I am in the middle of my 11th year writing this news blog and in my 7th year of producing podcasts. There is a question posed often as I meet people in and around the Fishers community. The simple one-word question is – why?
Why do I take the many hours required each week to attend local meetings and events, and write about them? Why do I take the time to prepare, record and produce my local LarryInFishers.com podcasts?
After all, this is a volunteer venture for me. I am a one-man-band, covering these news events and producing these podcast all by myself. I am supposed to be retired…why don’t I retire for real? I generate no income in these endeavors.
I have tried to quit, at least twice. In March of 2020, I posted what I thought would be my final local Fishers news blog entry. I had plans to continue blogging, but switch the focus to local arts and entertainment coverage. I am a lover of the arts and, to be honest, it’s a lot less work to cover entertainment compared to news.
But COVID shut everything down. There were no live performances of anything. Even the movie theaters were closed.
Plus, most local media news outlets were attempting to cover the pandemic with reduced staffing, so Fishers wasn’t getting much local coverage. Okay, I thought to myself, I will continue the news blog until everything settles down.
Well, nothing settled down for quite a while, so I continued the blog, albeit with a bit less energy than before. Then it happened.
In late October, 2020, I contracted COVID. There was no vaccine at that time and few, if any, effective treatments for those dealing with the virus.
I didn’t just have COVID, I had it bad. My wife Jane chose not to leave home, and thankfully Jane never tested positive. Having her here was a godsend and helped me get through it.
My primary care doctor later told me she was “this close” to sending me to the hospital due to my severe symptoms. You may recall that during that time in 2020 few patients admitted with COVID left the hospital alive.
I was very fortunate to recover without a hospital stay. But having a COVID case of that severity caused me to think. After all, I had no energy to do anything else but think during that time.
It was that experience that convinced me to continue the blog. Why did I make that decision after so much time to think?
All of us have plenty of national media to consume. Newspapers, Web sites and cable channels focus on national and international stories. But what about local news? What about Fishers, Indiana news?
I was provided a reminder recently of why I continue this blog. A person placed a comment on a blog post, saying my coverage had sparked an interest in Fishers news. That reader said she/he had attended some city council meetings and watched more of those sessions on video only because reading my blog had sparked interest in local Fishers news.
That is why I write this news blog. That’s why I produce local podcasts. If that person was the only one that began following local Fishers news events because of my blog, that would be enough to justify the hours and effort I put into this blog.
I had a day recently when I was going from covering one local meeting and heading for a second session when a family issue came up I needed to help in between. I came home that night and asked myself that question – why?
The answer is the same. Someone will read the blog and become interested in the local community where we live. That is enough for me.
There is plenty of news coming in Fishers. Old City Hall will be demolished and construction will begin on the new City Hall with a prominent Arts Center located in the same building. It is anticipated more economic development projects will be announced in the coming months.
We have a very important local school board election where 4 of the 7 seats will be up for election in the fall. In 2023, Fishers will hold a city election for a mayor, 9 city council seats, a city clerk and a city judge. That requires news coverage.
I will turn 71 in a few months, but my health is reasonably good at the moment. I will continue my blog for as long as God gives me the energy and ability to keep going.
I continue to be amazed at the number of people that regularly access this blog. That’s the biggest reason I continue.
Thanks for reading.
Regardless of the “why” I am glad you are continuing to do so. I am fairly new to Fishers having moved here less than two years ago. I don’t remember how I stumbled across your blog but it has been very informative. Because of your gentle chiding I have subscribed to both the Indianapolis Star and the Hamilton County Reporter. If I’m in a time crunch I might skip reading them but I never skip reading your newsletter.
Thank you
Thank you Larry.
Your efforts are much appreciated and I hope you someday find an apprentice who’s willing to take up the torch.
You are doing a great service. I read it every day. You inspired me to vote in the latest primary for the first time ever I think.
Thank you so much for your coverage. I had no idea this is a labor of love for you. Also, thank you for your willingness to share your COVID story.
I am so grateful that you are there to cover all things Fishers. You are very fair in your coverage. We will attend the same council meetings, and I regularly go to your blog for reference. You document details that I sometimes miss. Thank you for your SERVICE to our community…and thank you to your wife who supports your efforts.
Thank you, Larry, for your daily labor!
When I was very young, I used to fancy myself as a radio presenter or a DJ, if you will. I recorded a weekly music countdown, sort of a current music chart on a tape recorder mimicking people I heard on the radio back then. I would give the tape to just a few people that I knew would listen, and half of them rolled their eyes. But the ones who appreciated kept me going.
Life did not take me in that direction professionally, but I still believe that I benefited from that effort. The positive responses from my listeners gave me impetus to continue honing my skills.
I believe the world can be a better place through education, education, education. And you do just that! See, there’s even a person who voted this year because they read your blog!
Please remember to rest, which I’m sure you do. Hope to continue reading you here for as long as you can keep going. I also hope you get to do some fun things this summer with your loved ones!
Larry, your dedication to the residents of Fishers is unmeasureable. I am a big fan. I want you to know I depend on your expertise to keep me in the loop on what’s going on in Fishers. I thank you, my friends, neighbors and all of Fishers thank you for your public service. Jan in Charleston Crossing
Thank you, Larry, for your continued reporting on the issues that matter in the Fishers community. You’ve been doing this for many years, and I am grateful and appreciative of those efforts. I truly hope you are able to retire one day, and that you are able to find a person to fill your shoes that will provide the same balanced viewpoint as you do.