It's dangerous, really

There are things that are more dangerous than stupidity....ego is a fine example of that and something I witnessed, first hand today!
You see, as the majority of you know, I am a real, bonfire newspaper reporter. However, the paper I work for is a small weekly that doesn't have a whole lot of "hard hitting journalism" in it, which really, is fine with me. Why you ask? Because we are a small community in which everybody pretty much knows everybody, I am far too nice of a person to go all paparazzi-rude ass interrogation- on your ass in the middle of a tragedy or if you happen to do something naughty. Besides, I don't like confrontation, authority figures intimidate me and dammit, I want to be known as "the nice one" once in a while.
All of that paid off pretty well this week...The trial of Kendall Lee Ware was happening this week in the good ol Audubon County Courthouse and while some may think they are "the only ones who would cover it." They were dead wrong. (See above...small town, everyone knows everyone...it comes in handy sometimes.)
While it's true I wasn't in the courtroom Tuesday and Wednesday, I was there today, when it mattered. (I also didn't piss the judge off. Again the whole small town thing. I learned in 1992 when I began spending the weekends at the Richardson home that you don't fuck with the judge. You show him respect and he shows it to you.)
Yes, I wasn't wearing a fancy outfit and I didn't have a tape recorder in my pocket, but when the jury got the case and began deliberations, I was sitting in the family room, invited in there by "Little Bear's" grandpa.
You see, I don't work for a daily paper, I don't win fancy awards, I don't have a little piece of paper from a four year school with my name on it.
I do have respect. I do have kindness. I do have connections and I do have decency. I know not to poke fun at the communities around me. I know better than to bash those who work in my same industry, all in the name of trying to sell a few more copies. And...I know people. Which is how I knew exactly where and when I needed to be places today and I was in the best place possible when it mattered....in Jodi's arms hugging her and shedding a tear with her when justice was served for Little Bear. I'll take that kind of knowledge any day.