Frank Sinatra, “My Way”
"And now, the end is here,
And so I face the final curtain,
My friend, I'll say it clear,
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain,
I've lived a life that's full,
I traveled each and ev'ry highway."
Ahhh, Frank Sinatra. I couldn't think of a better song to wake up to. As I rolled out of bed this morning, my feelings are bittersweet. On one hand, I am really sorry to see the convention come to a close, but on the other, I don't see this as an end but rather as a beginning.
Over the past four days, we, the NLGJA, have converged on San Diego and have maintained a dialogue about the important issues of our time to make ourselves more informed. In addition, we have worked to develop our professional skill sets to make ourselves better professionals. No, indeed, this is not the end. This is the beginning. From this point, we will go out and use the knowledge that we have gained over the past few days to create change in our newsrooms, in our communities and in the minds and hearts of those who hear our voice.
The connections we made at this convention will influence the stories we write going forward. The stories we write will influence the attitudes of the American public. The American public will be voting on a new President this coming year. As such, the relationships you have built today could have a ripple effect that will reverberate in history. Who knows what the future holds?
Thank you to the NLGJA staff, to the Westin Horton Plaza (especially to Kyle Britten, the cute front desk manager that has been so nice to our group), and to the NLGJA Board of Directors who give their time to making this organization run so well.
If anyone wishes to reach me, my e-mail is kevin.in.media@gmail.com.
I'd like to leave you with this one final thought. It was said to me yesterday in a conversation with Katie Marshall, whom I have known since I was toddler, but I think it applies to all of us who have attended.
“Everywhere you go, you leave yourself somewhere, and regardless of where you are now or where you were two years ago, you can call upon those people because you are one of those people who are not easily forgotten.”
Remember the spirit of “Breaking Stories, Breaking Waves” and let it live on in you.
That's a wrap. See you in DC in 2008!
