I could write another column about Harrison Hot Springs Council this week. But I won’t. I refuse.
I speak in no uncertain terms: I will not stop coverage. I will not stop voicing my view on local politics and events, despite a number of people wishing I would – to put it in publishable language – shut up.
I just need a break. And you do, too.
It’s easy to get caught up in the negative discourse that swirls through Agassiz-Harrison. Some of that conversation is a necessary “evil,” other parts, not so much. But when that negativity threatens to pull us under, it’s okay to take a break and count our blessings.
Despite my job having difficulties like any other occupation, there are a number of reasons I love what I do. One of the best parts of my job is getting uplifting letters to the editor. I don’t mind and will publish the negative ones, even if they’re roasting me, but there’s something really nice about a positive letter.
There are two letters in particular that hang on my crowded bulletin board above my computer monitor. One is an undated letter from Olga Bass of Agassiz. In it, she writes about shopping at Agassiz Produce when a woman behind her in the queue was buying some little ice cream cups. Bass said there was a time she would buy a four-litre container of ice cream. As she was loading the groceries and ready to go on her way, the woman came up and handed her two of the little ice cream cups, refusing payment.
The other letter is a thank you from our own Royal Canadian Legion Branch 32. The letter followed the Remembrance Day article I wrote last year in which I spent part of the afternoon with some of our local veterans, exploring what Nov. 11 and the Legion itself meant to them.
“We are extremely grateful for the articles you have published in the Agassiz-Harrison Observer to help us spread awareness about the Poppy Campaign and the Royal Canadian Legion,” the letter concludes. “It was a pleasure to meet you and to have the opportunity to share a bit of our history.”
I keep both of these letters close to my sight for different reasons. Olga’s letter reminds me that sometimes even it’s the little things that mean the most, particularly during times of trouble. The letter from the Legion reminds me of the importance and potential impact of local news. The way I see it, no story is too small, and if there’s a way you or I can support a good cause like the Legion, I, for one, am all on board.
I would, of course, prefer positive letters and stories, but good or bad, I will always encourage you to make your voices heard using our opinion page. Your feedback means a lot to me, whether it’s constructive criticism to take to heart or a brief, uplifting tale you’d like to share with our readers.
Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to write!
adam.louis@ ahobserver.com
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