For as long as I can remember, I have always loved a good story.
That, along with my love for writing, were a couple of the main reasons why I became a journalist.
Listening to someone share their experience has always interested me, and people have told me for years I have a knack for keeping them talking until there isn’t anything left to say.
Being a reporter, I meet and talk to people from all walks of life that are going through something I could never imagine. Their life has been so drastically different from mine, and it’s usually my job to share what they want to say with our readers.
Last week, I had the honour of sitting down with George Lacquement, a local veteran who served in the Second World War. As soon as I read his story, I knew I wanted the chance to ask him questions and learn about his experiences.
I don’t think any length of interview could do his story justice, but I tried my hardest to write something that would articulate what he sacrificed for our freedoms. How can you put a man’s struggles from a war and the impacts he felt long afterwards into a few hundred words?
As I was going over my notes, I realized it’s pieces like this that I look forward to writing the most. It’s a huge part that makes me love my job, and I really couldn’t do it without people allowing me into their lives. I don’t think I would have the passion that I do unless I could sit down and ask someone to share a part of themselves with me.
Not only are they taking me on this journey they experienced, they’re also taking the reader with us and, for that, I’m forever grateful for my job and the people it introduces me to.
It’s the human-interest stories that always catch my attention; it could be about anything and I’m hooked. When someone’s passion shines for whatever they’re talking about, it makes my week and keeps me going for the next story.
It could be someone sharing how it felt to be chosen for an award, an athlete recalling what went through their mind when they got the winning point, or a veteran telling me about how the sky looked on D-Day. These are the stories that move me, and I want to thank each and every person I’ve spoken to so far and will in the future.
This edition of the Henry Hype is for you, to show my appreciation for allowing me to share your story with everyone else.
