Taking Responsibility

The sun is bright, the air is clear and there’s not a cloud in the deep blue sky. It’s a beautiful morning in Shady Pines. More people show up on the sidewalks as shops open for business. Right over there in an office on Main Street, Scoop the Cub Reporter is already at his desk typing up his notes.

The teenage reporter for The Shady Pines Gazette got up very early to cover the ‘Paws For A Good Cause’ Marathon. All those who laced up their tennis shoes and took to the streets were running to raise money for a good cause. The local Animal Shelter is a bit run down and needs some fixin’ up.

As Scoop stops typing on his computer, he thinks to himself, “I believe this article about two-legged people helping our four-legged friends is a real feel-good story. I hope Zulah likes it.”

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than his editor, Zulah Talmadge, arrives through the back door. “Helloooo! Anyone here?”

Scoop looks up. “Right here, Ms. Talmadge.”

Zulah scurries into the main room. “Well, now, Scoop. You’re in early today.”

Scoop hits, ‘send’ so he can share with Zulah what he’s written. “Yeah, I covered the Marathon. You can read all about it. I just sent the story to your email inbox.”

Doing A Good Job

Zulah plops down on her comfortable chair at her desk. Before she puts on her glasses, Zulah looks at her lanky assistant with his shock of red hair. “Scoop, I have to tell you something.”

Scoops looks confused. She hasn’t even read his story yet. “What’s that Ms. Talmadge?”

“I am so proud of you, young man,” says Zulah. “You are doing such a good job.”

Scoop can feel his cheeks turning red. “Aw, shucks. It’s no big deal.”

Zulah puts both hands on the desk and leans toward him. “It IS a big deal. Like today, you made sure you got up early and were there on time to report on the fund raiser. You did that. All by yourself.”

Scoop fidgets with the pen in his hand. He doesn’t know what to say. “Thank you.”

Zulah continues. “That shows you know how to take responsibility and finish what you start.”

Feeling a little embarassed, Scoop uses his favorite pen to doodle and make odd shapes on a piece of white paper. “Well, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Remember what happened a few months ago?”

Zulah leans back in her chair. “You mean when we were covering that protest out at Stonewall Park?”

Scoop gets up and grabs a bottled water from the little cooler in the back corner where they keep snacks. “Yep. That’s the one.”

“The way I remember it, you ran over there ahead of me,” says Zulah. “There was already a crowd of people gathering around.”

Face The Facts

Scoop nods his head remembering the scene. “Those folks were not happy. Mayor Beauregard Fibbs was telling them they’d  have to pay extra to use the park and the carousel.”

“Don’t forget the mayor included the Dog Park and the use of the Shady Pines Lake, too,” adds Zulah.

Scoop snaps his fingers. “That’s right. It got ugly. By the time you got there everyone was really upset and asking all sorts of angry questions.”

Zulah agrees. “I’ve rarely seen ‘ole Beauregard get that hot under the collar. But you know, he was accepting responsibility. He said it would take more money to keep all of those places open. He told the truth and sometimes that’s hard to do.”

Scoop hangs his head. “Yeah. But it’s what happened after the event that I won’t foget. When we got back, I wrote up the story and I blew it!”

Zulah goes over and puts her arm on Scoop’s shoulder. “Look. You got some of the facts wrong. It happens.”

Admit Your Mistakes

Scoop shakes his head. “I reported the wrong amount of money it was going to cost each person. The phones went crazy. And so many people called us and were shouting!”

Zulah tries to make Scoop feel better. “Yes, but, you corrected your mistake. You wrote and admitted you messed up and gave our readers the right information. That takes courage. I’ve made mistakes, too. Scoop, it’s what we do after we know we are wrong that shows real character.”

Scoop looks at her. “I guess so.”

Zulah smiles. “I know so. Now, how ’bout we wander over to the soda fountain in the Nuts N’ Bolts Hardware store later today and I treat you to an ice cream cone? I just might get something for myself, too.”

Scoop is all smiles. “That’s so nice of you. Plus, you never know what news we’ll discover.”

Zulah smiles. “That’s true. Folks in Shady Pines love to swap stories and you never know what will happen next!”