Jonathan Meyer.

There’s something refreshing about coming home for the summer.

On Saturday, I moved out of college after having the opportunity to stand on stage during Wartburg College’s commencement ceremony. It was a neat honor and one that I know I’ll remember for years to come. Standing there, watching graduates walk across the stage, I found myself reflecting on something I’ve learned over the last few years both through previous experiences and through my work at the newspaper: sometimes simply showing up matters.

Giving attention, care, and respect to something can mean more to people than we realize.

Whether it’s a graduation ceremony, a Memorial Day service, or a small-town meeting during an evening, people deserve to know that the moments important to them are important to somebody else too. I was grateful to play a small role in honoring that day for Wartburg’s graduates and families.

Not long after moving out, I found myself quickly thrown back into the swing of things with the newspaper — and I truly cannot complain about that. Over the last few days, while covering Memorial Day services around town, I had the chance to reconnect with many people in the community. A number of readers stopped to say hello, share kind words, or simply introduce themselves.

If you ever see me out working and I don’t look completely stressed and flustered trying to juggle a camera, notebook, and whatever else I forgot that day, feel free to come say hi. I genuinely enjoy meeting people and talking with members of the community. Every kind word means more than you probably realize.

One comment especially stuck with me. Somebody referred to me as a strong leader for the community. Hearing that honestly meant the world to me, because I do feel a responsibility with the platform I’ve been given.

As much as journalism can simply be viewed as a job, I’ve never really seen it that way. To me, it feels more like a responsibility to the towns and people who raised me and helped shape who I am today. Without this community and the experiences I’ve had here, I would not be where I am today.

I love hearing our stories. I love writing about our struggles. I love bringing attention to things that deserve to be talked about. Whether it’s a 3,500-word meeting story, a feature on somebody doing good work in town, or capturing the way our communities honor veterans, it all matters. Every story has its place.

Not every community can say they have local journalists who are from the area they cover and who genuinely care about the long-term future of the towns they write about. I may not be the most educated journalist in the world, and sure, there will probably be a typo or a misplaced comma here and there, but I do believe caring goes a long way.

As summer gets back into full swing, I’m just excited to once again spend time living, working, and telling stories here in Tama-Toledo. We have a community filled with history, resilience, and good people who continue to show up for one another.

Let us continue sharing our story — honoring the past while still dreaming about the future.

Until our next story, I’m just Jonathan.