I love my job here at the LaGrange Daily News, but sometimes I have hard days that end with me singing along to Paramore’s “After Laughter”  loudly in my car as I drive home. Be it the stress of editing or just dealing with crabby people.

It is not a once a week thing, but the job can get taxing. The better part of my job that makes me love it and living in LaGrange is the kindness of everyone here.

When I attended the citizens police academy on Tuesday, a man sitting across from me named Chris introduced himself to me during a break and said he enjoyed reading my articles. That honestly made my day.

As someone who’s new to the whole area of Troup County, I feel blessed to be in a place where people can be kind to me in and out of my job. Between so many businesses, like The Herb Shoppe and Royal Dancewear, letting me interview them at the last minute for our weekly profile to the police officer who told me about a court case when I was simply taking photos of officers training for hostage situations.

A little bit of kindness goes a long way. It is a universal fact that can be forgotten during the fast paced work day. It’s especially important in this job, where I have to rely on others.

As a reporter, I sometimes have to be obnoxiously persistent when following up stories or getting information from law enforcement. Sometimes I ask the same questions to answers I already know. It comes from being the daughter of two lawyers and because I want to be completely accurate when articles get published. So for everyone who has had to deal with me in that context, thank you for your patience and for being willing to talk to me.

Being new to the area and new to the world of journalism, there’s a lot that I don’t know. When I make mistakes, my insecurities build.

So when someone says I’m doing a good job or just is friendly when I ask awkward questions or gets back with me to set up an interview, it means a lot.

In the end, every day brings a new experience with ups and downs.

But to the people whom I’ve met and communicated with that are kind without hesitation, thank you. You have no idea how much it means.