The Best of the Past, by Rich Paschall

Sometimes I rummage around in the archives to find an article I have used before. There are various reasons for this. I might wish to bring back a favorite story or article. The very first thing of mine that Marilyn published was a short Christmas story. I really loved it because I used it a couple more times. There were years in between its appearance here so I hope it found a few new readers each time. Re-posting is not an unusual practice. We do it from time to time.

Yesterday’s story (Thanks, Now Leave) was used before. It resonates with me personally because it is based on a true event. I read it over carefully to make sure that it told the story in the best way possible. I am satisfied that it did.

When stories and articles are reused, they may also get updated. Despite the number of times I read something initially, I may find spelling or grammar mistakes later. I may find phrases that seem awkward. There is no reason not to re-edit a story before bringing it back.

Some articles need updating. New or additional information may be available. Better pictures might be in the library. I may just want to give something a new look. The best of the past can often be made even better.

Many of my early stories and articles contained few pictures. Marilyn has encouraged me to use what she has in the media library and its contents are vast after all these years. I often find the perfect illustration for a story or article.

If you have stopped by often, you may have noticed that I love to give out Top Ten or even Top Twenty lists. This past week we gave you a playlist of cold-weather songs. (Baby, It’s Cold Outside) Anytime we reuse something with clips from YouTube we may find that one or more of the clips are no longer available. A substitute must be found.

The search through the archives may be to elicit a new idea. There are stories and Top Ten lists I have yet to write. Looking over the past could be a good way to find a new idea for the future. Marilyn has taught me that writing ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere.

Another reason for looking at the past is that I may find little time to prepare my article on schedule. So I decided to find an old memory tucked away in the almost 14 thousand stories, articles, and photo galleries in the archive. Just over 700 are mine. About 12 thousand are from Marilyn.

With that in mind, I may go tripping through the archives this week. If you see something from Marilyn, it is really something I liked and thought I would bring back. I know you won’t mind. Let’s face it, her photo galleries are amazing and her articles are often amusing, thoughtful, insightful, or all those things. While Marilyn is resting up, we may visit the archives and memories for another chance at SERENDIPITY (“the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for” – Merriam-Webster) in other words, a fortunate happenstance.

Categories: Heart, Hospital, Medical, Rich Paschall, story

Tags: archives, articles, Marilyn Armstrong, media library, memories, photo gallery, short stories