemmy Kilmister. The band’s most famous song is “Ace of Spades,” which has become an anthem for both metalheads and punk rockers, but which is also loved for some of the albums they released in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Motörhead is still around today, and Lemmy is a godlike figure in the rock community.
They aren’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which should be ashamed of the omission. Lemmy and the band’s fans could probably care less, though, as they are probably more proud of the fact that they blew out Randy’s speaker at Radio K.A.O.S., representing the ultimate in what good hard rock music should be about – chaos, complete disregard for property, and destruction of the very thing that it needs.
In other words, death by Motörhead is the perfect way to go, both for the speaker and for the image Motörhead would probably like fans to have.
I said this was “maybe” a eulogy because it’s possible Motörhead wasn’t necessarily the death of the speaker, as Randy may be able to fix it. And apparently that’s the case, as Randy informed me it’s fixable.
For the benefit of the music buying public, we’ll continue to hear those great sounds at Radio K.A.O.S. and we won’t have to worry about the sound of the music changing anytime soon. If Motörhead can’t stop it, nothing can.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Jan. 25, 2013.
Earlier this week Randy Wagner, owner of Stevens Point’ Radio K.A.O.S. – central Wisconsin’s pre-eminent CD/album store – posted on Facebook that he blew out one of the 27-year-old speakers at his store. He posted: “Listening to my stereo in mono. Blew the left speaker which blew the amp. These Klipsch Heresy II speakers have been with me for over 27 years. Hope it can be repaired!!”
Without giving it much thought, one might feel bad for him, as nobody likes to have to replace anything. But anyone who has ever been in his store should feel a little sad, as those speakers have been a big part of the Radio K.A.O.S. experience throughout its entire history.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve gone in there and asked Randy who’s on the stereo at that moment. Oftentimes they were bands or artists I had never heard of, but coming from his speakers those musicians sounded as though I needed to own their music. Coming from those speakers, those bands – some of which probably were mediocre – were the most amazing artists of the moment.
Those speakers are one large reason anyone with a love for rock music is probably jealous of Randy. He gets to listen to great music all day that sounds even better because of those speakers. While I’m sure he’ll tell you his job, like mine and yours, has its ups and downs, he’d probably agree that overall he is living his dream job.
I couldn’t help but ask what finally did in his speaker. He said he was listening to Funkadelic when he noticed the blown speaker, but he guesses it was Motörhead that caused it to blow.
For those unfortunate individuals who don’t know the band Motörhead, I’ll give a quick rock music history lesson: heavy metal plus punk rock belted out by the world’s most famous mole-faced man – Lemmy Kilmister. The band’s most famous song is “Ace of Spades,” which has become an anthem for both metalheads and punk rockers, but which is also loved for some of the albums they released in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Motörhead is still around today, and Lemmy is a godlike figure in the rock community.
They aren’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which should be ashamed of the omission. Lemmy and the band’s fans could probably care less, though, as they are probably more proud of the fact that they blew out Randy’s speaker at Radio K.A.O.S., representing the ultimate in what good hard rock music should be about – chaos, complete disregard for property, and destruction of the very thing that it needs.
In other words, death by Motörhead is the perfect way to go, both for the speaker and for the image Motörhead would probably like fans to have.
I said this was “maybe” a eulogy because it’s possible Motörhead wasn’t necessarily the death of the speaker, as Randy may be able to fix it. And apparently that’s the case, as Randy informed me it’s fixable.
For the benefit of the music buying public, we’ll continue to hear those great sounds at Radio K.A.O.S. and we won’t have to worry about the sound of the music changing anytime soon. If Motörhead can’t stop it, nothing can.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Jan. 25, 2013.
Predicting Best Picture winner takes skill, careful analysis of media buzz, trickery
When the Oscar nominations were announced last week, I quickly counted the number of the nine Best Picture nominees I had seen. It was quick because I hadn’t seen any of them.
Since then I’ve been able to see two of them, “Django Unchained” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” with the potential to see four or five more of them by the end of this weekend, including “Argo,” “Lincoln” “Les Misérables,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” The remaining two, “Amour” and “Life of Pi,” will probably have to wait for awhile.
