DayeTime: Good night

For almost every week of the past eight years I have had the pleasure and the privilege to share my thoughts, opinions and insights on the people, places and politics of Avoyelles Parish. When daytime ends, it is customary to wish others a good night.

So good night.

My family tells me that at 66 it is time to retire and perhaps spend time with them that always seemed needed handling “breaking news events.”

Some of you may have noted the date and assumed this is an “April Fool’s” column. It isn’t. It is another in a series of important events that just happen to fall on April 1.

When I was 15, my baby sister was born on March 31. As a boy in his mid-teens, I didn’t broadcast the fact that my sister was on her way. The next day I told my teachers I had a new sister, and it took almost all day for them to believe me.

Then, 10 years ago my daughter-in-law was expecting her first child. We had talked about telling my son that she was going into labor on April Fool’s Day, just to see his frantic reaction.

Well, the joke was on us. Dylan decided to come on April 1 — the first of a long list of jokes from my first grandson.

This is another example of a serious decision just happening to fall on a day known for frivolity.

For most of the past 45 years I have written about local government, education, politics, crime and courts, sports, business, church and human interest features.

There was a five-year period where I handled public information and community involvement for a public school system and over a decade handling automobile accident claims as a casualty adjustor in another state.

Even in those other careers, I wrote and edited a monthly newsletter for school employees and a quarterly newsletter for the claims adjustors and insurance company agents, in addition to my actual job responsibilities.

Eight years ago I brought my family back to Louisiana, to not only return to our home state but to allow me to return to my “first love” of journalism.

I was surprised at how many people in Avoyelles Parish remembered me from my 14 years reporting on various “beats” at what was then the Alexandria Daily Town Talk.

Sadly, there are much fewer today who knew me back then.

I have tried to provide a mix of column types in this space. I have also tried to avoid repeating myself, but with over 400 weekly columns printed since March 2014 I am pretty sure I’ve trod the same sod more than once on several occasions.

Readers have been with me when I shared my diagnosis of diabetes, and my call for others to be tested and be aware of the danger signs of this disease.

You have shared my grief at the loss of both of my parents, a niece who was more like a daughter and other close family and friends over these past years. Many realized who the family was that I wrote about in a recent column on their battle with recurring cancer.

Laughter, tears and important information have all found their way into the DayeTime columns.

When I ventured off into political opinion, I am sure there were many — I would hazard to say most — who disagreed with me.

My mother euphemistically said I “march to the beat of a different drummer.” Others who are not so kind say I am just “out of step with reality.”

But that’s okay. What makes America great and different from the autocracies of this world is that we are allowed to have different opinions without risk of being rounded up, put into concentration camps or lined up against a wall and shot.

Unfortunately, I’m afraid there are some in this country who think that would be a good idea — as long as it was their guy doing the rounding up and lining up.

There I go again.

I don’t know how long I will stay retired. The plan is for the next 20 or 30 years — unless Jesus calls me up into the sky first.

One good thing about being around here for eight years is there are many who know my cell phone number and email address, and I have theirs.

Several of you have promised to take me and maybe a grandson out fishing. I remember, even if you forgot.

It seems that half the population in the Bunkie-Hessmer-Simmesport triangle are related by blood or marriage to my wife. Maybe we can strengthen those family bonds.

I am sure someone will take my place who will care as much about serving the people of Avoyelles Parish as I have.

Thank you all for eight eventful years. Of my 45 working years, I believe these have been my most enjoyable. That is due solely to the people I worked for — not the owners of the newspaper, but the readers and businesses who depended on me to report the important, interesting and entertaining events of their community.
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