My, how time has flown

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

It seems like just yesterday I was packing up my apartment in Waverly to move to Elgin. I had worked for Waverly Newspapers for just about sixth months after a two-year stint as sports editor of Vinton Newspapers.

For those of you who may not know me, I’m originally from Webster, N.Y., a suburb of Rochester, N.Y. I’ll just go ahead and answer the question that is surely on your mind: Why did I move to Iowa?

Well, Vinton was my first job as a writer. It was a leap of faith I took, knowing that working as an assistant manager at an Arby’s wouldn’t allow me to achieve my dreams. I needed a change, so I thought, why not the cornfields of Iowa?

It is a decision I don’t regret. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you how truly scared I was to take that leap of faith. At least when I moved to Elgin I had my girlfriend, Megan, and her family, when I moved to Vinton, I didn’t know a single person, nor did I have a single tie to the community. I found the job online, applied and was hired. A little over a month later my family was helping me move into my first apartment. Two days after that, I was all alone.

I have pondered what life would be like had I not taken that leap of faith; in most of my musings, the possibilities don’t seem very appealing. Don’t get me wrong, I have a loving family that would do anything for me, but certain decisions I had made in New York were leading me down a path to nowhere.

I took the position with Fayette County Newspapers in West Union after some staff shifting in Waverly. Moving to Elgin wasn’t easy. As a city boy, living in a city with just a grocery store, gas station and one restaurant was even more of a culture shock than moving to Vinton had been. Plus, I really enjoyed living in Waverly. It reminded me a lot of my hometown, and I had grown close to the people who worked in the newspaper office there.

With the move to the West Union, it was once again time to spread my wings, leap, and have faith in my abilities as a writer. I’ll admit, at first I didn’t love living in northeast Iowa, and if I’m being completely honest, even after moving to West Union with my girlfriend in April, it still isn’t my cup of tea. However, one thing the concrete jungles of the world can’t compete with is the beauty this countryside as to offer.

As I drive to an event, I constantly find myself paying a little more attention to the beauty around me than I do to the road. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I am excited to go kayaking down the Turkey and Upper Iowa rivers this summer to take in the undisturbed natural beauty of the area.

This past year has been quite the whirlwind, especially with meeting new people every day. If I don’t happen to remember your name, please don’t take it personally; there are just too many people to try to remember all at once.

I’m lucky, though. My girlfriends family, Ken and Sue Einck of Festina, are some of the nicest, most caring people one could ever hope for in potential in-laws, so I spend a lot of time in Festina. I may not understand how people can live in a town that has just a playground, church and community center, but I’m sure happy to call northeast Iowa my home and its residents my friends.

I look forward to continuing to bring you the news for northern Fayette County and meeting those of you I haven’t yet.

Happy summer, and stay safe!