I make a point every year to see as many of the nominees as possible, simply because I like watching movies and I want to see what others have deemed to be among the best of the year. More often than not, when having seen the majority of the nominees, I can predict the winner. It’s probably one of few real skills I have in life, although it’ll never make any money for me. Unless I got bold and decided to bet on the winners in Las Vegas, but the risk of being wrong scares me too much.
My prediction is not necessarily my personal favorite. If that were the case “Midnight in Paris” would have been my pick last year, not “The Artist,” which did win and which I have yet to see. Others have told me I should, and now that it’s on Netflix Instant I probably will, but it just hasn’t looked appealing enough for me to take the time to see it. Nevertheless, I predicted it would win last year, based on the amount of buzz the media made about it.
Based on the two nominees I have seen from this year’s crop, “Zero Dark Thirty” stands a good chance of earning Kathryn Bigelow her second Best Picture Oscar (the first was for the rather underwhelming and overrated “The Hurt Locker”). Of all the 2012 films I’ve seen so far, it’s by far my favorite one as the story of one CIA agent’s mission to capture terrorist Osama bin Laden is compelling and had me on the edge of my seat throughout its long-running length.
Standing in its way of Oscar gold is the unwarranted criticism of the torture scenes portrayed in the film. While they can be difficult to watch at times, it’s fact that such torture was used to obtain information from terrorists, and it’s this information that the movie said ultimately led to the raid that killed bin Laden.
The torture scenes are mild compared to the violence in Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained,” an exploitation film about a slave (Jaime Foxx) who gets to avenge the horrors committed against him and his wife while in captivity. The violence gets so heavy at times I found myself looking away until I knew the scene was over.
I enjoyed “Django Unchained,” although I’ll put many of Tarantino’s others films well ahead of it, including “Pulp Fiction,” “Inglorious Basterds,” “Kill Bill: Vol. 1,” “Reservoir Dogs” and “True Romance” (while this film wasn’t directed by him, Tarantino wrote the screenplay).
If this film won the Best Picture, I would be shocked.
I wouldn’t be shocked if the statue went to “Lincoln,” “Zero Dark Thirty” or “Argo” (which won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Sunday), based on the amount of media buzz these films have received. And right now, even though I haven’t seen two of those three, I predict “Lincoln” will win it.
My writing about this, ironically, is part of that media buzz, so if “Lincoln” was to win, I helped my own cause.
It’s just my way of ensuring a correct prediction. Now I should bet on it.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Jan. 18, 2013.
Since then I’ve been able to see two of them, “Django Unchained” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” with the potential to see four or five more of them by the end of this weekend, including “Argo,” “Lincoln” “Les Misérables,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” The remaining two, “Amour” and “Life of Pi,” will probably have to wait for awhile.
I make a point every year to see as many of the nominees as possible, simply because I like watching movies and I want to see what others have deemed to be among the best of the year. More often than not, when having seen the majority of the nominees, I can predict the winner. It’s probably one of few real skills I have in life, although it’ll never make any money for me. Unless I got bold and decided to bet on the winners in Las Vegas, but the risk of being wrong scares me too much.
My prediction is not necessarily my personal favorite. If that were the case “Midnight in Paris” would have been my pick last year, not “The Artist,” which did win and which I have yet to see. Others have told me I should, and now that it’s on Netflix Instant I probably will, but it just hasn’t looked appealing enough for me to take the time to see it. Nevertheless, I predicted it would win last year, based on the amount of buzz the media made about it.
Based on the two nominees I have seen from this year’s crop, “Zero Dark Thirty” stands a good chance of earning Kathryn Bigelow her second Best Picture Oscar (the first was for the rather underwhelming and overrated “The Hurt Locker”). Of all the 2012 films I’ve seen so far, it’s by far my favorite one as the story of one CIA agent’s mission to capture terrorist Osama bin Laden is compelling and had me on the edge of my seat throughout its long-running length.
