Boston Lucy

Once upon a time in the early twentieth century, in a place called Boston where a great many important things had already happened, a newspaper was established. This paper was unique; it was established, funded, and managed by a church, but its news reporting was intended to be of general - even international - interest. Its founder was a woman named Mary Baker Eddy, who had started a religion known as Christian Science. This religion (which has no relationship with Tom Cruise) was vilified in the press, and the goal of this newspaper was to set a standard for honest reporting, especially in the area of religion. This newspaper was called the Christian Science Monitor.

I do an Eve impersonation on a ward apple-picking venture outside Boston.

This newspaper flourished, and one of its reporters did a great deal of work in South Africa and and Indonesia, among other interesting places. Some of his work earned the Pulitzer Prize in 1967, and he later became the paper's editor. He had many other adventures, including working with the Ronald Reagan administration, but the most relevant was that he traveled to BYU and became a journalism professor. There he taught and inspired a journalism student who had particular ambitions for international journalism, giving her far more time and attention than she deserved (perhaps because she amused him with idle threats of knocking down the office doors of uncooperative sources).

This is my vantage point as I compose. The internet where I live is non-existent as yet, so this is Harvard University.

And so, when she graduated from BYU, the journalism student spent a wild summer full of travel to South America, lost passports, lost Jordanians, an Olympic opening ceremonies, and a beautiful and happy wedding. Then she flew to Boston, and liked the airport very much. And the city of Boston, where a great many important things had already happened, seemed to give her - if not a warm hug of excitement - at least a gracious nod of welcome. And where the story will go from here, remains in God's hands and is very much yet to be seen.