I was reading through the clubs briefs a couple of weeks back when I came across an item stating that the next guest speaker for the Men’s Discussion Group was going to be Times’ editor Ryan Winslett.

“Wait a minute,” I thought to myself. “That’s me!”

To their credit, the group set up my appointment to pay them a visit about six months ago. It was on my calendar, I just had not looked forward far enough to see the reminder.

I’m a bit of a worrier and I have a tendency to overdo things. That goes double if I’m diving into something I’ve had very little experience with, such as public speaking.

I started to fret over what topics I should cover, whether or not I should bring handouts or do some sort of Powerpoint presentation. Everyone in the office told me I was freaking out over nothing and they were 100 percent correct.

With the seasons changing and many of our residents hitting the road, I expected to be talking to a relatively small group. There was a crowd of at least 50 on hand, however, which wasn’t doing great things for my nerves.

Once we got rolling, though, I saw that there was absolutely nothing to be worried about. I filled the guys in on a bit of the history of their local paper and, by extension, the history of Fountain Hills.

After that, I opened the floor to questions and the Men’s Discussion Group did not disappoint. They asked questions on everything from our day to day operations to our circulation, where the paper is printed, how we decide what makes it into each edition and, yes, our policies in relation to letters to the editor.

It turns out that, while I’m not a great public speaker, I can happily field as many questions as an audience is willing to fire at me. I went in thinking I would only keep the guys busy for about 30 minutes and suddenly nearly an hour and a half had passed.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in attendance for having me out. The entire group was very kind to me and more than willing to let me ramble on a bit until I finally got to a point.

I hope I provided some insight into how we make it to print each week and, if you asked a question, I hope I answered it to your satisfaction. If not, well, my door is always open and I’m happy to continue the discussion.

***

As you’ll see in this week’s paper, Four Peaks Elementary School and Fountain Hills Middle School Principal Anita Gomez announced that she will be resigning at the end of the current academic year.

Anita started her tenure with FHUSD at the same time I started working for The Times, so we’ve shared a rather interesting decade here in Fountain Hills.

She’s always been more than willing to meet with me or point me in the direction of a good story, which I am extremely grateful for. She’s also one of the easiest people to talk to and quick with a good-natured laugh so, yes, I’m going to miss her.

Thanks for everything, Mrs. Gomez, and good luck in whatever comes next!