Standing in its way of Oscar gold is the unwarranted criticism of the torture scenes portrayed in the film. While they can be difficult to watch at times, it’s fact that such torture was used to obtain information from terrorists, and it’s this information that the movie said ultimately led to the raid that killed bin Laden.
The torture scenes are mild compared to the violence in Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained,” an exploitation film about a slave (Jaime Foxx) who gets to avenge the horrors committed against him and his wife while in captivity. The violence gets so heavy at times I found myself looking away until I knew the scene was over.
I enjoyed “Django Unchained,” although I’ll put many of Tarantino’s others films well ahead of it, including “Pulp Fiction,” “Inglorious Basterds,” “Kill Bill: Vol. 1,” “Reservoir Dogs” and “True Romance” (while this film wasn’t directed by him, Tarantino wrote the screenplay).
If this film won the Best Picture, I would be shocked.
I wouldn’t be shocked if the statue went to “Lincoln,” “Zero Dark Thirty” or “Argo” (which won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Sunday), based on the amount of media buzz these films have received. And right now, even though I haven’t seen two of those three, I predict “Lincoln” will win it.
My writing about this, ironically, is part of that media buzz, so if “Lincoln” was to win, I helped my own cause.
It’s just my way of ensuring a correct prediction. Now I should bet on it.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Jan. 18, 2013.
Hoax of lifetime lives on in imagination, although it could have been reality
I almost pulled off the hoax of my lifetime last week.
Taking a photo at Ministry St. Michael’s Hospital in Stevens Point Thursday – my normal day off – of the New Year’s Baby, with my own 6-month-old son with me, I met a photographer/reporter from another newspaper. The hospital’s public relation person introduced us, and following the introduction he asked if the baby with me was the New Year’s Baby.
My first instinct was to say, “Yes, this 6-month-old is the New Year’s Baby,” but I knew better, as the public relations person was well aware my son, Declan, was not that baby. “No, I’m afraid not,” I politely replied.
Had the public relations person not been there, it’s possible the New Year’s Baby featured in that other publication may have been the 6-month-old son of a rival publication’s managing editor. If I had been able to pull that one off, no other hoax I will attempt for the remainder of my life would ever come close to matching it.
Normally, I’d say more than just a public relations person was standing in my way of pulling it off, but with the deadlines that publication faces, as well as the fact it’s printed elsewhere, there is a small chance it could have been published. The photo would have been of him and me, without my wife/his mother as she was not there at the time.
Declan was born in July, nearly two months early. But he’s a healthy baby boy now, weighing around 15 pounds. He would have smiled nicely for the camera, as he already knows how to pose for pictures.
The other reporter was a young guy, and at his age I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between a newborn and a 6-month-old. Babies all looked the same to me then. In fact, when my first son arrived, I asked the doctor if he was an albino little person, as he seemed too small to be the correct size and he seemed much paler than the normal person. Seven years and a second son later, I’m well aware of the differences between newborns, infants and toddlers.
I probably would have fibbed a little bit if the reporter had have believed my “yes” answer to his question about whether or not Declan was the New Year’s Baby. I would have said he was born at the stroke of midnight, making the story a little more dramatic, and that the baby’s mother was Amish, which was why she wouldn’t be in the photograph.
I would have given his current weight, stating he was a very big baby, and that he was an angry baby, upset that he was the youngest son and not the oldest one.
In my slightly warped fantasy of a hoax, Declan would have also been fourth in line to rule a small kingdom in Ireland where our ancestors are from. Ahead of him would be his older brother, me and his great-grandpa who abdicated to marry an American woman in the 1950s.
Having outlined my hoax, I’m sure I wouldn’t have gone through with it, as I’m a full-blooded Midwesterner who has a hard time not telling the truth. But it’s always fun to imagine what could have been and then share it with others. Maybe in another life I’ll pull off this hoax of a lifetime, or one similar to it.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Jan. 11, 2013.
Taking a photo at Ministry St. Michael’s Hospital in Stevens Point Thursday – my normal day off – of the New Year’s Baby, with my own 6-month-old son with me, I met a photographer/reporter from another newspaper. The hospital’s public relation person introduced us, and following the introduction he asked if the baby with me was the New Year’s Baby.
