A few weeks ago, for some strange reason, I asked you, Loyal Readers, a simple question — what are you thankful for?
I wasn’t expecting much response, but it’s never simple to gauge what reader response will be.
Assign a correspondent to cover a midget football championship game, but not the junior-varsity preliminary,
and I will be deluged with letters and emails from angry, mostly out-of-our-coverage-area parents.
Ask readers what the meaning of life is, though, and I’m just as likely to hear the sound of crickets as I am to receive much response.
So when the responses to my simple question — “What are you thankful for?” — began to show up the next day via email, then the following day also by hand delivery and on the third and fourth days also by snail mail, I was pleasantly surprised.
And they kept coming and coming and coming, at least one a day for the past three weeks, I was amazed.
Then, Loyal Readers, I began to read your letters... and I was taken aback.
There was no logical reason I could anticipate not only the number of responses that came pouring in, nor the depth of your letters.
The heartfelt, emotional thoughts and feelings many of you took the time to express in your words, knowing they would be out there for the whole wide world to see and read, is both surprising and inspiring.
Most days, Loyal Readers, I attempt to find a way to weave a few words together that might be a bit interesting, thought provoking, humorous and, yes, at times, some that come straight from my heart.
Through Monday evening, I had received more than 260 inches of words from you.
In newspaper speak, that translates to a whole heckuva lot.
This feature would have been more appropriate on Thanksgiving Day, but that day has always been reserved for the announcement of our Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County football team. One year, I moved it to the day after Turkey Day and I received almost as much criticism as we did for not covering a JV midget football game.
So I present something different than the normal sports front today and I hope you will be understanding of me breaking the mold a bit and trying something more than a bit out of the box.
Your “Thankful Fors...” begin on Page C2.
This job is pretty much my identity. As Popeye said, “I is what I is.”
So when I receive this kind of response from you, Loyal Readers, it proves that what I do for a living is still relevant... that this newspaper, even in these most difficult times when it’s not easy to plunk down your two quarters every day, still means something to you.
Sometimes, the best things in life are the most simple.
I asked, “What are you thankful for?”
You answered — en masse.
So today — the day before Thanksgiving — I am most thankful and appreciative of you, Loyal Readers.
For you have done for me what I often attempt, but seldom accomplish, for you — inspire.
Thank you.
McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.
Sports
Related Photos
-
-
DON McCORMACK
Discussion
A Don McCormack column: Answering the call...
- Sports
-
-
Comforts of home
A trip home led to a meteoric improvement for Ohio State Buckeye Mallory Kreider, who destroyed her personal best in the 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) by 52 seconds Friday night during the Spire Division I Indoor Track and Field Invitational.
-
Look out for Lakeside
Lakeside coach Rob Pisano has been waiting for this moment. And waiting. And waiting.
-
Falcons fall
As the Jefferson Falcons’ rise to respectability under first-year coach Jeremy Huber continues, they have continuously improved on certain aspects of their game.
-
A case for the offense
Forget offense versus defense. When Edgewood hosted Conneaut on Friday night, It was offense versus offense. And the Warriors won, 69-59.
-
Familiar refrain for Torok & Co.
Geneva boys basketball coach Scott Torok is no Bill Murray. However, he may feel like a character in the actor’s movie “Groundhog Day.”
-
Perry raids Harvey
The Perry boys can celebrate the fact they have now won twice in a row, and they deserve to do that. But along with Friday’s 66-54 win against visiting Harvey came a sight that nobody ever wants to see.
-
Scholastic Statistics:
BOYS BASKETBALL
PREMIER
Lakeside 89, Madison 76
at Madison -
Scholastic Schedule:
SATURDAY, FEB. 11
Girls Basketball
n Madison at Chardon (1)
n Lakeview at Edgewood (1)
n Conneaut at Jefferson (6)
n Lakeside at Riverside (1)
n SJP at Badger (2, varsity only) -
Riverside sneaks past Edgewood
Riverside wrestling coach Scott Blank learned a good deal of what he knows from Edgewood coach Greg Stolfer as a former Warrior great. Thursday, he used a bit of that knowledge to get the better of his old coach as the Beavers bested the Warriors, 31-28, at Edgewood.
-
Madison rolls past Geneva
Madison recovered from coming out on the short end of a pin in the first match of the night by taking six of the next seven matches against Geneva and capped the night with pins from their last pair of grapplers in dismantling the Eagles, 49-17.
- More Sports Headlines
-
