Where would you begin if you were given the opportunity to write an article for your hometown newspaper? Tough question.
After spending 20 years in the PR business, I was fortunate to meet and work with many – at least most of the time – terrific editors. Mostly high-tech folks and mostly great people to know. I wrote lots of stuff for clients, but never for myself. I wrote stories about modems, computers, management styles, and so on, always with someone else’s byline.
I really wanted to have a chance to tell stories and express my views. But clients don’t pay PR hacks for that. It’s always about their widget, idea, manufacturing process, boilers or who knows what. And yep, I said boilers.
Honestly, I wrote about boilers for more than 25 years. Talk about captivating prose that had to keep your undivided attention. You think “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was spellbinding? You’ve never read about the BTU output of a fire-tube boiler. Now that’s spellbinding.
Anyway, after retiring from a long and varied work-a-day career, this chance came along. The big question was, “What in the hell will I write about?” The answer came quickly. And it all started with my business card.
When I retired, I needed something to put on my card for my retirement “profession.” “Retired” made me feel really old. Since in my own un-humble opinion, I am the source of all meaningful information – just ask Lady M (I’ll discuss her in another column) – I decided on being a “Reliable Source.” And that’s what my card says: Hank Miller, Reliable Source.
But the question remained, “What exactly will I write about?” Then that little light bulb over my head lit. I decided that this column will be a lot like the Seinfeld TV show. It will be about nothing. At the same time, it will be about anything and everything. Local issues will top the bill. Who knows what will be at the bottom?
There’s one thing that’s not just local, but is something of which we are all aware. That is the folks who stand at numerous intersections in and around Morgan Hill and Gilroy requesting handouts. If you are like me, sometimes we head for the far lane so we won’t have to look these folks in the eye. Other times, our good self comes through and we find a buck or two to hand out. But we often wonder if those couple of bucks are going for booze or drugs, or for food. We hope it’s the latter, but who knows?
Well, Lady M is and has been on several non-profit boards, including The Second Harvest Food Bank. She got her hands on cards that The Food Bank provides telling the needy how to get free food.
So, now we give these cards out instead of money. Sometimes we watch in the rear-view mirror as the recipient tosses the card in the gutter. That’s when we’re glad we didn’t give out greenbacks. If you are interested, those cards are available from The Food Bank, or I can get some for you.
While on this subject, every weekday afternoon from 1 to 2:30 p.m., food is distributed by the Reachout folks from a building at the rear of St. Catherine Church. Bags of food are available to residents of Morgan Hill, San Martin and Coyote.
A couple of weeks ago, when the temperature was in the high 90s, a woman with a 6- or 7-year-old daughter came to the Morgan Hill Reachout. They had walked from Tennant Avenue and U.S. 101 to St. Catherine to get some food – a distance of maybe three miles!
The beautiful little girl’s face was beet red.
Needless to say, she and her mother were exhausted and thirsty. They were planning to walk back with several heavy bags of groceries! A good soul who had come to get food for his family didn’t hesitate for a second when I explained the situation to him. He immediately offered these folks a ride back to their house. My thanks to a good, caring man.
So, the first column is in the can. And you know what? This was fun. It’ll be even more fun next time. And the time after that.
This is Henry “Hank” Miller’s first column for the Times. A retired rocket scientist, he has an interest in classic automobiles, good conversation, martinis and community affairs. Reach him at
ha******@gm***.com
