A Friend Signs-off

You work in this market long enough, and you grow accustomed to A LOT of comings and goings. It's the nature of our market, a small 'teaching' market where young people come to develop their skills and develop their resumès, before moving on to bigger and better things.

Of course, every station also has a few 'old hands' around ... those with a long-time presence in the station, and established roots in the community. Some of them are people I was working with twenty years ago, and have worked with - off and on - ever since. From time to time, one of us will mention the youngsters ... 'hey, I saw [insert reporter's name here] is working in [insert city name here] now.'

Sometimes - rarely, but it does happen - it's one of those longtime, established co-workers that leaves, not for another market, but for another station in your own market.

Hey, it happens ...

But, it feels different. There's no longer someone your own age in the office around the corner. Someone with whom you can talk about the Big Bend of Texas and the Four Corners of New Mexico, about the glory of the original Ford Mustang and the glory of Clementè, Stargell and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Good night, and good luck, my friend.