Matthew Burnette, Staff Writer

Milestones are often the catalyst of quiet reflection, particularly on the various parts that had to come together in order for them to happen.

It suddenly occurred to me on a recent weekday afternoon while working on content for our upcoming edition that October 28 officially marks the end of my first year writing for the Times, a realization that somehow seems completely plausible yet in no way possible.

While memories from this past year keep popping in for a visit, I find myself continually reflecting on the journey it took to get to Manchester.

I’ve always had an affinity for writing. Somewhere in my collection of stuff are various examples of that at a young age from a story book written in the third grade about a dog who gets swept away on an adventure to a second-grade daily journal that includes an entry about Ben Franklin and how he must have found the results of his kite test “very shocking.”

The line separating cleverness and corniness is even thinner than the one between genius and insanity, I’m afraid, but it’s a line I like to think I traverse well, though many others undoubtedly disagree.

Nearly as long-standing as my enjoyment of writing, the quality of which is clearly debatable, I’ve also found solace in perusing the pages of a newspaper. Even before the ability to understand the news of the day found its way to me, I enjoyed looking through the paper.

There’s something about the sound of the pages rustling that I still find relaxing.

Sophomore year I found myself at a crossroads. The major I had chosen for financial benefit wasn’t working out, a fact that was made painfully obvious by a failing grade in a class that the instructor started with the warning “If you don’t pass this class, then this field probably isn’t for you.”

Do I stick it out and hope for better results or do I set myself back slightly and pick something that I actually want to do?

I chose the latter and switched my major to journalism which combined my love of writing and newspapers but also thew in the daunting task of having to interact with people on the regular.

I’ve often thought that a clear piece of evidence of God’s incredible sense of humor is that he led me, a naturally shy and introverted individual, to a career field that relies almost exclusively on talking to strangers. It’s something that’s gotten easier over the years but still occasionally creates a hurdle.

For the rest of my college tenure, I got to learn from an incredible group of instructors and work alongside peers who went on to make their mark in the industry we all strived to be a part of after graduation.

A slight detour followed for me.

My pride liked to make the excuse that journalism itself is a hard career to get into and that opportunities didn’t present themselves as easily or as often as other fields. While that may be true in some regard, the main obstacle in my way was a dwindled self-confidence. I couldn’t bear the thought of the world confirming every doubt that I had in my abilities.

So instead of chasing the dream I allowed myself to have, I put in an application to find employment in the honorable yet stress-inducing field of retail.

For the next seven years I went from the counter and later kitchen at a chain grocery store deli to the world of paint and paint accessories where I worked my way to assistant manager. A lot of the character I now possess was formed in those years, and I met some of the folks who I couldn’t imagine life without then, too.

But I once again found myself at another crossroads after several months of particularly stressful occurrences at the end of my tenure.

Do I continue in a job that pays a decent amount of money or take a chance at finding some peace in my work life that I had never felt up until that point?

A second win for the latter.

The first place I dropped my resume off at was the Cannon Courier newspaper in Woodbury. I didn’t hear back for a couple of months but eventually found myself with somewhat steady work with them covering local events and writing man-on-the-street style features relating to various holidays.

It was the perfect opportunity to refine the skill set I had developed years prior at MTSU while also discovering that it is entirely possible to do work that’s actually enjoyable.

After several months of contributing to my hometown paper, I happened upon an ad for an open position at the Manchester Times for a full-time staff writer. Despite my old friend self-doubt trying to convince me there’s no way I would even be considered for the position, the theme of the year was taking chances, so I applied.

Now here I am.

When I first let the word out that I was hired on, a former college instructor who I have a deep respect for as a teacher, and even more so, as a person commented that “It’s an honor to cover a community in this way.”

I couldn’t think of a more suitable way to put it.

Over the last year I’ve had the incredible opportunity to meet and tell the stories of those individuals who make Manchester and Coffee County the unique community that it is from the small-business owners and public servants to the collectors and hobbyists and everyone who falls somewhere in between.

One of the most wholesome moments I’ve gotten to experience is witnessing the ear-to-ear smile of someone who’s beaming with pride because their story made it into that week’s issue of their local paper.

I’d be lying if I said everyday of the last year was joyful and a pleasure. Every job, no matter how much you enjoy it, is going to have its more stressful days.

Whoever came up with idea that working a job you love means you never have to work a day in your life was incredibly misguided. Even the most enjoyable work takes work, and that can sometimes come with a variety of stresses.

But every week when a fresh new stack of papers gets delivered to the office, and I open one up with a soothing rustle to see my byline on a story and think about what it took to get there, it all seems worth it.

It truly is an honor to get to do what I get to do. The journey to Manchester was a longer one than I ever expected, but here’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

Here’s to this milestone and hopefully many more to come.