Publisher column: Johnston Now Honors fill up my passion bucket

By Randy Capps

I tell people about my “passion bucket” and how it relates to my ability to write things. The passion bucket is simply my daily supply of talent and creativity, and it diminishes as I perform most daily tasks.

When it’s empty, my brain turns into orange jello and sitting in front of a keyboard turns into an exercise in futility. That’s why I like this time of year. Way back in high school, I decided that I wanted to tell stories. Sports stories were the ones I favored, but stories all the same.

Johnston Now Honors is our chance to shine a light on the good work our friends and neighbors are doing, and even though it’s a lot of work packed into a relatively short window, it does wonders for my bucket.

It’s tough to pick a favorite Honors story, but I like it when they intertwine. This year’s healthcare winner, Catina Hartley, used to work with a previous honoree, Dr. Dennis Koffer, and his response to my question about hospice care changed the way I look at that forever.

I liked hearing Pam Ryan tell us about her journey with Kid’s Company, and the mental image of the Ryan family watching TV in the kitchen as their house slowly morphed into a daycare facility was amusing.

T.J. Blake’s passion about helping veterans was inspiring, and I already knew Joy Callahan, so being able to tell her story was a particular privilege. Learning a little more about Kim Robertson and Tomeka Moore’s service to their respective communities was a treat as well.

I hope that Honors has made a difference in our community, and by telling these stories, we can somehow uplift people and inspire them to go out and make a difference.

It certainly does that for me.