As I write what will be my final article ever for the Sedona Red Rock News, Cottonwood Journal Extra and The Camp Verde Journal, I can’t help but think back to one of my first assignments back in July 2019.
I was set to interview some kids for a potential article and arrived a few minutes early. While waiting for the kids to arrive, I was with one of their coaches and we talked about how in journalism — especially in small towns — there’s a high turnover rate. It was then that I said, “I can’t say with any certainty that I’ll be here a year from now.” That was true — but not entirely.
There were no lies told. I couldn’t say with any certainty that I would still be here in a year. But at that moment I couldn’t say with absolute certainty that I wouldn’t be. It was possible, sure. But it was also possible that I’d be living on the moon in a year’s time. Being here two years later? That was possible in the same way that living on Mars would be.
I started this job exactly one week short of my 34th birthday. I came to Northern Arizona from Northern California, a place I called home for the first 33 years and 51 weeks of my life. My first few weeks here did not go well. It seemed like every day created a new obstacle. And while I didn’t want to leave within just a few weeks of taking a new job, I also didn’t want to perpetually feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.
It was around this time that I made a challenge to myself. Whenever I left, I wanted to have things I’d miss. I didn’t want this to be a “the best view I ever got of that place was when I saw it in my rear view mirror” situation. If there were things I’d miss when I left, then there would be plenty of positive memories from my time.
I met that challenge.
■ Photojournalists David Jolkovski and Daulton Venglar
There is no way that these guys could ever get enough credit for their photos.
I remember bumping into someone that I had previously interviewed for a feature story that was set to run the next day. I told her, “I’m pretty sure you’ll like your article. I am absolutely certain you’ll love the photo.”
I said that with as much confidence as I do when I spell my name or tell someone my birthday.
But beyond their absolute brilliance as photographers, they’re great guys. I really enjoyed covering games with them and hanging out with them away from work. I’ll very much miss those moments.
■ The Larson Newspapers Staff
As stated above, there’s a lot of turnover in journalism, especially in small towns. So, the fact that the staff in place when I’m leaving is largely the same as it was when I started is nothing short of remarkable.
The copy editors made me look like a much cleaner writer than I actually am. The production team makes the pages look amazing. And again, they’re great people that I’ve really enjoyed getting to know. They made me feel welcome in a new place from the moment I started. That’s something I’ll never really be ever to thank them sufficiently for.
■ The community
While I had issues when I first moved in, none were really with the people I encountered. That’s another big part of the reason I decided to stay beyond those first few weeks. Yes, some of the situations I dealt with were unfortunate but I also was treated very kindly. That told me that I had to make more of an effort to improve my attitude. I did and I’m happy.
Whether it’s students or coaches I covered, parents, athletic directors, school administrators or anyone else, it was an absolute pleasure getting to work with you over these last two years.
While I’m not going to physically be in Northern Arizona anymore, this place will always be a part of me.
One of my favorite songs is “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis. Heck, if you’re reading this, you might have even seen me sing that song at karaoke night in recent weeks. But when I think of that song and just the title, I can’t help but think of how relevant it is to the two years I was here.
Things started rocky. I didn’t know how long I was going to stay but in no universe did I imagine that it would be for two years. But it was. And no, it wasn’t a perfect two years. Our editor, Christopher Fox Graham, refers to this Editorial Team as the “pandemic crew” — due to covering COVID-19 over the last year and a half. It’s hard to associate perfection with that.
Still, looking back at the last two years, I don’t have any anger about my time here. Only gratitude.
Since I told people I was leaving, I’ve had a number of people tell me they’ll miss me being here. The feeling is mutual.
Goodbye and good luck.
Michael Dixon
Larson Newspapers
