Always in the back of my mind

In 1991 my former editor Fred Hatfield published a collection of his columns in a book called The Editor’s Diary – which was also the name of the weekly column he wrote in the Yarmouth Vanguard.

His columns had a huge following and they could move you to cheers as easily as they could move you to tears.

We often joked back in the day that our newsroom could have been a sitcom given some of the antics and unexpected plot twists. And as funny as the funniest moments were, when Fred wrote about them they were even funnier.

He also wrote about growing up in the south end of Yarmouth, he wrote about his cats, his wrote about his kids, and “the sensible one,” his wife Belle, made many cameo appearances for good reason.

At the time his book came out, aside from him and Belle in our newsroom there were four reporters. Myself and Eric Bourque, Ian White and Greg Bennett. Fred signed our books. In the guys’ books he wrote: “Hope you enjoy this and find something of interest.”

In my book – I had been working in the newsroom for a yearand-a-half at the time – he wrote, “To Tina. Hope you enjoy this and find something of interest. 25 years from now I’ll be reading yours!”

Well, he didn’t read a collection of my columns in a book 25 years later. I never took the plunge and even if I had it would have been too late as he died the year be- fore what would have been my “25 years later.” But his words have always resonated with me and I often wonder, “Should I? Shouldn’t I?”

I think I’m at the stage now that I if don’t do it, it will be one of my biggest regrets in life. Not because I think it would be a blockbuster – far from it – but because when Fred wrote those words 27 years ago it told me that he believed in me.

And for that I am eternally grateful.

About a year ago I unofficially pitched the idea of compiling my columns into a book, as I’m not sure where my company would stand on this. I’ve toyed about doing it as a fundraiser for our high school hockey team since many of my family stories over the years have been about my boys playing hockey. Who knows, I may pitch the idea again.

There are columnists who tackle hard-hitting subject mat- ters. That was never the intent of the space I fill. I offer readers a lighter slice of my life, and family life, hoping it’s something they’ll enjoy and can relate to.

I can remember years ago when Fred asked me what I was writing my column about. “Gardening,” I told him. The look on his face was priceless. I clarified. “It won’t be that kind of column.” In other words, if people were looking for gardening advice or expertise they wouldn’t be getting it from me. My thumb is anything but green.

Meanwhile about a book, I think part of my hesitation has stemmed from the fact that many of my columns have been about my kids and silly things that have happened to us a family. I always make sure never to embarrass them (well, at least not to really embarrass them) and some of my best columns are probably the ones I never wrote because I also made sure to respect their privacy.

So when I toyed with a collection of my columns I asked my oldest son Jacob if it would bother him. He said he’d be fine with it.

This past weekend, my son Justin and I went out to lunch with my sister, my brother- in- law and our two nieces. At one point Justin said, “Mom will think something is so funny. I’ll say something and she’ll write a twopage post on her Facebook page talking about it,” he said.

“And I’m sure my whole life has been laid out in the Vanguard,” he laughed, seemingly shrugging off the weekly minutes of fame I’ve given him. Hmmm…

There’s a folder on the desktop of my laptop called ‘ Tina’s favourite columns’ where I’ve been setting columns aside in case I ever do take that plunge.

Who knows Fred, maybe someday.