Press Talk: Let’s all be more thankful

Note: Look for a special Press Talk column Sunday.

We all have so much more to be thankful for than our Thanksgiving feast, right?

(Although my razor clam/oyster dressing made with homemade garlic croutons was pretty sweet!)

My most thankful thing, of course, is our daughter, Danni. Maley and I couldn’t be with her on Thanksgiving — she’s in her second year of law school at the University of Georgia — but she is the world’s best daughter. No, really, she is. And her becoming an attorney hasn’t made that observation waver one bit.

OK, OK, I once joked in a column that attorneys were a lot like mosquitoes: They’re annoying, and there are too many of them. So it’s never too late to add one to the swarm if it happens to be the best one ever!

What else am I thankful for?

o Good people. I’m thankful for all of the good people who are — in some way — in my life:

Dianna Kretzschmar, Jim Mains, Dean Thompson, John Druckenmiller, Pat Jollota, Hannah Chen, Randy Wayne White, Keith Moyer, Mark Stephens, Dan Greaney, Polly Weiss, Ken Paulson, Steve Spero, Josh Grossberg, Julie Joy, Brent Boger, Wendy Shedd, J. Ford Huffman, Mike Westby, Mark Matthias, Kim Capeloto, Temple Lentz and Billy the poker dealer.

Especially Billy, even though he ain’t dealing poker no more.

Of course, I’ve left scores of names off that list, including my relatives and other community types, but know that I know you’re special.

o Our staff. I’m thankful for the newsroom staff at The Columbian. Look, everyone at The Columbian is important. We all work together to get the newspaper and our website out to our readers. But in my view, the newsroom is the heart and soul of the paper.

It’s not called a “news” paper on a whim.

Yes, it’s a challenge to keep good journalists around today. There’s more money and more opportunity out there in other occupations for bright, talented journalists. For many of us, it’s a calling. But when that high-paying government job comes a-calling, it’s difficult to resist.

Still, many at The Columbian have stuck around. And they are some of the best I’ve worked with. I am so lucky and grateful.

o Politicians. No, really, I’m thankful for politicians. Sure, some are characters. And some are only looking out for themselves. But there are a select few who are in it for all the right reasons. One easy way to tell: If they’re clamming up, not talking to the press, they’re almost certainly hiding something.

Yep, not speaking is like saying you’ve been a bad, bad boy.

o Readers. It’s true, we don’t have as many print readers as we used to. But when you include our social media numbers, it’s actually pretty close. And I know they’re reading, because I hear from them. A lot of them.

And I couldn’t be more thankful that those voices are both positive and negative. There are some very bright people who engage in conversation with me and others on our website. Pointing out our shortcomings makes us better.

So keep those cards and letters — and comments — coming. Thanks!

Now back to those leftovers!