The last five years of my life have been filled with changes which have been leading me onward and upward to new achievements, challenges and adventures. The newest adventure in my life has brought me to The Kincardine Independent. A few years back when I was between jobs, I decided it was time to get high school completed. I had left high school with dreams of being some sort of rock ‘n’ roll star or something to that effect. I realize now it wasn’t the best career path to embark on but I wasn’t completely unsuccessful at chasing that dream. It just didn’t pay the bills and I ended up with a family. So, I started working a series of jobs through my 20s and 30s which helped raise three great kids but never quite satisfied my creative drive. This brings me into my early 40s. My children are no longer children. They are young adults making their own way in the world. We dropped the youngest one off at Nipissing University on Aug. 24. My wife and I are officially empty nesters. As the flock in my house thinned out, I started to work on correcting my educational mistakes. The first step was to get my GED. I did well on all sections of the GED examination but I excelled at the English and writing portion. The professor who helped with the preparation courses for the examination encouraged me to continue my education and I figured the time was finally right. I studied journalism for two years at Mohawk College in Hamilton and finished up with one year at Conestoga College in Kitchener. As I was completing my education, I spent almost three years freelancing for newspapers in Listowel, Wingham, Palmerston, Harriston, Clifford, Arthur and Mount Forest. Even though I thought I wanted to trade small town life for a life filled with rock ‘n’ roll adventures when I was a teenager, I found I have a passion for writing about small town people, politics and events. When I completed my journalism program, I knew a small-town paper is where I wanted to be and I believe I’ve found a good fit in The Kincardine Independent. I’m looking forward to learning about what makes Kincardine tick. Well, I know Bruce Power plays a big role in the community, which is a very fascinating aspect of this area, but I am also looking forward to learning about the people who make Kincardine tick. If you feel you’ve got a story to share, contact me at colin@independent.on.ca.