Last Friday, the crew at Midwestern Newspapers did something we rarely do – take a few moments to sit down, enjoy each other’s company and pat ourselves on the back.
The Ontario Community Newspapers Association announced the winners of the 2022 Better Newspapers Competition. As a whole, Midwestern Newspapers was in the running for 12 awards, which you can read about in this week’s paper.
By a stroke of good fortune, Dan McNee and I were both nominated in the Humour Columnist of the Year category.
Being the pessimist I am, I sat comfortably in my chair ready to accept my third-place plaque. I figured Dan was a shoe-in for first place, as his columns make me laugh out loud on a regular basis.
Perhaps the judges don’t share the same sense of humour that Dan and I do, because when the presenter was done announcing the third, second and first place winner, they said my name as the winner.
It came as a shocker to me. I think I may have blurted a four-letter word to express my disbelief.
Having not won an individual writing award in seven years – there were some dark times between 2015 and 2019 on the creative end of things, but I digress – I was eager to share the news with my wife.
My text read, and I quote, “I funny.”
“Did you win?”
“Yup!”
Dan, being the professional that he is, commented to me after the awards were over that I better have a humdinger of a column for the upcoming issue, adding that I have a reputation to uphold now as Humour Columnist of the Year.
Another four-letter word may or may not have been uttered at this point.
For me, I struggle to be funny on demand. I would not be a successful stand-up comedian, nor am I be able to write a funny column each and every week.
I need funny things to happen to me. In the case of this award, having a possibly crazy old man wander into my office with a stick to complain about his neighbour’s eaves draining onto his vacant lot; or having a kid knock me over during hockey practice, sending me into the delivery of a perfect Randy Savage elbow drop to the face-off dot and causing injury; or watching my life flash before my eyes as one of the best hitters on my son’s U9 baseball team hits a line drive back to the pitcher’s mound, causing me to hit the dirt.
I can’t make this stuff up on my own; I merely re-tell the stories of funny things that happen to me.
But what I can say is that I appreciate all of the comments and feedback I get each and every week to my columns. Knowing that you, the readers of this award-winning newspaper, enjoy reading about me getting hurt, arguing with my kids, encounters with strange folks, and the odd rant about a Trash Panda keeps me motivated to keep sharing those stories every week.
Thankfully, the folks who are the subject of these stories – save for Mr. Stick Man – don’t seem to mind it either.
With that in mind… I am coaching not one, but two baseball teams this year; my kids are a year older and aren’t shy; and as I get older, I seem to be “coming out of my shell” when it comes to giving my opinion on something.
Hopefully I’ll keep you entertained.
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Mike Wilson is the editor of Midwestern Newspapers. Some, apparently, find him funny, or humourous at the very least. Comments and feedback are welcome at mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
