Matthew Burnette, Staff Writer

The norm these days as the year wraps up seems to be reflecting on the more undesirable events of the past year and being thankful that a bad year is almost over.

There’s been this aura ever since 2020 when the world was subjected to its first pandemic in a century that we haven’t seen a good year since.

Granted, every year has its bad moments. Losses, struggles and whatever else the world has to throw at us are always threaded throughout any lengthy period of living. That’s part of life.

This past year was no cake walk by any means. There were unimaginable tragedies that occurred and everyone, including myself, had their share of heartaches and sorrows.

But, to paint the entirety of the previous 12 months in a negative light is disingenuous.

While there was a share of tragedies, there were also a number of triumphs. Even some of the worst happenings had moments of levity sprinkled in here and there.

And so, in an effort to conjure a bit of positivity as 2025 comes to close, I decided to reflect on some of my favorite professional and personal moments that occurred this year (in no particular order.)

1. Some pretty cool interview opportunities

Just as one shouldn’t join a field solely for the accolades, they also shouldn’t get into a career for the perks that it offers. That being said, my chosen profession afforded me some fun interviews this year.

I got to talk with country superstar Jo Dee Messina who I’ve listened to on the radio nearly my entire life. I also got to spend nearly half an hour on the phone with Richard Sterban, the bass singer for the Oak Ridge Boys.

Both were incredibly kind and genuine and everything you’d want in an interview scenario.

The biggest personal highlight on the interview front was getting to interview Jason Marsden, an actor whose voice has appeared in some of my most favorite movies and television shows including A Goofy Movie which celebrated its 30^th anniversary this year.

Also, add in all of the local folks and favorites that I got to talk with, it was a fun year for talking with people.

2. An award-winning year

No one should ever get into a particular field for the sheer purpose of trying to garner accolades, but when those accolades happen, they should rightly be celebrated.

In June, we learned that our paper took home a handful of awards from the Tennessee Press Association. It was my first time being part of the contributions that were highlighted as well as winning anything for my work.

Just to see my colleagues and myself be acknowledged for the work that we do on a daily basis was a joyful moment for sure.

3. A family trip

My family tries to take a trip together every year, and this year was no different. We took a particularly fun vacation down to St. Augustine to enjoy some beach time and much needed relaxation, or as much relaxation as you can get in a house full of people.

As a semi history buff, it was enjoyable to walk around the old town and see the relics from the old days. We also drank from the alleged Fountain of Youth whose water tasted like a more fragrant version of the sulfur well water I grew up with as a kid.

I also had one of the best restaurant breakfasts I’ve ever had in the form of chicken and biscuits with gravy at the Anastasia Diner.

4. Writing these editorials

One of the, if not the biggest, rules in journalism is to leave yourself out of the work. Your job is to tell the stories of the community and the people that live there.

So, with these weekly writings, it’s been fun to get to offer small glimpses into my life and who I am. To introduce myself, in a way, to the community that I’ve had the honor and pleasure of meeting over the last year or so.

It’s also been helpful for me to be able to look back and revisit some of the moments and memories that have shaped who I am today and given me an even deeper appreciation for them than I already had.

So, here’s to some good healthy reflection on the year that just passed and the ones that came before it.

While the world often leads you to focus on the worst of what happens, remember that there’s always something positive to reflect on.

Here’s to an abundance of joyful moments in the year to come and a plethora of positivity.

Happy New Year!