My first instinct was to say, “Yes, this 6-month-old is the New Year’s Baby,” but I knew better, as the public relations person was well aware my son, Declan, was not that baby. “No, I’m afraid not,” I politely replied.
Had the public relations person not been there, it’s possible the New Year’s Baby featured in that other publication may have been the 6-month-old son of a rival publication’s managing editor. If I had been able to pull that one off, no other hoax I will attempt for the remainder of my life would ever come close to matching it.
Normally, I’d say more than just a public relations person was standing in my way of pulling it off, but with the deadlines that publication faces, as well as the fact it’s printed elsewhere, there is a small chance it could have been published. The photo would have been of him and me, without my wife/his mother as she was not there at the time.
Declan was born in July, nearly two months early. But he’s a healthy baby boy now, weighing around 15 pounds. He would have smiled nicely for the camera, as he already knows how to pose for pictures.
The other reporter was a young guy, and at his age I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between a newborn and a 6-month-old. Babies all looked the same to me then. In fact, when my first son arrived, I asked the doctor if he was an albino little person, as he seemed too small to be the correct size and he seemed much paler than the normal person. Seven years and a second son later, I’m well aware of the differences between newborns, infants and toddlers.
I probably would have fibbed a little bit if the reporter had have believed my “yes” answer to his question about whether or not Declan was the New Year’s Baby. I would have said he was born at the stroke of midnight, making the story a little more dramatic, and that the baby’s mother was Amish, which was why she wouldn’t be in the photograph.
I would have given his current weight, stating he was a very big baby, and that he was an angry baby, upset that he was the youngest son and not the oldest one.
In my slightly warped fantasy of a hoax, Declan would have also been fourth in line to rule a small kingdom in Ireland where our ancestors are from. Ahead of him would be his older brother, me and his great-grandpa who abdicated to marry an American woman in the 1950s.
Having outlined my hoax, I’m sure I wouldn’t have gone through with it, as I’m a full-blooded Midwesterner who has a hard time not telling the truth. But it’s always fun to imagine what could have been and then share it with others. Maybe in another life I’ll pull off this hoax of a lifetime, or one similar to it.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Jan. 11, 2013.
Neeson is the new Chuck Norris, except with acting skills
If every movie produced by Hollywood starred Liam Neeson, then nobody would ever complain about bad movies. I came to this conclusion last week after watching Neeson in “The Grey” and, for just a few scenes, “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Neeson has this unique ability to turn his lines in what may have been a subpar screenplay into pure greatness. When he takes on a pack of wolves in “The Grey,” it is he who makes the viewer terrified of the wolves, and not the computer-generated images of the wolves that rival the terribleness of those in the “Twilight” series.
After seeing him battle the wolves for nearly two hours, I went to bed genuinely scared of something as a result of watching a movie. “The Grey” isn’t even a horror movie – a genre I usually don’t even bother with anymore because I know nobody will ever top “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” – but Neeson’s acting abilities were good enough for me to admit to my wife that going outside that night was not on a list of things I was willing to do.
I first recognized Neeson’s greatness a few years ago after seeing “Taken,” a by-the-numbers kidnapping thriller that somehow was better than most movies that year simply because it involved Liam Neeson kicking the butt of the people who took his daughter.
In some ways, the movie made him the new Chuck Norris, except this Chuck Norris can act.
But here’s a fact that many will find hard to believe: Liam Neeson has never won a major acting award. He’s been nominated for a bunch of awards, including several Oscars and Golden Globes for his work in such films as “Schindler’s List” and “Kinsey,” but other than some regional awards from several film associations, he’s never been on a podium to accept the big award.
In many regards, his career echoes that of Harrison Ford, another actor who used to elevate the films he’s in to be much better than they would have been without him. Before the good roles dried up shortly after “The Fugitive,” Ford was untouchable. Now he’s a shell of what he once was, as evidenced by how awful the last “Indiana Jones” film was.
