So what can you expect from me? Who knows – some pseudo-intellectual rambling about some or the other problem. Perhaps a little sarcasm. Wait, scratch that – a whole lot of sarcasm with a sprinkling of wit.
But let’s be clear about something folks – a community newspaper needs a very specific diet to survive. The community. Without the community we have no newspaper to create. Without a community, I would have no one to bore with my writing. Without you, we are nothing. Letters to the Editor are awesome. Yes, I choose this overused, cliché phrase (well, word actually) happily because it really is great to read what you, our readers, think and feel about topics or events.
But who am I? I am merely the sub editor here, the chap who sits in a dark corner of the office, chained to my laptop and dictionary, mockingly correcting grammar and spelling. But every so often the boss lets me out my cage and allows me to pen a column. And then promptly locks me away again. Sub editors are a weird breed. We feed on grammar, spelling, the correct turn of phrase and, of course, we’re allergic to sunlight.
My desert is opinion. Especially public opinion. I love it. I love writing about topics that have a direct connection to topics on the lips of you, our readers. For instance, I know that with one word I can stoke the ire of every resident capable (or willing) of reading my column. Etolls. With this single word of five consonants and one vowel, I can ruin a person’s day, drive you to the brink of madness and leave you consider doing something worthy of us putting you on the front page. But who could blame you? Petrol prices are now so high that I am considering running my car on cologne and using petrol as my cologne! The spin-off effect is that we, the mere taxpayers, are paying more for less. So yes. I too am now considering gnawing through my chain, escaping my cage and using my cologne to burn down the etoll gantries (I can’t afford the petrol to do this).
So what is the point of this rambling piece? I am on your side. And I would like to extend a hearty ‘hello’ to all my new readers – I look forward to interacting with you (from the safety of my cage of course!).
