Several years ago, I worked as an editor for a small local newspaper. Our direct competition, besides the main newspaper of course, was a publication that appealed to the same population as ours did; only its main stories featured the violence, crime and poverty that ravaged our city. Mug shots of criminals consistently held primary front page spots. These photos were accompanied by the “guess who’s in jail” stories. Our competitor’s paper would fly off the shelves like it actually had wings.
In contrast, we worked very hard to chronicle the brighter side of our community. We consistently covered human interest stories that focused on triumph over tragedy and those who were making remarkable strides in our community. In fact, whoever did something for someone else, especially when they didn’t have to, immediately become news to us. It wasn’t long before we began hearing that our little paper was catching on, as more and more residents seemed to be picking it up. We even received a letter all the way from the UK. A former resident of our town was actually receiving the paper there and she wanted to personally thank us for covering the positive aspects of our community. Week after week our delivery driver returned with fewer and fewer unclaimed papers. We were finally seeing success. Why? It’s simple; people really do want to know about that greatness and the beauty of our humanity.
The dictionary defines a human being as: a member of any of the races of Homo sapiens; person; man woman or child. But what makes us human is not the house made of flesh, which we reside in—we are far more complex than simple DNA. The fact is, what truly makes us human are our experiences: A genuine smile, a random act of kindness, the wisdom of a grandmother, the tender touch of a mother, a hero who risks it all, the bond between father and son…. In this section, we will cover who we are as human beings—those created in the image of the Almighty—those who possess His attributes. It will challenge us to live more, to love stronger and to learn from and to accept one another. At Shades of Goodness it is our hope that these remarkable stories will help us to grow into the beautiful individuals that God has called us to be. So sit back and relax with your perfect cup of Joe, and enjoy the section that celebrates Our Humanity.
Nicole Major, Co-Creator of Shades Of Goodness, has written professionally for more than 15 years for a variety of publications including the Jacksonville Business Journal, Women in Aviation Magazine and The Herald. She’s written internationally for PC World Egypt, the Middle East Times, and Am Cham Egypt’s Business Monthly Magazine. She is currently a fulltime staff writer for the Fairfield Ledger in Fairfield, Iowa where she has written under the name Nicole Hester-Williams. In 1997, the Arthritis Foundation nominated her for a profile story she wrote highlighting a young woman’s struggle with Rheumatoid Arthritis; she was subsequently awarded a Celebrate Independence Medal. Nicole has authored three books including “Amina, Princess of Zaria,” which was a brief Amazon bestseller for books in African literature in 2007. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in both journalism and social science. She currently lives in Fairfield, Iowa with her husband Jason and their two daughters, Danielle and Gabrielle.
