Not a goodbye but a great one from reporter

EDITOR’S NOTE — Reporter Evan McLean’s last day with the Sequim Gazette was Tuesday. He will be greatly missed by his colleagues in the newsroom, and we wish him the best.
 
My departing words are on requited love, King David and that special place between extremes, journalism.
For me, the thread that binds these themes is the future.
My future and the future of my articles are things I cannot call my own.
I form both with input from those involved, using the lessons I’ve learned from these uncommon themes.
The most powerful lesson I’ve learned from love, David and especially journalism is by pointing one finger at someone else, I point three back at myself.
If you don’t know me, which is likely the case, I’ve been here nearly three years reporting on government, crime, land use and natural resource issues, to name a few.
If you do know me, I’ll miss you. My future has me moving east for love.

Requited love
While I adore this place, the people I work with and those in the community, none hold a candle to Cass, my 6-year significant other.
We’ve maintained a long-distance relationship for four years amid our busy schedules.
In December she received her master’s in acupuncture and Oriental medicine at Bastyr University. It’s time for her to move on and for me to follow.
Now I find myself relocating further east than I would have ever allowed myself to live — an oddly shaped place called Idaho.
Honestly, I’m leery of moving away from the Pacific.
But who am I to judge? This is requited love and it’s what we all must do to have an agreeable future together, in Sequim and in the world.
I’m looking at Idaho like I look at those I find easy to judge, by challenging my preconceived notions.
It’s easy to read a name in one of my court reports and forever see them as a thief or a drug user. It’s easy to write off someone with ideas different from my own or Idaho because there’s no ocean.
But I believe I am one step away from that which I judge. And by accepting others’ differences, I accept the things I struggle with in my own mind.

King David
David was the Bible’s prototype, or model, of a godly king.
I carry two lessons from the stories of King David in the Bible, or Dawud in the Noble Qur’an.
First, by condemning others, I assume the role of God, a dangerous assumption.
And second, by judging others too quickly, I may chastise an incredible person without knowing the facts.
What does this have to do with journalism? Everything.
Facing a story with preconceived judgments is facing a story already written before talking to those involved. The same goes for my future.

Journalism
My concern for journalism isn’t the death of big newspapers. It’s the death of objectivity.
It’s easy to accept information from those I agree with. It’s challenging, and in my mind essential, to accept ideas from those I don’t agree with.
With that in mind, I accept a future in an unfamiliar place.
I accept that others may not feel the same as I regarding religion, immigration, politics or even the best place to have dinner.
And I accept that mistakes happen and it’s what a person does in the ashes of their life that defines their legacy, much like David’s.
The future depends on our cooperation and hinges on reliable, objective information.
I’m not sure how well I did staying objective in Sequim, but I’d like to think I called it like it was and made friends on both sides of the “fence.”
I will truly miss each of you and if you know of any good jobs in the Pullman or Moscow, Idaho, area, give a shout.


My most memorable moments with the Sequim Gazette include:
■ Walking with Fire District 3’s Santa Toy Brigade
■ Shooting skeet with the Drykes
■ Responding to and reporting on the Kris Fairbanks murder
■ Racing in the Reach 4 Hospice sailing regatta
■ Going with Sequim Police on stings, getting weapons training
■ First Amendment Day at Peninsula College
■ Holding a bald eagle, petting a coyote at the Raptor Center