Publisher column: You never know when it might be the last time

When Ethan was young, read something that stuck with me: “Every time you pick your child up or tuck them in, it might be the last time you ever do it.” It’s a powerful reminder to savor life’s sweet moments, because once they’re gone, they aren’t coming back. Occasionally, I get a notion that I might be doing something for the last time and I try to soak it all up. It happened to me at Princeton’s Homecoming a few weeks ago. Perhaps you’ve heard that my friend, Rick Heilmann, is in the process of selling Country SuperStars 102.3 to Curtis Media. That throws my side project, calling high school football games on that radio station, very much into doubt. Now, I’ve covered high school football in some medium or another since the early 90s and despite a long career filled with interesting assignments and fascinating people, nothing moves me quite like Friday Night Lights. Perched in the press box over in Princeton, I decided to walk down to field level and take it all in. The Homecoming court was posing for pictures near the home bench while the football team went through its warm up drills. I listened to the chatter between players and coaches, which somehow sounds the same as it did when I first stood on a sideline as a senior in high school. It felt like a good time to stop and smell the popcorn. Because, despite a few ideas I may have to the contrary, you never know when it might be the last time.