I believe Neeson can escape Ford’s fate, simply by choosing his roles wisely. Keep it varied, and surprise people. Ford seems to only choose roles in which his character is grumpy, and that’s stumped his career as nobody wants to see grumpy Ford. Someone should have probably told him people liked his cockiness in many of his good films, and that cockiness is different from grumpiness.
Then again, it might already be too late for Neeson. I haven’t seen “Battleship,” and I probably will never voluntarily watch the film of my own accord. If forced to watch it, though, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he at least makes the film watchable.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Jan. 4, 2013.
Neeson has this unique ability to turn his lines in what may have been a subpar screenplay into pure greatness. When he takes on a pack of wolves in “The Grey,” it is he who makes the viewer terrified of the wolves, and not the computer-generated images of the wolves that rival the terribleness of those in the “Twilight” series.
After seeing him battle the wolves for nearly two hours, I went to bed genuinely scared of something as a result of watching a movie. “The Grey” isn’t even a horror movie – a genre I usually don’t even bother with anymore because I know nobody will ever top “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” – but Neeson’s acting abilities were good enough for me to admit to my wife that going outside that night was not on a list of things I was willing to do.
I first recognized Neeson’s greatness a few years ago after seeing “Taken,” a by-the-numbers kidnapping thriller that somehow was better than most movies that year simply because it involved Liam Neeson kicking the butt of the people who took his daughter.
In some ways, the movie made him the new Chuck Norris, except this Chuck Norris can act.
But here’s a fact that many will find hard to believe: Liam Neeson has never won a major acting award. He’s been nominated for a bunch of awards, including several Oscars and Golden Globes for his work in such films as “Schindler’s List” and “Kinsey,” but other than some regional awards from several film associations, he’s never been on a podium to accept the big award.
In many regards, his career echoes that of Harrison Ford, another actor who used to elevate the films he’s in to be much better than they would have been without him. Before the good roles dried up shortly after “The Fugitive,” Ford was untouchable. Now he’s a shell of what he once was, as evidenced by how awful the last “Indiana Jones” film was.
I believe Neeson can escape Ford’s fate, simply by choosing his roles wisely. Keep it varied, and surprise people. Ford seems to only choose roles in which his character is grumpy, and that’s stumped his career as nobody wants to see grumpy Ford. Someone should have probably told him people liked his cockiness in many of his good films, and that cockiness is different from grumpiness.
Then again, it might already be too late for Neeson. I haven’t seen “Battleship,” and I probably will never voluntarily watch the film of my own accord. If forced to watch it, though, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he at least makes the film watchable.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Jan. 4, 2013.
Favor Hamilton story creates opportunity to discuss depression
When the news broke late last week that Stevens Point native and three-time Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton has worked as high-class escort for the past year or so, people around here were obviously shocked.
Many of us know her, and many of us are very fond of her. She put the spotlight on Stevens Point during her Stevens Point Area Senior High School, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Olympic running days. In high school during the early 1990s, I remember my friends – all cross country runners – talking about her and her many running accomplishments with pride. If a Wisconsin runner could do these things, then they could, too.
Favor Hamilton has returned to the area on numerous occasions as a celebrity spokesperson at sporting events such as Walk Wisconsin and the Run Bike Duathlon, bringing with her a spark of enthusiasm that has encouraged local athletes and non-athletes to keep working harder. At Walk Wisconsin the past two years she could easily make people smile by encouraging people to dance to the music as they crossed the finish line, and her motivational workout before the Run Bike Duathlon had nearly everyone fired up for the endeavor they were about to endure.
While I don’t know her to the extent many local people might know her, especially her friends and family who still live here, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing her in stories to promote these events and at these events themselves. As someone in the media spotlight for many years, she’s always been able to give me the type of quote journalists like.
Yet, something about her has always made her seem at a distance from those like me who don’t really know her on a personal basis. This disconnect was difficult to describe at the time, but in hindsight it probably had a lot to do with what she has said she’s been struggling with for years, including during her prime running career – depression.
She’s openly talked about depression in other media interviews, including one with the Milwaukee Journal last year, and it’s an issue many people battle.
