I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary of being a Commonwealth employee on the warm sunny shores of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
It felt so nice to just lie on beach chair, dig my feet into the sand and let the cool waves lap over my legs, all while doing absolutely nothing. Ok, so I didn’t do absolutely nothing. I brought along a pile of bridal magazines to sift through and draw ideas from for my wedding next summer. I only picked out around 20-something cakes I like, five or six different color combinations I love and 50+ dresses I absolutely adore. (Lord help my wedding director and my parents’ wallet.)
But wedding planning aside, I did have time to relax.
While I was soaking up the sun and that cool gulf breeze, I reflected on the good, the bad, the fun and the embarrassing times I’ve had during my first year with a grown-up job. Here is a list of a few things I’ve learned about journalism, the Mississippi Delta and people in general.
nWhen I first started my job, I made (and still occasionally make) a few mistakes. Some of the more embarrassing ones include engagement and wedding announcements. In one of my first engagement announcements, I “killed off” some people’s beloved grandparents. I listed them as the late “Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so” when in fact, “So-and-so and Mrs. So-and-so” are very much alive! I apologized to the family and happily re-ran the announcement. Lesson learned: Always double-check names in wedding and engagement announcements.
nEven though a rock is a rock and a tree is a tree, Carrollton is NOT a part of the Mississippi Delta. (As I have learned, some people take offense to this if you don’t get it correct.) If a tree sits right on the edge of Carroll County, you better not call it a “Delta” tree. Lesson learned: Mississippi geography matters.
nI’m always willing to listen to constructive criticism. I understand that I don’t know everything, and I’m happy to take other people’s ideas and opinions into consideration. However, a few people, like the ones who have called me “sorry,” “inconsiderate” and “unprofessional,” have crossed over the constructive criticism line into insulting my character. My parents taught me keep my mouth shut if I didn’t have something nice to say. I guess a lot of people weren’t raised the way I was. Lesson learned: You can’t please everybody.
nA lot of people have asked me why I don’t list the towns of the deceased when writing wedding and engagement announcements. I promise I’m not trying to disrespect your family when I do this. Newspapers follow a style of writing set up by the Associated Press. AP Style states that the former towns and cities of residence for the deceased not be listed in publication. (Since the person is no longer living, he or she is no longer a resident of a city.) True, a lot of newspapers do not adhere to this rule and list the towns of the deceased anyway. The Greenwood Commonwealth strives for excellence in every aspect of news coverage, so if the AP says don’t publish it, we don’t publish it. Your lesson to learn: For any newspaper style question you have, the AP probably has the answer.
Overall, my first year has been a blast, and I couldn’t have asked for better. Here’s to the future.
nContact Beth Thomas at 581-7233 or bthomas@gwcommonwealth.com.
