I know
it’s hard to be reconciled
not everything is exactly
the way it ought to be
but please turn around
and step into the future
leave memories behind
enter the land of hope
— Zbignief Herbert
When our lives change due to tragedy, declining health or reversals it’s difficult to overcome one’s loss, take risks and enter the land of hope. One of Jan Karon’s characters, paraphrasing the Bible said, “Cast your bread upon the waters, and it may come back buttered toast.”
My cousin, Wayne Kelly, and I grew up together in Knightstown. A talented photographer, he was in charge of non-advertising photography at the L. A. Times for many years before becoming a college professor. He and Pat, his charming, beloved wife had a very good life. Then disaster struck in recent years when she became terminally ill, and he took tender care of her until her demise a couple of years ago.
Wayne never gave up on life. Rather than let his grief dominate him, he got busy. He refurbished his California home, worked on a travel book, took a tour of Ireland, and returned to Knightstown for a school reunion. Last fall he attended a function and met a widow whose husband had also worked at the Times. Throwing aside whatever doubts and hesitations they might have had, they were married last month!
The Knightstown Banner has published my column for several years, the serendipitous result of old friend Sarah Ward’s recommending me to publisher Eric Cox. Writing these essays keeps me grounded, makes me think about my life and the process of living and puts me in touch with kindred spirits.
I am you, and you are me. Sometimes we’re fearful about going after what we want. The Eastside Herald had been published for many years on the Indianapolis eastside. I really wanted to offer my column to its editors, but hesitated to put myself forward. During a telephone conversation about the Benton House with the paper’s manager, Paula Nicewanger whom I’d never met, I got up the courage to ask if we could talk about my writing. “Of course!” The rest is history . . . “Cast your bread upon the waters, ” quoth the Bible . . .
Then disaster struck for the four women who put out the paper. The Eastside Herald was owned by the Indianapolis Star whose bosses decided to discontinue it and some other community papers.
The women all really needed jobs, and they were worried about finding new ones. What to do? They decided to start their own paper and run it their way! People thought that they were crazy, but they had superb professional skills, family support and enough money to start. Jeanne was experienced in sales; Judy had worked 20 years at the Herald; Ethel had excellent editing skills; and Paula had worked nine years for the Star and specialized in graphic arts. After a difficult beginning when burglars stole their computers, the paper has a readership of 25,000 and continues to grow.
The Weekly View’s niche is its focus on the Indianapolis eastside and columns about history, antiques, sports, travel, politics, life experiences and restaurants — whatever. It’s as much a literary journal as a newspaper. People tell me that they look forward to sitting down with it and a cup of coffee.
How does it survive? Advertising, that’s how. No newspaper can survive without advertising. People forget that this is an expensive business. They don’t buy ads because they think that social networks are enough. Not so. Not everyone uses computers or belongs to social networks, and electronics that are easily deleted don’t replicate the physicality of the printed page. We found our excellent plumber in the Weekly View.
Meanwhile, I have a whole loaf of bread to cast upon the waters. Who knows what might come back to me? wclarke@comcast.net
