When I started last April, it was a schedule that, on paper, looked doable. I figured with leniency at my full-time job in Evanston that I would have the adequate amount of time to dedicate to Huntley.
And at first that was true.
However, he we are one year down the road, and I realize that is no longer doable.
This will be my last column to you all.
It has been an idea I’ve been sitting on for a while, actually. Though my job duties in Evanston have been increasing, I thought I could still manage the two. As the weeks have progressed, however, and my duties there have risen, I realize it is not.
As much as I enjoy working for the Sun Day and serving all of you in Sun City, you deserve someone who can be there all the time. I cannot give you that. I want to, but “on paper” real life and “in practice” real life are two completely separate things.
My current job is structured in such a way where I have 4-5 hours in the afternoon free. I work a split shift, so I have about 5.5 hours of work in the morning and another 2-2.5 hours in the evening.
In that free time, I would fill that with the Sun Day. However, I have been asked to pick up additional duties in Evanston to where the balance is shifting to a heavier morning, which would give me less time to spend working for Huntley.
I want to thank all of you for being patient with me as I learned the ropes during my first weeks in the new role, as well as your ongoing patience as I could not be available until the early afternoon.
I want to thank all writers, contributors, photographers and contacts for the Sun Day, as you have made this job tremendously easier than I thought it would be.
I would like to thank Chris for giving me the opportunity to take over for Mason, as well as guidance during the first couple of issues.
While I may be fading into the horizon, the Assistant Editor role is not. Your new editor, Kelsey O’Kelley, will do an amazing job. You may recognize her name, as she has been a long-standing contributor for the paper. Please be kind and patient with her, as it is a complex role to learn.
I will continue on in a writing capacity, so you will still see my name appearing in the paper. I look forward to continue working with all of you, albeit in a limited role. I hope to be able to improve my quality of writing and help tell the stories of the Sun Day residents that need their stories told.
To quote the Doctor, “We all change, when you think about it. We’re all different people, all through our lives, and that’s okay. That’s good, you’ve got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this, not one day, I swear.”
It is true, I will not forget one day that I served as your Assistant Editor. You allowed me to express myself through these columns. You let me voice my grief when my best friend passed away, the struggles I have dealing with his brother (who is still alive and kicking). You allowed me to enter your lives and help tell your stories.
You were willing to work with me around my schedule, or send me the information I needed to finish a story.
So for that, I thank you.
