February 2016 marks the beginning of the 15th year that I first entered the old brick building at 122 South Third Ave. known as the location of the Oakdale Leader. All these years later, it’s still mind boggling to me.
I entered this building as a bay area transplant, with no children or local ties to speak of other than my immediate family in neighboring cities. Simply put, I was a true fish out of water. I knew not a single soul other than my beautiful and newly acquired neighbors at the time.
Every year, right about this time I begin to get a bit sentimental as events anniversary themselves and I recall them as they do. Oakdale’s Junior Miss 2002 (known now as Distinguished Young Women) was my very first writing assignment. I still recall my nerves those weeks leading up to the event. The hours I put in taking pre-event photos and the anxiety I felt penning that story the following Sunday night.
As a community member, I recognized early on the responsibility we hold as the only gig in town, in the way of community news. Typically speaking, I think too much (maybe that’s why I write) and the last thing I wanted was to displease the young ladies of the event or their families.
While I may have set the bar too high for myself early, time and wise mentors taught me the lessons of the thick skinned journalist. We rarely make everyone happy and that’s okay. Matter of fact many believe if you aren’t ticking someone off you aren’t effectively doing your job. As the rainbows and butterflies girl/story teller, I don’t set out to do that.
But again, I live here and I live here for good reason. I happen to think this town is pretty unique and yes, even fantastic. So, I like to leave the ticking off to others in the building. I recognize of course that I’ve done my fair share of that, most specifically in the area of covering our school board and its varying ‘controversial’ topics. I’m at peace with the displeasure of those readers and I’m grateful that they not only read our pages but exercise their right of freedom of speech. We’ll never make everyone happy and there will always be someone telling us how we could have ‘done it better.’
As for me, I defer to the unbiased opinion of our Editor. The very person who reached her hand out going on 15 years now and offered me the job. She’s the sounding board I seek when the nasty letters or disgruntled e-mails come through. She’s also the ears I depend on when I struggle with if we ‘really need to go there.’
Obviously and fortunately all these years later she is more than my boss, she is also a dear friend. We’ve lived some ‘real’ moments both in and outside of this building. Never a question that we have one another’s back. That’s a fortunate place to sit, in my opinion.
Mostly what I recognize is the unique gift we each have in the way of our jobs and how we are able to do them. From the family who opens their home to allow us in, take photos and tell their stories. To the students who speak truthfully of their goals and aspirations and trust that we won’t make them sound arrogant. To the simple follower of this column space (originally titled The Bottom Line ... before I became a ‘mommy’) who shoots the e-mail sharing my words hit them that day.
It’s a tremendous blessing and yes, an honor to serve this community in the capacity of the local journalist and yes … Heading into year 15, I would not trade a minute of it for the world.
Here’s to continued anniversaries and events which keep us both proud and entertained. Cheers!
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 847-3021.
