Jackson Free Press

Man, oh man, do I have a lot to learn.

About three weeks ago, I took on the job of managing editor for the JFP. It didn't take long for me to accept the job after editor-in-chief Donna Ladd offered it to me. It feels right. This is something I can do.

My life has always been filled with challenges; it's the way I like it, always pushing the edges, coming around the curve sideways on two wheels, and hitting the brakes just in time to avoid catastrophe. That may be more than Donna wants to know about me, but then, we've been working together for going on four years, so I think she's got a clue. Chaos follows me around like the little dirt cloud follows Pig Pen in Charles' Schultz "Peanuts," always ready to engulf me.

Give me a job where I can learn something new, and I am as happy as that proverbial pig in ... mud.

So, here I am again at a new beginning, with a boatload of responsibility and a million little details to remember. My biggest responsibility, though, is to remember what brought me here to begin with.

I moved to Jackson from Washington, D.C., in 1997. Beyond moving into my fourth career at 40, I was met with much that I never expected. Many of my new colleagues were immediately suspicious that I wasn't a member of a formal religion. They thought my progressive politics were crazy. And their opinion about my "misspent" youth, marching against Vietnam and for women's rights? Let's just say small talk took on an inordinate importance. It's a wonder my tongue isn't several inches shorter from biting it so often.

This opinionated broad wasn't a good fit in the corporate meeting room, and after nine years of pain, my, um, invitation to leave was long overdue. Meanwhile, finding the JFP felt like a breath of fresh air. Finally, I found people who not only thought like me, they didn't have any qualms being vocal about it.

So I started career number five: newspaper intern, writer, photographer, part-time editor and journalist. Man, oh man, did I have a lot to learn. But I dived in, taking classes, reading books and practicing. A lot.

Somewhere since, I managed to start a yoga practice and become a teacher--career number six. At the JFP I have interviewed fascinating people, from famous authors and actors to not-so-famous religious leaders and just a ton of other folks, all interesting in their own right, each with a marvelous story to tell.

I've also been humbled to make a difference in the course of a few lives.

So here I am again at the precipice of a new beginning. When I look back over my life, I've rarely taken an easy path, and the JFP is no exception.

The whys of taking on another new adventure are easy. First and foremost, it's an honor to be part of something whose very reason for being is to effect change in the world for the better. The JFP has given me another opportunity to join the fray for social justice, to raise the hood on the issues of the day, to be a staunch and vocal advocate for those whose voices often lack the forum to be heard.

More than all of that, though, is the challenge of being a beginner again, to walk into an established job and bring a new point of view and a new energy to bear.

Truth is, every day each one of us has that opportunity, regardless of how long we've been on the job. That's the challenge that keeps life from becoming stale and boring. I wish I could say I'm really, really good at meeting the challenge. I'm not--at least not any better than most. I'm much better at starting things than maintaining them with energy. And I'm perfectly dreadful at letting things go when I've failed, when things have outlived their usefulness or when people have left my life.

Life is change, though, all of the time. And working toward life balance includes finding a way to roll with those changes from moment to moment. Crafting new beginnings requires changing; maintaining an enterprise like the JFP requires changing constantly to remain relevant; and endings, letting go of outdated worldviews or the need to be right, requires changing.

This past Feb. 14, while the western world celebrated Valentine's Day, the eastern world celebrated the Asian New Year, beginning the year 4708, ushering in the year of the Metal or White Tiger. Tiger years in the 12-year Asian cycle are typically years of massive upheaval and great social change. Adding the element of metal means that those changes will be coming sharp and fast.

Will you keep up? Are you ready to embrace change like never before?

Consider the alternative. Resisting change requires just as much energy as changing, but without the possibility of a better outcome. Resisting change causes a lot of suffering.

I'm renewing my commitment to change today, renewing my commitment to meet the future with courage, resolve and an open mind, renewing my commitment to justice--a gauntlet I picked up nearly 40 years ago.

I extend an invitation to each of you to tell your stories, or to help us tell them. I want to know what it was like growing up and living as an African American, Asian or Latino in Mississippi. I want to hear the experiences of being a man or woman, gay, lesbian, transgender or bi-sexual. I want to understand what it means to be Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Baptist or atheist in Mississippi.

Tantric yoga philosophy suggests that we are all manifestations of the divine on earth, put here so that the divine can experience mortality--joy and pain, love and hate, taste, touch and smell. It suggests that the divine, which exists fully in all of us, is the single source of everything. I don't know if that's true. What little I do know suggests that the world's people have much more in common than they have differences, and those differences pale in comparison to the similarities. All of us want peace; all of us want the best for our children; all of us want to love and be loved, make a difference, be healthy.

It's through the telling of our stories that we find the vital connections of our lives, the connections and conversations that allow us to remember the big truths about what it takes to live happy, fulfilling lives. Together, we can ride on that dynamic white tiger's back to achieve our dreams.

Man, oh man, do I have a lot to learn. How about you? Will we learn together?

Previous Comments

ID

156113

Comment

Congratulations on your new position Ronni. It is much deserved. I have really enjoyed your columns and this reminded me of some of the pieces I have written. You know, about how I am changing my ways, seeing Jackson and "them" for what they are and appreciating all that comes with it. You moved me and motivated me. And yes, I am ready to learn!

Author

Langston Moore

Date

2010-02-17T13:03:24-06:00

ID

156117

Comment

Congratulations!!! It certainly sounds like a perfect fit. I was wondering where you had gotten off to, and now it makes sense. I am glad you are still here and I, for one, look forward to more enlightening discussions with you. :-)

Author

WMartin

Date

2010-02-17T13:22:41-06:00

ID

156118

Comment

Ronni has definitely worked hard at the JFP. She does what it takes; she learns; she takes criticism well; she cares about getting the details right. And she's not averse to hard work, which we demand. By the way, at the same time I named Ronni managing editor, I named Lacey McLaughlin news editor from assistant editor. She is passionate about local news, and this allows her more time to report herself. She is also the Daily editor now and a very hard worker. Cheers to them both. Send news and business ideas, and suggestions for Person of the Day, to: [email protected]

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2010-02-17T13:28:44-06:00

ID

156125

Comment

Go Ronni! Jackson is very lucky to have you. All the best, Karen Parker

Author

kkparker

Date

2010-02-17T13:48:29-06:00

ID

156145

Comment

Congratulations, Ronni!

Author

darren

Date

2010-02-17T18:30:57-06:00

ID

156201

Comment

Congratulations, Ronni! It's great to be ever young and fill of enthusiasm and hope for the future. I hope the new job means I will be able to read even more of your work than in the past. Tommy Gregory

Author

Tommy

Date

2010-02-18T21:43:59-06:00

ID

156216

Comment

Thanks everyone. I couldn't do it without you.

Author

Ronni_Mott

Date

2010-02-19T19:55:36-06:00