Kat Bryant

Making Tracks

I wrote last week that “community” was one of the primary reasons I chose to move to Aberdeen, even before I visited here. This is a concept that has evolved for me through many decades.

Size does not necessarily define a community, but it absolutely does matter. I didn’t even realize how true that is until this past year.

As I mentioned previously, my family moved a lot when I was young. So when the time came to decide where I’d go to college, I never considered looking near where we lived at the time; I knew that was temporary. Instead, I thought about where I wanted to settle for the rest of my life. I chose the Arizona desert — partly because there was almost no snow, but also because I had always been drawn by its beauty. And so I went to school in Tucson and started my career in the Phoenix area.

Metropolitan Phoenix is enormous. It’s actually several cities folded into one massive lump in central Arizona, referred to overall as the Valley of the Sun. The most recent census tallied about 4.2 million residents within its 9,000-plus square miles, and that’s not counting the thousands of “snowbirds” who live there only for the winter months.

Through the years, I made many lifelong friends through Scouting and my work. But I rarely got to know my neighbors in the places I lived, because they mostly kept to themselves. And how could they not? It’s next to impossible to find a house in the Valley without a tall fence or concrete-block wall around it. No one ever sat on their front porch in the evenings and socialized. I could understand that on 110-degree summer days, but not so much through the rest of the year. Because of this, I commented more than once that the Valley had no soul. But I got used to it.

Then, about a year ago, I took a new job in Bismarck — the capital of North Dakota, with about 67,000 residents. Within hours of my arrival, the folks next door walked over to welcome me to my new home. I was dumbfounded. After that, we chatted regularly. After decades of isolation, I truly felt like part of a neighborhood. It warmed my soul, even in the depths of a bitter winter. I loved it.

At an industry conference last fall, I also became friends with several amazing people from rural areas of the Dakotas whose passion is community journalism. In their blink-and-you’ll-miss-it towns, journalists don’t just report local news; they write about people they see every day. After a lifetime working for newspapers that catered to business interests and big-city denizens, I sensed a whole different dynamic. I got caught up in their passion. I wanted to do what they did: I wanted to tell stories that mattered to the readers because they’re about the readers.

Then, out of the blue, I received a call from The Daily World. I think it was meant to be.

And now, as I settle into Aberdeen, with fewer than 17,000 people in just 12 square miles, I can’t wait to get to know you as I endeavor to tell your stories — my neighbors’ stories — with sensitivity as well as accuracy.

In the meantime, I’m actively seeking the best cocoa in town (I do not drink coffee), and I’d love tips on scenic trails in the area where I can take my dog, Rose, for long walks. Please email me your suggestions.

It’s what good neighbors do, after all.

Kat Bryant is lifestyle editor of The Daily World. Reach her at kbryant@thedailyworld.com.