Blog Anniversary

This blog is one year old! Hooray!

What have I learned in a year? Quite a bit about journalism. I've learned how hard it is, how bad it sometimes is, and how good it can be. I've learned objectivity is an illusion, but still a goal, much as living a sin-free life is an illusion but something we still strive for.

This blog is called "My Iowa." I know I still love Iowa. It's not that I think it's the best place, or the most beautiful, or even that I want to live here forever. The fact is, I have a relationship with it. I'm just that kind of person. My year makes sense because I know when it's time for the fuzzy caterpillars and when the first snow is likely to fall. If I go a year without seeing the monarch butterflies that show up in late September, I am sad. A golden-brown bean field on the side of a hill is happiness, and home. Can soil and air seep into our DNA over the generations? I doubt it, but it does seem possible.

I've learned you can't explain everything to everyone. Some things are intuitive. The answers to some questions are both yes and no. Don't worry--I've not gone relativistic. It's just that I'm starting to get old enough to not be self-righteous anymore.

For me, believing whole-heartedly in something makes it easier to hear criticism of that thing, because I know in the end it can weather that criticism. So whether it's journalism, my home state, or my faith, I know what I believe in can take whatever you have to dish out. I've heard it all before. I'm even comfortable pointing out flaws in the things I love. I know nothing's perfect, but I also know when to stop apologizing.