March 28, 2024

She said ‘Yes’

It was about two weeks ago that I was asked, “How do you come up with a column every week?” I have written all my columns based on my experiences and perspectives on events in my life.

The follow-up response was, “So you’re writing your memoirs,” and I simply responded with, “Yeah.”

I was challenged to write something “funny” this week to evoke laughter. I realized many moments of my life, when I look back on them, make me laugh. It’s because I have realized it involves me doing something dumb, or the group response being that it wasn’t very smart.

Many people have no idea what a day of being a journalist is like. It’s without a doubt not your traditional 9-to-5 job. It’s the idea you schedule your entire day around what is happening, which makes it necessary to schedule everything else in your life and piece it together like a puzzle.

In the end, it might seem difficult to find inspiration in my Monday through Friday, but surprisingly, you don’t have to go far to find inspiration.

I have been inspired by women and will continue to be inspired by them until my last breath. I was walking on the square Wednesday night, and I saw a young man in Newton had asked a girl to prom using the marquee at Capitol II Theatre.

It was great to see that creativity hasn’t left the social lives of our younger generation. I was pleased to hear she said “yes.”

I was impressed even more because he did this during the Tuesday’s winter storm. I found out his plan to bring her to the square to ask was halted by Mother Nature, but using modern technology Honza came up with “Plan B”. He made a Youtube video to ask her to prom ending with him standing in the wake of a wintery mess.

I want to personally say congratulations to the two students and wish you both an amazing time at prom.

One of my favorite actors is John Cusack. He became my favorite after watching the movie “Serendipity.” The definition of serendipity is “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.”

My favorite scene in the movie is the obituary scene, because when you’re surrounded by writers, accounts of your life will always be well-written. John Cusack’s character, Jonathan Trager, was handed his obituary as his best man speech by his best friend Dean Cansky, played by Jeremy Piven.

The movie entered into a monologue with Cansky’s voice reading the obituary. I am sure, if anyone wanted a comedic story about me, it would be evident to ask those around me.

I know at one point, someone will have to write about me. And, if you asked the readership who should do a story on me, I am sure the vote would be 95 percent of the voting population would say one of my best friends and co-workers, Ty Rushing.

I was walking away from the Capitol II, looking at the marquee with a smile because I don’t know the story of the two people involved, but I know all about doing something amazing. I thought back on my days of high school and how cool it would have been to have the chance to do something like that.

I know what most of my consistent readers are saying. “It doesn’t mean you can’t do something like this too.” (Hint-hint.)

I am a country music romantic, but it goes without saying the romance in country music has changed. I found myself wanting to sing something different, so I chose “Gimmie That Girl” by Joe Nichols.

I got to the second verse of the song, and I started to really feel the song. It talks about a beauty many aren’t lucky enough to know.

Something is to be said about a woman with her hair in a mess, wearing an old T-shirt and a pair of jeans, without a trace of makeup, barefoot in the kitchen, singing her favorite song, dancing around like a fool.

I know I have been romantic in the Valentine’s Day season and a funny story is needed, but I guess to those who are requesting a funny story will have to sit and enjoy the romantic comedy around town. I am sure many women will be laughing, wondering if I even know how to write women well in any form of publication or media.

I find myself laughing at this because many people will feel I am making myself as a special case, but its the farthest thing from the truth. You could say I’ve been trained by women, because in all my jobs before coming to the Daily News, 90 percent were dominated by women.

So I became used to having women tell me what to do. This is a fact even today because when I began working with Chamber of Commerce secretary Angie Taylor to get business news for the paper, she quickly got me to the “well trained” stage.

Don’t get me wrong, I still keep strong in arguing points, but she usually wins. I just try to keep things fun and calm.

She has even developed a nickname for me, BRAT, which I have now defined as “Brilliantly Rounded and Awesomely Talented.”