Tabatha Deans

Lois Lane on the Loose

Most of my life I’ve been a little disappointed because I always wanted to be living the life of heroins I read about in books. I envied their smarts, their spunkiness and the excitement they had in their lives. Whether it was stumbling along injustices and fighting bad guys, or sneaking around uncovering evidence and exposing wrong-doers. I know it’s fiction, but it’s always seemed more exciting than real life, and I’d always dreamed that one day, somehow, I would live the life of a fictional heroin.

Alas, I need not wait any longer. As I’m assimilated into the small world of Vernal, meeting new people, good and bad, digging into stories, histories and past secrets, I honestly feel like I’m living out a fiction novel. It began when I was elbow deep in dirt and archives in the old building, uncovering the past of the Vernal Express. People are getting to know me, and while having lunch at a local burger joint recently, a guy walked in and said “you’re the newspaper lady.” People are coming out of the woodwork with story ideas, or to share “dirty little secrets” about other community members. I sift through the information and determine what is fact, fiction and/or newsworthy.

I find myself becoming more animated, feisty and unafraid to speak my mind. I don’t know what it is about the country that has given me the freedom to do so, but I’m liking it.

October 21, 2008 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized