There are certain experiences you dread as a community news editor.
I was faced with one of those this week.
As I sat at my desk, I took a deep breath and hovered my cursor over a photo folder and prepared to... pick a picture of myself to put in print.
All kidding aside, as often as those of us in the news stick a camera in others’ faces, we are very unprepared when the lens turns on us.
The picture can be found on page A8 of this edition if you feel you’re sufficiently prepared; It’s included as I was named the first recipient of the Community Builder Award by the local Masonic Lodge in several years.
When Lodge Master Stanley Anderson told me I had been selected, I tried to say it wasn’t necessary, but he responded by saying I was selected for the hours I put into covering the Dublin community and area for several years and the hours put into getting community news out from week-to-week.
That shut me up. When you take the role of the chronicler, you become comfortable in the background, sharing the good and bad news with your readers (hopefully more good than bad).
I also spend the majority of my time writing trying to keep my own voice out of news stories so as not to present any bias.
As Stanley said they had noticed my efforts and appreciated them, I was presented with something I fail at miserably: accepting praise graciously.
In the interest of fairness, everyone should be prepared to subject themselves to what they do to others. I put a spotlight on my neighbors often; I suppose it’s not right to slink into the shadows when others do it to me.
All that said, I can say I’ve gotten several awards from press associations including some for photography, writing and journalist of the year.
This award means more to me than any of those. The praise or feedback I get from those in the community is also treasured.
We do this job to make sure local history gets saved, that good works go noticed and vital information gets shared.
I’m more delighted by any time an article I wrote gets saved in a scrapbook than by the awards on my wall.
I do appreciate them though and it was nice to be noticed for doing something I put so much effort and time into doing.
Thank you to the Masonic Lodge and thank you to the community for letting me do what I love.
—Paul Gaudette can be reached at publisher@dublincitizen.com.