I remember one of the first articles I ever wrote for this newspaper.
I was assigned to cover the Wilkes-Barre Christmas parade as an intern in 2007.
The streets were bustling, and the crowd was overwhelming. It seemed as though thousands upon thousands of people were lining the streets to welcome Santa to Downtown Wilkes-Barre.
It was a simple, general-news and features-type assignment that an intern with little reporting experience could handle. Regardless, I took it very seriously.
It was one of my first assignments, and I walked the entire parade route twice talking to dozens of bystanders, public officials and parade volunteers. I knew talking to many people and including various voices in what brought a story to life.
I was using an old newsroom notebook and had to keep my pen warm inside my jacket between interviews so it wouldn’t run out of ink.
I was fascinated by the amount of work that went into each float. There was such detail and design. Businesses were proud to march and their floats, costumes and enthusiasm showed that.
When I sat down to write the story, I went through the pages of notes trying to pull the best nuggets out for the story lead. There were many, but I finally settled on a simple, straightforward opening sentence just describing the scene I’d witnessed all day. It was about the crowds of people.
The story was slated to run on page three the next day, a Sunday. To my surprise I woke up to find it on the front page instead.
An editor told me that the story truly captured the essence of the day and described the larger-than-normal crowds perfectly, so they swapped it with the planned front-page story. The huge turnout was a more important news item than whatever was going to run there.
It was then that I realized the significance of crowds, celebrations and events.
Subscribers want to read about news — as hard or fluffy as it may be — happening in their towns that is affecting the masses.
That’s why political rallies, sporting events and concerts garner so much attention, too.
While we’re longing for the fun of being in crowds again, that won’t be for a while, so I’ve made peace with being in smaller groups.
Even though I can’t wait to get back into that crowd, I immersed myself in at the Christmas parade, I’m reminding myself that we must stick it out for now.
For me, crowds — like the ones we get at Wilkes-Barre POWER! monthly networking events — motivate, influence and energize me.
As I’m thinking about 2021, I’m wondering what the first big crowd situation will be in the Wyoming Valley: a concert, fundraising event or something else?
Since no one knows what the future holds or what will be safe or not, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Until then, I’ll hold on to the images and memories from that Christmas parade in 2007.
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January 03, 2021 at 10:53AM
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Around Town: Remembering the thrill of a crowd - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
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