A big privilege of being the editor of our two weekly newspapers — the Jasper County Tribune and Prairie City News — is receiving letters from our readers. Allowing people a vehicle to speak up and inject their opinion into the public dialogue is why I got into this business.
Regardless of the topic, a letter usually has a bent of passion. It’s something the writer feels needs to be said.
But this week I received a letter that hit me in a way I didn’t expect. A woman walked through our door in downtown Colfax with a note in her hand. She was a senior and had some mobility issues, so one of our reporters held the door for her as she climbed the single step into our office.
She wanted to get her note into the paper but was unsure how it should be presented — an ad, news brief or something entirely different.
I took one look at it and knew I could never charge to put her statement in the paper.
"I have always enjoyed putting up lights and decorations outdoors in my yard," she wrote. "But this year thieves have stolen some of my Halloween decorations. So I sadly say this will be my last year for putting out decorations."
The statement was simple but profoundly sad. It took true strength to submit the letter with a smile on her face. But she did. Without an accompanying police report or a picture of the alleged thieves leaving her property, I ran it as a letter to the editor.
I’ve been in newspapers in one capacity or another for 10 years, as an editor I’ve been managing opinion pages for 2.5 years. In that time I’ve never directly responded to a letter until now.
To the person(s) who decided it was acceptable to take this woman’s Halloween away with them:
It’s easy to get a quick high out of doing something you know to be mischievous, but you’ve taken more than just decorations. You’ve stolen an activity that gave this woman great joy. In the world we live in, where even the most basic daily tasks have become complex, the pleasure people can feel from the simplicity of decorating their house for a holiday is not easy to find.
Why do you feel it necessary to take that joy for yourself?
I don’t know if you read this newspaper or see us pop up in your Facebook newsfeed, but if you do I hope you’ll do the right thing. Return what you’ve taken. Not just the decorations but her joy, too.
I’m sure she would love to wake up tomorrow morning and find her missing decor on the stoop. I cannot speak for this woman, but I’ve seen people forgiven for much more. But how nice would it be to offer to build her joy back from the ground up. Perhaps apologize face to face and offer to recreate her display the way you found it. You might even find some needed happiness for yourself in the process.
This would be more than a gesture, and you would restore more than the cool Halloween display you removed.
Contact Mike Mendenhall
at mmendenhall@newtondailynews.com