Let’s talk about love.

Even as I type that, I can’t help but giggle to myself.

I’m far from a relationship expert and this morning, once again, I woke saying to my family; I need to take a break from my column.

Yet here we are.

The truth is, things feel to have gotten a little heavy in this space lately. That’s life sometimes right? Things get serious, issues and challenges can weigh us down, even feel overwhelming at times … but we gotta live.

So as I sat here prepping for the two stories I MUST write and have turned in, in a handful of hours, I thought about love.

Yes, I know … what? Welcome to the brain of a writer. It’s a special kind of hell, as often time story leads or column thoughts come to me at the most random of times. We learn to manage. Just like the cowboy wrangles the cattle, the writer learns to corral one’s thoughts. Oh, the stories I’ve lost from my brain to inopportune times.

So here we are in the first issue of February, the month of love.

This also happens to be the month where I celebrate 20 years of serving this community in the capacity of “reporter,” or journalist (which is my preference in title). Reporter seemed fitting, until we launched the 209 Magazine (yes that’s owned by our company) several years ago. Those are journalist assignments. Semantics aside, it’s been a really fun ride the past 20 years.

I recently shared with some friends how blessed I feel to have been adopted by a community which is not my native town. Now don’t be fooled, I met my fair share of roadblocks and resistance when I first started in February 2002. Two things stacked against me. First being a transplant from the Bay, BAT (Bay Area Transplant) was the term at the time and no journalism degree.

Earning the trust of many became a true challenge, but my management team believed in my ability and I was determined to prove them right.

Now sure, I’ve also heard my fair share of “you work for the Oakdale Liar”, “do you know Stan Cook?”, and “I’m not sure you’re the right person.”

As I tell my children, trust must be earned and I knew early on, it would take time and diligence to earn the trust of this very special place in the Central Valley. I was also too green to know what I was up against.

However, I also embrace the notion of just being who you are and not apologizing for it. That took some time, and heartbreak, to come by – but in time I got there.

I mean, everyone loves to blame the media for the world’s problems. In many cases, we just can’t win.

This however is not about winning and contrary to what many may feel, facts are just simply that. The mindset in which we approach a piece as a writer, as well as a reader, can affect how it’s perceived.

But let’s go back to love.

I love my job. That’s a blessing.

Equally I loved my former career, the one I went to college for and also did for two decades; then I got burned out.

But this is about more than just loving my job, I love this community. I love the trust I’ve been given over the course of the past two decades by many (once) strangers. I love when people share their appreciation for what’s been written.

Not to be mistaken, that is not a statement from ego. This job is actually quite easy once you get into good conversation. The interviewee tells the story, I just transcribe it. That’s fact.

I love the way this community rallies for others and stands for what it believes. It’s a special place; that is for sure.

Additionally I’ve been fortunate to share this work space with some really special humans. Just a handful of us remain from my early days at The Leader, but today the quality is just as valued. We’ve shared a lot of laughs in this building, often times thanks to callers and readers.

The saying “you can’t make this stuff up,” is common in our building.

So where is all this going?

Well, really it’s just quite simple. After 20 years of typing letters, which become words, which have morphed into stories I just simply want to say ‘Thank you.’

Thank you to this community for embracing a girl from the Bay, trusting her with your stories and – now this is a big one – encouraging her to continue.

You need a thick skin to be in this business, now more than ever. Let’s not be fooled, not everyone is a fan of “Teresa Hammond,” and that’s okay. Guess what? I’m not a fan of everyone either. But at the end of the day, we have a job to do.

This girl is both grateful and giddy of the fact that 20 years later, with a cancer blip in between, this community has continued to be supportive and oh so generous. I’m far from burned out and continue to look forward to telling your stories.

I love this town. I love this job. I love this life. Happy Love Month.

Teresa Hammond is a staff reporter for The Oakdale Leader, The Riverbank News and The Escalon Times. She may be reached at thammond@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.