Depression, though, is one of those mental health issues many people don’t want to openly talk about, as there is a strong negative stigma attached to it. Although a large percentage of the population receives medication for it, try finding someone who will admit to taking these meds, as these people fear others might look down on them for taking them.
After the Newtown, Conn., tragedy two weeks ago, people started talking about mental health and the stigma that is associated with it. We need to address this issue and rid this world of this stigma, they’ve said.
One week later, with an opportunity to talk more about one of the many issues under the mental health umbrella, many people used it as an opportunity to pass judgment on someone who has had the courage to discuss this topic. Instead of talking about the harm depression can cause, we’ve instead talked about the harm Favor Hamilton has caused by her actions.
Favor Hamilton could have denied the accusations, or she could have kept silent on the matter, as many celebrities might do. Instead she chose to admit what she has done, apologizing to her family, friends and fans, and then telling the world it’s been a struggle dealing with depression. Many of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point communication professors I know would say she’s handled herself perfectly in the media in responding to this.
We could continue to condemn her for what she’s done, but then we’d be robbing ourselves of someone who has done a lot for this community. We should instead forgive her of what she’s done, and then hope someday she will be able to talk about her struggles with depression and encourage others to get the help they might need.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Dec. 28, 2012.
Many of us know her, and many of us are very fond of her. She put the spotlight on Stevens Point during her Stevens Point Area Senior High School, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Olympic running days. In high school during the early 1990s, I remember my friends – all cross country runners – talking about her and her many running accomplishments with pride. If a Wisconsin runner could do these things, then they could, too.
Favor Hamilton has returned to the area on numerous occasions as a celebrity spokesperson at sporting events such as Walk Wisconsin and the Run Bike Duathlon, bringing with her a spark of enthusiasm that has encouraged local athletes and non-athletes to keep working harder. At Walk Wisconsin the past two years she could easily make people smile by encouraging people to dance to the music as they crossed the finish line, and her motivational workout before the Run Bike Duathlon had nearly everyone fired up for the endeavor they were about to endure.
While I don’t know her to the extent many local people might know her, especially her friends and family who still live here, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing her in stories to promote these events and at these events themselves. As someone in the media spotlight for many years, she’s always been able to give me the type of quote journalists like.
Yet, something about her has always made her seem at a distance from those like me who don’t really know her on a personal basis. This disconnect was difficult to describe at the time, but in hindsight it probably had a lot to do with what she has said she’s been struggling with for years, including during her prime running career – depression.
She’s openly talked about depression in other media interviews, including one with the Milwaukee Journal last year, and it’s an issue many people battle.
Depression, though, is one of those mental health issues many people don’t want to openly talk about, as there is a strong negative stigma attached to it. Although a large percentage of the population receives medication for it, try finding someone who will admit to taking these meds, as these people fear others might look down on them for taking them.
After the Newtown, Conn., tragedy two weeks ago, people started talking about mental health and the stigma that is associated with it. We need to address this issue and rid this world of this stigma, they’ve said.
One week later, with an opportunity to talk more about one of the many issues under the mental health umbrella, many people used it as an opportunity to pass judgment on someone who has had the courage to discuss this topic. Instead of talking about the harm depression can cause, we’ve instead talked about the harm Favor Hamilton has caused by her actions.
Favor Hamilton could have denied the accusations, or she could have kept silent on the matter, as many celebrities might do. Instead she chose to admit what she has done, apologizing to her family, friends and fans, and then telling the world it’s been a struggle dealing with depression. Many of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point communication professors I know would say she’s handled herself perfectly in the media in responding to this.
We could continue to condemn her for what she’s done, but then we’d be robbing ourselves of someone who has done a lot for this community. We should instead forgive her of what she’s done, and then hope someday she will be able to talk about her struggles with depression and encourage others to get the help they might need.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Dec. 28, 2012.
Winter may mean something entirely different to next generation of kids
According to the weatherman, winter is set to arrive later this week – both figuratively and literally – as a large blizzard was forecast to create havoc and generate many topics of conversation Thursday and the actual first day of the season is Friday.
