Happy Anniversary! So what did you get me? You didn’t forget! Kidding aside, another year has passed since I started writing these columns. Realizing December is my anniversary month prompts me to reflect on the past year, what I’ve learned and how well I’ve adhered to what I meant to accomplish when starting.

Last year, looking back at my first year of column writing, I summed it up as a learning experience. That hasn’t changed. Yet when I look back at last year’s “anniversary column,” I realized I’ve learned very different, and in some cases, darker, more depressing things this year.

In paying close attention to the papers and local politics, I’ve learned Jeffersonville politics is a messier thing than even a government-cynical libertarian like myself had assumed. I’ve spent a lot of time studying how politics and government is supposed to work, including one course specifically on local politics.

There was little or no mention of bullying, favors for friends or executives charging ahead with their own grandiose ideas with little consultation of the citizenry or the other governmental entities that might have an opinion.

Though I last year discussed the intended purpose of opinion columns as getting people to react, I’ve learned some reactions hurt way more than being ignored possibly could. Offending people you know and like is much more painful than offending the public at large, even if some strangers do invest in multiple letters to the paper and online postings to point out how horrible you are.

Even angering friends has been educational though. There is a tendency to avoid someone you know is mad, but I’ve very recently learned apologies and communication go a long way.

A year ago, I summed up some of my goals as providing information and views from a different perspective than much of the mainstream media. I hope I’ve continued to do that. The health care debate has been the issue on which I’ve probably worked the hardest to accomplish this.

Government programs aren’t charity, aren’t benign and aren’t funded by peaceful means; they involve taking your money and telling you what to do. Liberals supposedly value individual rights.

An individual mandate necessarily violates individual rights, and there is no way to have government-funded health care and avoid government — which will eventually be back in the control of Republicans — dictating what care will be received.

I hope after the past few weeks in particular that I’ve learned not to write a column when I’m overly emotional. Some people’s comments made me angry, so I wrote a column about that. Then people I didn’t mean to offend got mad at me, and I acted like total girl — boy, is that politically incorrect — tearing up and apologizing myself incoherent. The apology dug a bigger hole.

In another instance this year, I wrote what I considered a fair opinion. The response to the column was emotionally overwhelming with people coming out of the woodwork to report much more disturbing information than I had previously been aware of.

When again addressing the subject in a column, I was quite angry and allowed that to show by writing my updated opinion like a “sledgehammer,” as one kind but honest soul put it.

The bad judgment in this episode continued by forgetting I was supposed to be wearing the writer hat and jumping into a project I have yet to entirely untangle myself from. Goading by critics influenced my behavior much more than it should have.

Not all I’ve learned this year has been dark and gloomy. I’ve found there really are local folks who are stepping up to be active for the sake of their community. Some act as volunteer watchdogs over our local governments, attending meetings, paying attention, sharing what they’ve learned and getting involved. Others have organized and educated themselves to address a particular issue that needs attention.

Their actions and stories speak for themselves and have no need of my opinion to provide context, which brings me to one of those other goals I mentioned last year: more writing opportunities.

Beginning early next year, I’ll be offering profiles, aside from the opinion columns, of some of these local activists. The intent is to give credit where it’s due, but also to help all of us better ways we can follow their example in contributing to our participatory government.

I’ve also learned some people are kind enough to reach out with comfort and support even to some face in the paper they’ve never met. Particularly while receiving harsh criticism and beating myself up over mistakes, other readers have offered warm praise and encouragement. Thank you.



Jeffersonville resident Kelley Curran knows that cotton is the traditional gift for second year wedding anniversaries, but thinks gold is more appropriate for column writers. Contact her at kelinawriterhat@aol.com