In post-9/11 New York City, the slogan "If you see something, say something" has become a simple message to remind people that we should all take responsibility for each other and that we should turn concerns into action.
I was reminded this week ... yet again .. of how important it is to also remember:
If you think of someone, let them know.
I have a new friend who I met this fall at a gathering of women journalists: JAWS. She is one of several people I met there who I am sure would be an In Real Life friend, if we all lived in the same town. Sharon has launched a huge, new project in the last few weeks and has shared that with all of us via email.
This week, I was thinking about how hard it is in the first months of a new publication. Getting the first edition of a new paper out or launching a website takes a lot of time and humungous amounts of effort. But the second edition and the second week of a new project is often the killer. The buzz of the launch has receded and you've got a much shorter time to turn things around and keep publishing.
And I started thinking about how Sharon must be going through that tough time.
But I didn't stop there. I wrote her a quick email telling her what I was thinking and wishing her well. I didn't really think more about it until I opened a note from her the next day. It began:
"Thank you so much for your email. You don't know how much I needed it just then."
This is not a big, big deal, but it is a great reminder to me that if I think of someone, let them know. We all do this every day ... think of a friend or family member or former colleague and then move on. I'm so glad that this week I turned those thoughts into action.
And, oh, Sharon's doing great. Insanely busy, but great.
Robin J. Phillips, Tempe
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