The Short Stop

Jan 22
2010

Rebecca Price Janney

At the age of 15, a local newspaper editor decided to take a chance on me.  I had shown him my portfolio of celebrity features for other publications and, duly impressed, he put me on a two-week trial basis.  Then he called me into his office and said he thought “the kid” had promise, that he would give me my own weekly column, and I could pick what I wanted to write about.  Talk about carte blanche!  I knew exactly what I wanted, and a few weeks later, we launched “The Short Stop,” in which I focused on personality stories about the Philadelphia Phillies. I chose the title for a few reasons, including the obvious baseball reference.  There was also the message that my offerings would be brief, as well as a tongue-in-cheek allusion to my petite stature.   During the off season, I wrote about athletes from other professional sports, and I indulged my deep-seated interest in politics, offering a teenage perspective on the leaders and events of the day. I am the first to admit that my earliest efforts were, in many ways,. Callow, like so many youthful observations.  On the flip side, they gave older people fresher insights about politicians and trends.

In a way, I feel like that 15 year-old all over again, except that I have decidedly stopped thinking, reasoning–and looking–like a child.  With a blog, I am not only reaching the limited subscriber base of my hometown weekly, but spreading my words across a world-wide platform.  Will more people read this new blog than followed my former column?  More importantly, will my readers benefit from it? 

With years of education and experience now in my rear view mirror, as a theologically trained historian and author of 18 published books, I plan to offer more mature comments about  contemporary culture, history, trends, and people against a faith-based backdrop.   By calling it “The Short Stop,” I give a nod to my journalistic beginnings, remembering those who nurtured me along the way, especially Richard Harpster, Joseph Blanchfield, and Hillary Cosell.  I also want to thank my brother-in-law, Randy Janney, President of Fuzzy Studios, for setting up the blog and my website.  Randy, you’re a blessing in so many ways!