CLYDE – “Who can catch lightning in a bottle, set fire to water, coming out the nozzle on the fire hose, flier than swatters?” You better believe I can.
To quote the best rapper alive – Eminem – and also for my good buddy Eric Harrington, it goes without saying that a little bit of hard work will pay off in the long run. A majority of my friends will either give me a hard time or this face “-_-” for starting this column off with a rap lyric, but that’s who I am and they probably won’t read past this sentence so either way, either way is fine.
With that being said, this will be my final column as the editor for The Clyde Enterprise. That’s right, my time here in Clyde and Ohio is coming to an end very quickly and I will be opening a new door in this crazy journey we call “life.” I will be taking my talents back to Michigan to be a reporter for a daily newspaper. My final day here at the Enterprise is set in stone for Thursday, July 30.
On a side note, I put on some of my favorite tunes, used my humor and had a lot of fun writing this one so kick back, grab yourself a little drinky-poo and a snack of your choice and enjoy. Another side note, there will be a couple of lyric references made throughout the column, so if you can catch them – congratulations, you and I share the same awesome taste in music.
Let’s get started…
December 2013, I made my journey to Buckeye Nation with my expectations set pretty high considering it was my first job out of college. Not to my surprise, many people around town were confused to learn I was actually the editor of the newspaper and not the new kid at Clyde High School working on a class project when I would show up to events. I get it, I clearly don’t look my age, but that should pan out in the future when everyone else looks 60 and I’m still bouncing around college towns looking like an undergrad student.
But, within a couple of months most of you started recognizing me at events, learning my name and throwing out story ideas left and right. Never ever quit, I just kept on pursuing. Christine would always ask me what was I doing. Scribbled in my notebook and calling all the courts. High attention span, I guess listening really worked.
It’s truly been a pleasure working here in Clyde for the last 19 months and there’s a few people who deserve big time shout outs for making my time here as enjoyable as it was.
Shout out to my two coworkers/friends Kitty and Becky. Even though I’ve been living nearly three hours away from my family, I could always turn to those two as my Ohio “moms.” They were always willing to give me a helping hand with anything I ever needed, listened to me rant and it also helped that they are both pretty damn good cooks! There was never a dull day at the office between the three of us catching up on our weekends or where we wanted to go for lunch.
Another shout out goes to Christine Steele and Amber Hatten over at the Gazette. Just being able to work side-by-side with those two for a few months was a hoot. Also never a bare moment in that newsroom with all of the colorful language used regarding deadlines, handling complaints and scrambling around to figure out a centerpiece for the day. Being able to learn so much from Christine was an unbelievable experience that I will take with me at every job I enter. I realize she got her own column a few months ago when she left for her new adventure in Arizona, but I figured another shout out was well deserved.
My final shout out goes to the Clyde community. Without all of you, none of this would be possible. Your ability to open up and put aside the fact that I am from Michigan was what helped me turn this paper around and revamp what you once called, “The Clyde Surprise.” It goes to show that not everyone from Michigan bleeds blue or chants, “Go green, go white.” In my case, we just obnoxiously yell, “FIRE UP CHIPS!” because we’re the best and everyone should know it.
But back to the community. The engagement here was fantastic. From having one-on-one connections with my interviewees or just being able to say hello and strike up a conversation with someone on the street – it really made this an enjoyable first job for me. The easement of the town allowed me to open up as a person and it showed in my columns – which most of you thought were hilarious. I shared personal events such as my thrilling trip to Cedar Point, before and after, which I think made some of you realize I’m just your everyday typical guy trying to live life. If you don’t believe that I’m normal, then rest assured, yes that was me who was driving around town blaring the latest beats by Meek Mill or A$AP Rocky in my little Ford Focus.
If you didn’t like me or had an issue with how I reported topics, sorry about your luck bud, but my time here is ending and I hope whoever replaces me will be a better fit for you.
To the next editor, best of luck continuing on with the empire I have recreated. The best advice I can give you if you want to be successful here is to engage yourself in the community every chance you have. Even if you think an event isn’t the biggest and most exciting thing around, if you cover them properly they turn out to be pretty awesome stories and the community loves that.
I’m excited to start my new job and it’s a great feeling knowing my skills will benefit a bigger newspaper. It’ll also be nice being back in the mitten and living within a walk away from the water. Looking back, there are certain things I would change when it came to work that would’ve bettered not just my work lifestyle, but also my personal lifestyle, but overall it was a good time here. It’s just time for a change of pace in my life.
Clyde will always be a place in the back of my head that I can reflect on. Whether it comes to how I handled scenarios, the many stories I have written or the people I met, it’s been a great stepping stone in my career. For that, I thank all of you.
It’s time to continue growing as a reporter and as a person. Just like one of Detroit’s many finest, Danny Brown said, “Rushing at a kid just to be grown up – whoever thought I’d be the greatest growing up?!”
Bradley Massman can be reached at 419-547-9194. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheClydeEnterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ClydeEnterprise and @bmassman22.
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