A sunrise is one of the most fascinating daily occurrences of the natural world. It is in my book at least.
For our honeymoon, my husband and I hopped in a car and hit the trails of Smoky Mountain and Shenandoah National Parks.
We got married March 20, 2020, so our international honeymoon plans didn’t really pan out — as you can imagine — so we took our trip later that summer.
Our feet met nearly 20 miles of hiking trails by the end of our short trip. We waded in creeks, were dwarfed by cascading waterfalls and crossed paths with six black bears. It was the best.
On the last day of our adventure, we found the best spot to watch the sunrise in Shenandoah.
Our alarms went off earlier than they ever do, and we groggily made our way into the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
We did not have headlamps — or a light much better than that on our cellphones, for that matter — but it did not stop us from finding our way.
After a few scrapes and moments of, “I don’t think I can do this,” we finally perched ourselves at a peak above the trees. There we waited, in anticipation of the warm sun and eager to see how it lit up the setting around us.
It did not disappoint.
Across the valley, a golden light softly broke the cold haze and signaled that a new day had begun.
What makes a sunrise fascinating to me, in addition to the physical aspect, is what it instills in its viewer.
There on the mountain top, tired, worn and a little chilly, I was filled with hope. Something new was on the horizon, and I was ready to know what followed.
As the year ends and another begins, that same feeling begins to stir within me.
There were many aspects of 2022 that were difficult, and I will not forget what it took to get to this point, sitting and waiting for that sunrise-kind-of-hope.
In September I took the position of editor here at the Democrat, an opportunity that was altogether unexpected, terrifying and exciting.
I’ve sat at three desks in the newsroom, in four positions, starting as a part-time news clerk in the spring of 2019.
My dad had seen a job posting for the position on the Democrat’s Facebook page and sent it to me, saying I should apply.
After my first interview, I drove by the office every day as I came into Nashville, reaching my hand out to say a quick prayer as I passed: “Lord, please let me get a job at the Democrat.”
I was attending Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus at the time, living at home and commuting to school. I was studying English and didn’t know what kind of professional opportunities I would have.
I was certain, though, that I’d have to leave the home that I had known my whole life.
That ended up not being the case, and I was hired at the Democrat just as my junior year of college concluded.
I had the privilege of working with Keith Fleener before he retired, at which point I took over classified advertising and customer service full-time. And watering the plants, all of which died shortly after.
I graduated from college in May of 2020, and after nearly two years in advertising, I moved back to my original desk, this time as a reporter when Suzannah Couch took over as editor for Sara Clifford.
When Suzannah told the newsroom in September last year that she was taking another opportunity, I asked myself, “Do I want this? Do I want to be editor?”
That next big step to editor was daunting, and not a quick or easy choice to make; if I were to take it, I would have some big shoes to fill.
After about a week of saying, “No,” I then shifted to asking myself what the future would look like if I said, “Yes.” I decided to throw my name in the running and was promoted to editor shortly thereafter.
For nearly four years I was privy to the training and wisdom of Sara, Suzannah, and Keith too, who taught me how to truly listen to and value people, approach topics thoughtfully and how to understand the community.
Sara and Suzannah showed me how to care not just for the people sharing their stories with us, but for our readers too.
Whether it was business, government, crime or anything in between, they guided me through the world of local journalism and taught me what it means to cover our county well.
It has always been at the top of the Democrat’s priority list to bring fair and unbiased news and that mission will carry on into the years to come.
While I’ve learned so much in that time, I know there is always more to understand about Brown County, and I am up for the challenge.
While the search began for a reporter to cover my role, I was blessed to have the wisdom and mentorship of Bob Gustin in the newsroom for about six weeks. Even though it was given in a short time, his help and encouragement has been invaluable to me.
What will guide my approach as editor of the Democrat is that Brown County is my home, and has been my home since my parents brought me home from the hospital.
They raised my sister and I on Clay Lick Road, where we were homeschooled.
I met my husband, Scott, here in Brown County when we were in Sunday school. We reconnected in 2019 and were married seven months later. He’s an EMT for IU Health LifeLine, serving the Brown County area. We recently bought our first home north of Nashville. We have a dog and two cats.
It was not only building our lives here that was a reason to say “yes” to a new endeavor at the Democrat, but the building of a community around us.
The thought of becoming more invested in the people, who often invest so much of themselves into the community, was the biggest draw to me to say yes to the opportunity.
Since taking the role of editor, I’ve looked to what the Democrat has done in the past, how it’s shaped what we currently do and what that might look like going forward.
Following in the steps of the editors before me, I hope to emulate things they taught me and carry them on in the newsroom.
I’m truly honored that this is a role I’m able to fill, and hope I do so with the care and integrity the position and community deserve.
I also have a sunrise-kind-of-hope in me for what newness will come with the territory.
Our goal at the Democrat is to ensure that we do the best of our ability to cover the news, events and highlight the people and stories of Brown County in an informative and inviting way to readers.
We are always open for news tips or story ideas you want to see covered in your newspaper and want to hear from our readers when we get it right and when we get it wrong.
Though we’re a small-but-mighty staff, if you have a story idea you want to see covered in the newspaper, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Our new reporter, Corbin Parmer, has been doing great at the Democrat, getting acquainted with all things Brown County. He’s been an integral addition to the newsroom, and wants to hear the stories that Brown County has to share.
Bella Hobbs has also joined the newsroom as our news and advertising coordinator. If you swing by the office or give us a call, she’ll be the first to offer you a friendly greeting.
If you’d like to see your own work in the newspaper, we are also looking for columnists to contribute guest opinions. Whether it’s the outdoors, arts and entertainment, or just some good stories to share from your time in Brown County, we welcome all new ideas. Email me any ideas at [email protected].
This has been an overdue introduction. With learning the editor territory, staffing a newsroom, getting through an election and all other inbetween news, I’ve started this and set it aside multiple times since September.
It seems to have come at a perfect time, though, as we enter 2023 and say hello to the opportunities before us as a community. We in the newsroom are ready to gain a fresh perspective and vision with the help of the community the Democrat serves.
So, hello Brown County, and Happy New Year.
Abigail Youmans is the editor of the Brown County Democrat. She can be reached at [email protected] or 812-988-2221.
