By By Janet Little Cooper
I've never been fond of goodbyes. And as life would have it, being the daughter of a Southern Baptist preacher has put me in the position where I have had to say those dreaded words more times than I care to count.
Life in a preacher's home was much like that of military families – you are never in one place too long. My parents always laughed at me growing up because I could spot a U-haul truck as quickly as I could the McDonald's sign on an interstate.
The hardest goodbyes however, are also some of the best-kept memories I have in life. Today I am bidding yet another difficult goodbye. Thank heavens a U-haul isn't involved in this farewell for I am not moving to another city or state, but I am however 'moving' to another publication, The Tri-City Ledger in Flomaton.
The decision to leave my position as editor of the Advance has been a painful and difficult one to say the least. In the end, I had to do what I felt was best for my children and myself. As most of you know, the Ledger is a weekly publication opposed to the bi-weekly that I am accustomed to here at the Advance.
My goal is to cut my hours in the office and increase my hours at home with my two sons. They need me more than anyone at this point and while I have spent tireless hours of covering events that your children or grandchildren are in, I have missed that many and more of my own children.
It is time for me to go to a school play, awards ceremony or baseball game as a mother instead of a reporter.
My family is happy with my decision and is actually looking forward to a hot meal right off the stove and not out of the crock-pot or from Church's Chicken.
As I said, the decision did not come easy and I attribute that to you, our readers and neighbors here in Atmore and around.
I have had the honor of meeting so many wonderful people while working at the Advance for the past year and a half.
The Advance will always be a part of my life. It was here that I got my very first job at the age of 16 inserting circulars in the back room and it was here that I had hoped I would stay.
But I also remember as a child growing up in Louisiana, that the Tri-City Ledger was the first newspaper I read. My parents are from Jay, Fla., and subscribed to the paper while living away from home.
My new job will also afford me more time with my parents who I see very little of now. I am excited about creating new memories with them at this stage of my life as I will now be able to have lunch with them a couple of times a week.
While I will miss my co-workers at the Advance, I will continue to work alongside them as I cover meetings and events in Atmore and the surrounding area assisting them in anyway that I can.
To my readers, thank you for the phone calls, emails and notes of encouragement that you have showered me with while working here at the Advance. Most of all thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life. Goodbye for now.
Janet Little Cooper is the editor of The Atmore Advance. She can be reached at 368-2123 until her last day on Friday.