It started back on February 10, 2015. I was part of the inaugural group regularly sharing opinions in a new WNIJ feature called Perspectives. This is #70. And somehow, I’m still here.
As an essayist, my topics come from my daily life. Friends. Family. Strangers. Other media. Issues I’ve written about on social media and then expanded or boiled down into an NPR piece.
Now, I have many issues that grind my gears and I’ll let you know about them if given time.
During those nine years of Perspectives my topics have included, deep breath:
Sports tourism
Free-range kids
Driving a stick shift
The national anthem and sports
My vasectomy–oh yes, I did.
Rockford’s Roundabout
Marijuana
Heroin
My first job as a paperboy
Being a Daughter Dad
Experiences vs. Stuff
The Perils and Promises of Parenting
Alcohol
Tobacco
Firearms (the latter several times, sadly)
My atheism–oh yes, I did.
The Power of the First Amendment
The Promise of Rockford Promise
The diminishment of women’s rights
Louise, Rockford’s Peregrine Falcon
Pushing the first child out of the nest
The rebirth of independent bookstores
The awesomeness of Generation X
And many others.
I’ve traveled widely around the U.S., listening to countless local public radio stations. No doubt, Northern Public Radio is the best in the country. It’s an honor to be a member and a privilege to opine.
My monthly 300ish-word, 90ish-second polemics have added up to about 21,000 words and around 112 minutes of commentary. And whether you hear my piece and say “Yay! Right on!” or shake your head and say, “Oh no, he didn’t!” at least you’re listening. And that’s what we need, perhaps now more than ever. So, thanks for that.
I’m Wester Wuori and that’s my 70th Perspective.