Opinion : The Million memory March

For many people, there are places, or dates, that they will always remember.

The park where you hit your first home run.

The place you were standing when you heard that JFK had been shot.

The date you met your husband or wife. Or the date you lost someone you loved. Or maybe the date when your career path took a sharp turn.

For me, March 1 was a date like that -- twice.

It was March 1, 2003, when I began my work in Vinton. I'd been working for similar papers in Independence, Oelwein and Washington (Iowa) since Sept. 21, 1992 (another one my those memorable dates). But in January of 2003, I decided it was time to come back to my grandfather's farm.

I saw the ad; I made a call. Within a few weeks I was sitting in the office once used by the guy who once fired the guy who hired me to work in Vinton (long story).

It was a pretty good day, March 1, 2003.

But March 1, 2010, was a different kind of memorable.

That was the day my association with newspapers ended, and I took the first few tentative steps to what we now call "Vinton Today." Looking back now, it was a good day.

But at the time, it felt rotten.

March 1, 2011, is also a milestone. As I write this, it's a few minutes after 8 p.m. Before the calendar reaches March 2, we will have passed the 950,000 milestone in hits on our Vinton Today web site. By the Ides of March, we will be at a million.

So the next time something memorable happens, look at the calendar. Save the date, in your mind. Then when that date comes around again, think back to the reason you imprinted that date on your memory. And when you see someone having a memorable day that seems like an awful one, share your story with them.