As one door closes for Maureen, another opens

It seems it should be easy to walk away from a job that at times feels like an anxiety disorder.

But it’s not.

I know this because today is my last day at the Coeur d’Alene Press, and it’s hard to say goodbye.

Having played a role in one of the longest-running shows in North Idaho — the Coeur d’Alene Press was first published in 1892 — has been an honor and a privilege.

It started unexpectedly, as many of the best parts of life’s journeys often do.

I moved to Coeur d’Alene, a place I’d only visited once before, on Feb. 1, 2006, and within a few months, I was surprised to find myself working as a reporter for The Press.

I had applied for a receptionist’s job, but Mike Patrick, the paper’s managing editor, saw something in me I had forgotten.

Mike gave me a writing test, and I’ll always remember that moment when he said to me, “I’m also looking for a reporter. Would you be interested?”

It was one of those instances when life comes full circle back to the starting point of a plan or a dream you once had, a vision for yourself you’d long ago decided would likely never become real.

I’d always wanted to be a writer, a communicator, a journalist. But sometimes life has a way of taking other directions, and for 20 years, my career journey went elsewhere. I’m incredibly grateful Mike Patrick pulled me back onto my original path.

I had never worked in a newsroom and spent most of the first year of my employment at The Press working beside Brian Walker in the little office the newspaper used to have on Spokane Street in Post Falls.

I knew how to write, but I had no idea what I was doing, and Brian showed me the ropes. I was struck by his deep commitment and care for the community he covers. I learned so much more from Brian than how to write news articles. He was a great mentor in my early days, and will always be a friend I’m proud to know.

I spent the first seven years as a reporter. Since 2013, I’ve been the city editor, working with the reporters and helping Mike, my other great mentor, manage the newsroom and plan the paper each day.

Putting together a daily newspaper is a production unlike any other. It’s like staging a long-running Broadway musical that’s choreographed differently every day, with countless new steps and songs, different and new players, and oh, so many opportunities to fumble — out loud, in front of the world.

It’s a generally messy, frustrating, anxiety-inducing headache of an experience.

But it’s also invigorating, exciting and wonderful.

Being able to tell the stories of a community you love, and provide the public with information they are entitled to, is rewarding and meaningful. It’s often heartbreaking, but it’s always an honor.

I think most journalists would agree with something President Theodore Roosevelt said in a 1903 address, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

I’m happy to say this next phase of my career is not taking me far from The Press, and to another place where I’ll have the privilege of continuing to do “work worth doing.”

Next week, I will join North Idaho College as its new community relations coordinator.

I will miss many things about The Press, and too many people to mention — great reporters, copy editors, designers, ad and business office staff, production and circulation teams, and of course, our readers — but I am looking forward to serving our incredible community in a new and different way.

My time at The Press has been a fantastic ride. Thank you to all of you for your support through the years and for being part of this unforgettable experience.