My Coworkers have always been the best of me

Friday, April 8 will be a date which will be indelibly marked in my mind. For those who don't know, my schedule is mostly nocturnal -- my days begin at 2 p.m. and end at 6 a.m. But that Friday morning a kink compromised my plan: I was awoken with a phone call. After drudgingly shuffling to the source of the sound, my raspy voice answered its call. On the other end was a representative from SAIC, who informed me the company wished to offer me a position as a technical writer. I had interviewed with the company a few days prior, and was both shocked and elated to be offered a position. After a very jittery conversation, which ended with me accepting the offer, an odd sense of trepidation then clouded my mood. I would have to tell my coworkers I would be pursuing a new career path.

After the phone call, I remember moving more slowly than usual. It took extra effort to get ready for work, and after gathering my stuff, I reluctantly forced myself in my car.

After arriving, I sat outside of the office while my car idled in the parking spot and I thought back to my first day on the job, a little more than a year and a half ago. I remember the warm sun as it hit my face during the decadence of summer. I had just moved from Terre Haute, where I spent the last six years, back to my hometown which I visited infrequently. I felt like a prodigal son more so than a homecoming hero.

I remembered the first time I entered the building. Beads of sweat dripped down my face until I was shown to my desk and given my first assignment, "Android's Dungeon comic book store." Having studied writing in college and writing three or four desk novels, I thought I was more than prepared. I was wrong. I would be remiss if I didn't say I would not be half the journalist I am today if it was not for Anna Rochelle. It was through her guidance and those late night reprimands where she would say phrases such as, "No! 90 percent of the time you can take out the word 'that.' And don't write this like a term paper! Write to a sixth grade reading level." And just for you Anna, your advice, though incredulous at first, has been the veritable dogma of how I base my journalist writing (insert winky-face emoji here).

This is the point in the narrative where the author will once more return to the original scene: (thank you author, who I am referring to myself in the third person) As I walked into the office on Friday, April 8, the first person I saw was Patti Danner. Patti is the latest person to be hired at the Greene County Daily World, but I have known her for a long time. Patti was a manager when I worked at Angell's in high school, and knew her son Jake very well. If you haven't met her, Patti is one those rare breeds of people you just can't help smiling when they enter the room. But upon entering that day, Patti smiled and said, "Hey Grant, what's crack-a-lacking?" With a timid smile, I responded that everything was well, and I then I proceeded to stare at my computer screen not knowing what to say -- a small, imperceptible tear welled up in the corner of my right eye. With a deep breath, I knew what I had to do. I walked into Sabrina Westfall's office.

While sitting there, I remember looking at Sabrina and the weight in my chest increased in mass with each passing second. To make matters more difficult, I have rarely met a more kind, helpful and intelligent coworker. I was unsure what to expect whenever Sabrina became editor, but I know this paper will thrive under her guidance. After I said I was putting in my two weeks, not for malice, but to embark on a new opportunity, she responded with kind words and best wishes.

During the course of the night, I said my goodbyes to all of the wonderful people who work here: Travis David, Terry Schwinghammer, Becky Thompson, Elisa Blocker, Christy Lehman, Tina Davis, Heidi Puckett, Mike Miller and Cory Anweiler. I also thanked Chris Pruett, who was the first person to interview me before I was hired. Thanks Chris for believing in me along the way.

Which leaves me the last person, Greene County's Ron Swanson, Jon Swaby.

We are a very close group here in the newsroom, and if you happen to walk into the office late at night, you would be confronted with a slew of pop culture references, or all of us at some point doing the Sling Blade voice. Throughout the evening, you may also hear heated debates about the most important questions of life, the universe and everything such as: Who are Rey's parents? Snoke is Darth Plagueis right? Who is the better Star Trek captain, Kirk or Piccard? And, what would you really do for a Klondike bar? Jon, I am not much of a hunter, but mark me down as number one on the list Jon whenever you start selling your duck calls.

But in all sincerity, everyone in the newsroom has made me into the writer I am. It is through their editing that I do not sound like a bumbling idiot. Many times, if it were not for Jon, Patti or Sabrina, my stories would be riddled with missing words or sentences which led to nowhere. I love you guys. I really do.

Grant is finished writing his last piece as full-time staff writer for the Greene County Daily World. Though, with some luck, you may still see his bylines in the future, as he may be employed as a stringer. Also, for those wishing for the continuing stories of Jacobi Bartley, there may more in the future. "And that's the way it was."