Mike

There he goes, out the door — one of the best writers, sharpest minds, and most sarcastic wits I've ever met.

Mike sits a couple cubes over in the newsroom, or at least he did until today, when he finally packed up his stuff and headed off for greener pastures, a bigger paycheck and a shorter commute. Under his arm were tear sheets from some of his best stories, a stack of his kids' handmade drawings that had decorated the wall next to his desk, and his favorite stress ball — now the consistency of soft butter after hundreds of hours of vigorous use.

Here's the thing about Mike — he cranked out news stories like a vending machine, day after day, week after week, year after year. That kind of thing can suck the creativity and joy right out of you. But even after all these years in the news business, Mike still found a way to weave a little "inspired" into just about everything he wrote.

People, places, experiences, causes — he gave readers a front row seat to everything and everyone.

Complex issues or stories — Mike untangled these with ease in what appeared to be a matter of hours. (I would have been stuck in quicksand for weeks.)

Pages of legal jargon, government legislation, and election-speak — he boiled the whole mess down to its barest essence and put it in simple, straightforward terms. The kind that make you say "Ohhhhhh, THAT's what it means..."

Clearly the man knows how to write. His body of work reflects a passion for words, pacing, tempo, color, rhythm, and yeah, I'll say it — a folksy style. He writes like real people talk (or would if they used proper grammar).

I like that. I want to read that. I want to write like that.

Now Mike is off on a new phase of his career. I'm going to miss his sarcastic asides, satirical observations, and the occasional mumbling that rises up out of his cube. I'll miss his zingy headlines, daily quotes from "The Onion," the special shade of red his face gets when an unexpected phone call goes too long.

But most of all, I'm going to miss reading his stories.

Best of luck Mike.


Also available at MPNnow.com.