There’s no place like home

They say you can’t go home again, but I’m here to tell you that’s not true. Home may be different – you may be different – but it can be done. I left in 2005 at the age of 40. I only went across the state line into Louisiana, but it seemed like a different country.

In 2017 I moved back over the line into Texarkana and have been writing for the Texarkana Gazette and HER magazine since. This summer I finally moved home to Atlanta, where I belong.

I was born in the old Ellington Memorial Hospital. Its space on Hiram Street is now a parking lot for the First Baptist Church I grew up in. The downtown area has a lot of empty spaces now, and that makes me sad. If I had a magic wand I would fix it all.

Whether you believe in God or some other fantastical force ruling the universe, my homecoming has been blessed. I’ve been given an opportunity to use my talents here at the Cass County Citizens Journal-Sun, in the building where I first learned to love journalism.

When the Citizens Journal was located next the to the State Theatre on Hiram, my mother, Jean Stow, began working there as a reporter. I remember the excitement when this building on Main was completed in 1974 and the staff moved into their new office, which was always bustling with life.

Journal reporters and photographers could be seen everywhere around town, and everyone read the paper. It was inevitable that your name or picture would be in it at least once every year or so – whether for honor roll, team photo, Santa letters, recipes or killing a big buck during deer season. Surely scrapbooks all over town are filled with yellowed clippings.

It was here that I learned how to proofread, write, take good photos, investigate info, design ads, and write headlines under my mom’s careful eye. By the time I took journalism in high school, she had earned her teaching certificate and was my teacher. Then, by the time I started college, she went from Queen City High School to Texarkana College; and once again was my journalism teacher.

I have the distinct honor of having been taught by an award-winning writer and journalism teacher for a steady 40+ years. Throughout my life I have worked in radio, television, magazines, and newspapers. Until her death in 2012, Mom was always there, teaching and editing. She still is, in a way.

The recent merging of the Journal and the Sun, and the subsequent name change, perplexed me at first. However, I now see it as a wonderful opportunity to bring the towns and cities of Cass County together. As the only newspaper, we have a responsibility to cover all that is of interest, from Avinger to McLeod and Domino to Bivins.

We have such an amazing town that continues to emerge even through some of the woes a small-town can face. In it all I can only offer my talents of the written variety to my hometown, and my county. Maybe I can write stories to inspire and spark interest. Those stories are YOUR stories, and I would be so honored if you gave me the opportunity to tell them.

I’m excited to add my talents to the team of Lacy Gross, Shawn Larson, Jamie Jeans, Tim Emmons, Amy York and Melanie Rhyne. Together I feel we can build the Journal-Sun back into something this county can be proud of.

As a child, I asked my mom why the paper was called “The Journal” instead of the Times or something like that. She told me this: “A journal is something you write things down in to remember them later, so the paper is a journal for the citizens of town – thus, The Citizens Journal.”

Help us make that happen again – call us with tips and story ideas. Send us pictures. Follow us on Facebook. We’re a small team, so we can use all the help we can get.

Look for upcoming contests you can participate in. Watch for us in town. Buy a subscription – it’s only $40 a year – and you’ll also receive Crossroads Magazine four times a year.

We’ve got lots of great ideas and cannot wait for you to see them!

It’s good to be home.