I’m writing this during the calm before the storm on Wednesday, knocking myself on my head for not addressing the broken drawstring on my snow blower this summer, hoping the snow is the light, fluffy kind that is easy to shovel.
My 7-year-old son is crossing his fingers for school to be closed Thursday, although I told him it would have to be a mega-blizzard for school to be cancelled in the Stevens Point area. He probably should hope it isn’t, as I was planning on finishing our Christmas shopping on Thursday while he was in school. Santa Claus might not be as fruitful as normal, if you get my (snow) drift, as he’s scheduled to be quite busy right from Thursday through Christmas.
I attended rural schools as a kid, so we had snow days all the time. Then again, when I was a kid we had four-foot snowfalls on a weekly basis even in the summer, school was a five-mile uphill walk both ways, and snowplows hadn’t been invented, yet. It’s amazing we were even able to attend school.
If you think I had it bad, though, you should hear the stories my parents and grandparents told me about school and winter. The snow went up to the telephone lines and their one-room schoolhouses went without heat, forcing kids to wear layers and layers of jackets.
I’ll be interested in hearing what my sons tell their children about how bad they had it when they were kids going to school in the winter. We’ve taken all the good exaggerations already, so they’ll either have to get really creative or stick to the truth. I’m voting for creative.
“Yeah, our schools never closed for snow, even when we got six inches of snow,” my son could tell his child.
“Wow, that’s a lot of snow. What’s snow, daddy?” the kid would respond, having never experienced it before due to global warming.
“Well, when I was a kid we got a few snowstorms every winter in which a fluffy type of ice blanketed the ground, making roads slippery but creating a lot of opportunities to create snowmen and snow forts,” my son could tell the child.
“Snowmen? Could they talk? Would you live in these forts?” the child would probably ask.
“Oh no. They melted before the week was over, at least that was always my experience. Your grandpa would tell you differently, though. He always told me they moved into a home made of snow in the winter to save on rent.”
I still have fond memories of my igloo home.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Dec. 21, 2012.
I’m writing this during the calm before the storm on Wednesday, knocking myself on my head for not addressing the broken drawstring on my snow blower this summer, hoping the snow is the light, fluffy kind that is easy to shovel.
My 7-year-old son is crossing his fingers for school to be closed Thursday, although I told him it would have to be a mega-blizzard for school to be cancelled in the Stevens Point area. He probably should hope it isn’t, as I was planning on finishing our Christmas shopping on Thursday while he was in school. Santa Claus might not be as fruitful as normal, if you get my (snow) drift, as he’s scheduled to be quite busy right from Thursday through Christmas.
I attended rural schools as a kid, so we had snow days all the time. Then again, when I was a kid we had four-foot snowfalls on a weekly basis even in the summer, school was a five-mile uphill walk both ways, and snowplows hadn’t been invented, yet. It’s amazing we were even able to attend school.
If you think I had it bad, though, you should hear the stories my parents and grandparents told me about school and winter. The snow went up to the telephone lines and their one-room schoolhouses went without heat, forcing kids to wear layers and layers of jackets.
I’ll be interested in hearing what my sons tell their children about how bad they had it when they were kids going to school in the winter. We’ve taken all the good exaggerations already, so they’ll either have to get really creative or stick to the truth. I’m voting for creative.
“Yeah, our schools never closed for snow, even when we got six inches of snow,” my son could tell his child.
“Wow, that’s a lot of snow. What’s snow, daddy?” the kid would respond, having never experienced it before due to global warming.
“Well, when I was a kid we got a few snowstorms every winter in which a fluffy type of ice blanketed the ground, making roads slippery but creating a lot of opportunities to create snowmen and snow forts,” my son could tell the child.
“Snowmen? Could they talk? Would you live in these forts?” the child would probably ask.
“Oh no. They melted before the week was over, at least that was always my experience. Your grandpa would tell you differently, though. He always told me they moved into a home made of snow in the winter to save on rent.”
I still have fond memories of my igloo home.
* * *
Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Dec. 21, 2012.
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