I heard the purpose of lifes to live a life full of purpose
And so dont ever take for granted what the spirit has given you in the first verse
You might never get a second verse
This aint a rehearsal, you cant put it in reverse
Once A Day Michael Franti & Spearhead
An incredibly fun song that is nearly impossible to hear and not tap your toe or even break into spontaneous dance (the sort that really embarasses my kids), the 2016 song from the Soulrocker album by Michael Franti & Spearhead collaborated with a number of artists to give a very fun blend of hip hop, pop, reggae, and even some modern country stylings to its infectious beat.
Frantis life story could be its own feature film, as he was born mixed race, black and indigenous. He was adopted to a couple who had immigrated from Finland to Canada and eventually to the United States, and he got his poetry/music beginnings while speaking with a priest at the college where he was on a full-ride basketball scholarship.
His music often is centered around activism, but this song really has a universal message, encouraging the listener to enjoy the moments that you have with the ones that you love. It was born from a medical diagnosis on one of Frantis children that allowed him to evaluate the truly important things in life.
Friends, family, and a community that supports you in your pursuits compose a very basic level of those important things in life.
Saturdays Plainsman contained a final editorial from outgoing editor Curt Nettinga. Today, youre getting an introductory one from the incoming editor, me.
First, though, I want to take some time to acknowledge and recognize Curt for so many things that this space is nowhere near enough. Instead, Ill focus on piloting the Plainsman through plenty of staffing and other upheaval over the years and continuing to focus the newspaper on providing the vital local stories for our seven-county coverage area.
Curt took a chance on me five years ago with no newspaper experience, though Id written about baseball online for nearly a decade at that point for various blogs and websites. He was patient and calm with his instruction while not afraid to give me a kick in the butt when I attempted to turn in something that he knew was below my writing standard.
Curt brought a local perspective to the paper that I hope to continue in this role. We both graduated from Wolsey High School back when it was in the old building on the hill – though I wont expound on how many years apart our graduating years were!
We also both grew up on a farm, allowing us to have a strong understanding of the day-to-day work that so many in our readership do to ensure that the world is fed, clothed, and so many other things that our farmers provide for us each and every day.
In other words, theres a lot of background that remains in the editorial seat, along with a focus to ensure the Plainsman is focused on you, the reader, not reproducing national stories that have minimal real impact on the Heartland area.
While many may know me from this space over the past five years, my tenure with the paper has allowed me to interact with community, state, and national leaders along with everyday folks throughout the communities of the Heartland.
Ive had the pleasure of reporting on state championship teams and athletes while also covering stories that were the product of heartbreak and tears.
Covering the Huron community and the greater Heartland region will remain the primary focus, though it is important to note that as we go through hiring for my reporting position, our newsroom staff is down to three.
Thats where you can come in. We want to ensure that this paper provides the news coverage of the local community that it deserves, but often, those who live in Clark or Iroquois or Wessington or Woonsocket are better able to get pictures and even stories of events in their home community. Your assistance in getting those stories/pictures allows us to continue providing a wide breadth of stories that highlight the amazing people that make up our readership – like you!
Thank you for your support of the Plainsman, and I look forward to what we can continue to do moving forward!
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