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It’s honestly incredible how much life can change in such a short time. In a few months, your life can look a lot different from how it was before. Whether something is lost, gained or changed, the impact of a major change in your life can affect your outlook on life from that point on. Even the results of a single day or a single event like a lost loved one can have significance that follows you for the rest of your life. Imagine then just how significant the passing of another year is and think of the ways your life has potentially changed since Jan. 1 2023.
For me, the outlook of my life has changed significantly as I traversed a sometimes-difficult year. As I look back, I notice how many of my mindsets have changed over time as I have continued to grow as a person. My priorities, desires and goals have shifted and shaped themselves into altered versions of what they were prior to the year.
Even my career has taken a turn as I accepted a significant change in my professional life. When 2023 started, I was focused on district season for the county varsity hoops teams. Now I’m the managing editor at one of the main official sources of news in the county.
I can’t confirm this myself, but I believe that I’m also one of the youngest editors in the Citizen’s history after turning 25 shortly after my promotion.
With this shift in responsibilities, my life has felt a significant impact. No longer can I depend on a schedule or the wonderful county coaches that kept me in the know throughout athletic seasons. Now, I keep an open line of communication for several sources around the county as I try to provide the news that truly impacts the lives of the residents here. News doesn’t stop after hours or on weekends, and I’ve found that a large part of this job is keeping my eyes and ears open for the topics that the public deserves to hear about.
Fortunately, this area is full of active and concerned citizens that have done their part in making sure these stories come to light. I’ll always be thankful for the people who have corresponded with me and helped me fill the paper with these timely tales of the county.
Life has been very different since accepting this position. Experiencing new things, meeting new people and educating myself on different perspectives have helped me grow as a writer and a person. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to cover this area and hope that I can continue to do a great job listening and telling these important stories.
I don’t know what the next year will bring, but I just know that it already figures to look much different than how last year fared for me. I also know that it likely will bring in plenty of unforeseen changes and experiences.
I’m thankful for this past year for both the successes and the failures, and I’m grateful to see a new year despite whatever challenges may arise. I hope everyone has a moment to appreciate where they have come from over the past year, and keep their eyes open for where they are headed in 2024.
