This is my final column as an Evening Sun writer and I could think of no better topic than expressing my appreciation. When I try to think back upon some the first stories I wrote for the paper, beginning in August of 2006, it seems like forever ago. According to our electronic archive, I’ve submitted 1,516 articles during that time. In just a little less than three years, Photoshop tells me I’ve downloaded more than 20,000 images from my camera.

Each picture and each story represents a series of experiences unto themselves. My memories in putting them together include thousands of conversations with hundreds of people from all walks of life, most of them local. Some people I would see again and often, others never.

When I came into the job I felt a little lost. The community is closely knit. It was like suddenly being called to appear in the King’s Court for the first time. I felt I had to develop my own sense of who people were and how the they all interacted together. Though new to me, there was already an established social order to things. I think a lot of my early days were just spent trying not to embarrass myself while I slowly pieced how it all came together.