Columns

I sometimes think that these few inches of newsprint where my column appears every two weeks have magical powers.

In the past couple of months, there have been multiple instances where something I have written about right in my column has actually happened.

Take the July 29, 2010, issue, for example. My column, aptly titled “Thankful for the rain but praying a flood is not in our future,” was written days after Shallotte experienced a several-hour power outage during an afternoon rainstorm.

Hello, 2011. I’ve been waiting for you.

After taking some time off for much-needed rest and rejuvenation and enjoying a wonderful holiday season with family and friends, I spent New Year’s Day at a N.C. State basketball game and even managed to down a handful or so of black-eyed peas and a dose of good luck.

Apparently, I’m still very much a Yankee because I have no idea how to make black-eyed peas taste like anything more than cardboard peas, but all in all, it was a great way to kick off the New Year.

Hey, 2010, where are you going? It seems like you just got here and already we’re preparing to say goodbye.

I remember as a child asking older relatives about their ages. Often they would pause, and then do a bit of math in their heads before spitting out an age.

Frequently, they’d realize they had miscalculated and would soon make a correction and indicate another age, most often a number higher—another year older—than originally thought.

This past year was a year of a great many things.

We had some great stories in 2010. We had big news.

In next week’s Beacon, we take a look at the stories that shaped 2010, and how each one of those stories will undoubtedly shape and affect the future. So, don’t forget to pick up the Dec. 30 issue of the Beacon, where you’ll find those stories.