Behind the Lens: Goodbye

“A farewell is necessary before we can meet again, and meeting again, after moments or a lifetime, is certain for those who are friends.” – Richard Bach

I have written over 1300 stories, from happy to sad to terrifying. I have been live from multiple locations across the City for everything from rescues to collisions.

In over 18 months of being here, I have developed into a journalist who holds people accountable, has run his own show, co-hosted a sports show and done so many things. Now it’s time to say goodbye.

For those of you who may be celebrating at reading this, let me be a little more specific, it’s time to say goodbye, but not to me.

When we say goodbye, we are letting something go from our past in hopes that thing or person finds a better future.

Sometimes when we say goodbye, there is a tone of finality, like when someone passes away.

Saying goodbye to your kid is something no one should ever have to do but happens in Sault Ste. Marie all too frequently for many reasons. From leaving for school and never coming back to losing their battle with substance abuse and many reasons in between. Those overdoses, cause Saultites to say goodbye to their Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Fathers and other loved ones too.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been told people wish I would say goodbye to this city and go somewhere else.

A serious lack of vets in our community was brought to my attention a few months back when someone told me the tragic story of having to put their pet down in as humane a way as possible, but they were still sure they suffered.

When we utter the words goodbye in some cases, it’s to get away from a toxic situation, only to be sucked back into them again. Goodbye cigarettes, goodbye drugs, goodbye ex-whatever, all common sentiments in this social media-driven world.

Recently the division caused by people who believe our country is headed to anarchy has goodbyes in them too. Freedom, masks, mandates, truckers, emergencies act… have all had the pre-requisite attached for people tired of or concerned about the above.

A traditional Irish blessing tries to put the feelings of watching someone go into words, ones I’ve known since I was a child.

“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.” – Irish Blessing.

Those are words I have used to say goodbye to friends during many times of my life and now they will be the words I issue as one of my last statements to another person I will forever call a friend.

When I first got to SaultOnline/ONNTV in the fall of 2020, during the interview I was told we are all family. Although some of the family at the time wasn’t around, as pieces once removed due to the restrictions got reintroduced, the statement always rang true.

No truer than when Jacob came back to our little office shortly after I joined the team. Hired in 2018 as one of the first employees of ONNTV, he was away for a bit, but when he came back, we became close friends.

His love for the Argonauts had me hesitant at first but his fun-loving personality, quotes you’ve seen me use here like “what a week” and mutual appreciation for sports had us spending hours getting to know each other.

That friendship and his ability to create graphics, answer tech questions, discuss automobiles and find the always random time to yell out “eggs”, had me appreciating his presence in my life and has made me a better journalist for all of you.

For nearly a year now, I have co-hosted 705 Sports with him, and our mutual appreciation of our love/hate relationship with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been a bond that stuck through thick and thin.

Hours invested in working on the show, hashing out ideas for the future of the station, or changing out subs in the garage, make the next part of what I have to say in this week’s Behind the Lens a little more difficult.

Jacob has taken a job in southern Ontario, closer to family, friends and with another company doing what he loves most, production.

I know many of his family members here will miss his presence, his love of life and his erroneous, random love of everything eggs, just as much as I do.

So to my co-worker, friend and fellow Leafs fan.

May you find happiness wherever you go, don’t forget those who helped you get there, and remember, this isn’t goodbye, it’s see you later.