I got my first real job many years ago when at 16 I went to work for the Plant City Courier.
The Courier was, at the time, our local newspaper and had been so for many years. It was a venerable institution, highly regarded by most everyone in town as a trusted source for news and information. It was what everyone turned to on Thursday, the one day each week that it was published.
I imagined that to work at The Courier, where it seemed was stored all the knowledge of the world, would be nothing short of amazing. With a real job there, I could write and tell stories about all the things I was learning.
A real job also got you a real paycheck; a fancy piece of paper you could take to the Hillsboro Bank and trade it in for an even prettier piece of paper called cash! With cash, you could buy gas and “go places and do things!”
Just the thought of it all was the motivation giving me the gumption to walk in, unannounced and without any appointment, asking to speak to the Editor about a job that they neither had available, nor frankly, even offered.
Still, the charm of Plant City meant that I was not booted out the door. Instead, I was led to meet a bright young man with a quick wit, wry smile, and infectious laugh named Keith Stickley.
Barely in his 30s, Keith was the Managing Editor, and he took the time to talk with me for seemingly hours about school, things I liked to do, and what I hoped for in life.
Of course, I’d like to think that he recognized a spark inside of me, but just as likely was that the Christmas spirit was causing him to be a bit charitable. Regardless, before I left that afternoon, I somehow had convinced him to give me a part-time, “we’ll see how it goes” job paying me $1.60 an hour!
Keith became for me both a boss and a teacher. He’d rip up my articles and tell me to start over. He’d admonish me with “don’t bury the lead,” or use “a lovely alliteration” to make things flow better. Search for the story, he’d say, and let it write the article.
When I expressed an interest in cameras, he taught me the art of photography: how to frame the subject, illuminate the shot, and blur the background.
It truly was the start that I needed, and for that, I have always been and forever will be very grateful.
Somehow, Keith seemed to sense that it was not so much a job that I was seeking, but rather, simply a chance; an opportunity to learn both a craft and some life lessons that would help me in my quest to “go places and do things.”
Perhaps it was a reflection of his own dreams, for having grown up in a small town within the shadow of the Shenandoah Mountains in Woodstock, Virginia, Keith, too, once needed a job.
Straight out of high school with his only experience in writing being with the school newspaper, he convinced the Editor of a local paper to give him a shot. Gifted with natural curiosity and a keen intellect he perfected his skills as a wordsmith. Soon, his writings wrought recognition and awards both for the paper and for himself.
That early success, and the promise of more opportunities, is what led Keith to The Courier.
Imagine this. Not yet 25, married to his high school sweetheart, and along with their five kids all younger than five (ages 4, 3, 2, and 1-year-old twins!), they packed up their station wagon and headed out for the proverbial greener pastures of Florida!
Maybe it was the innocence of youth, but no doubt it was quite an adventure.
It also took confidence and fortitude. Yes, there were challenges along the way, and twists and turns to take before later in life returning home to start and run his own paper, and expand into a large and successful publishing business still serving the needs of western Virginia and its surrounds.
It’s been well more than 40 years since I last worked with Keith Stickley. So recently, on one of my trips to “go places and do things,” I took a detour to Woodstock just to check up on him, and to say, “Thanks!” once again.
It was a wonderful and long breakfast we shared, and I caught myself interviewing him, just as I had been taught, by him, to do!
When we left, I wanted a picture of the two of us and I chuckled as he directed where we should stand for our selfie and explained the proper angle for lighting to illuminate our faces.
Some things never change in life, and in this case, it was the same ol’ Keith Stickley; teaching and directing, and with me learning and taking it all in.
