Not too long ago, I had two interesting individuals ask me two individually interesting questions — both relating to the work I do presently at the Mariposa Gazette.

The first one was about the amount of words that I’ve actually written. “How many words have you written?” — this wonderful person asked.

Pre-Gazette, I was writing more for myself. Reporting on my own time, gathering stories and constructing a book based on what I’ve learned and observed (www.braindropsbook.com).

I know from an old database, called LiveJournal, that I’ve written over a million words before I started my “job” with the Gazette. Post Gazette, I’m not sure of the number.

The second question came from another wonderful individual that wanted to know about the process that goes into constructing a story.

I had to ponder that for a moment and thumb through the mental rolodex of thoughts, memories and earned knowledge that have tagged along with the word “journalist.”

Based on my early training, I explained my process for story gathering and story building as best I could.

Looking into it today, modern definitions of a journalist describes the profession as a person who collects, informs and uncovers.

It’s even written some- where that a “professional” or “successful” journalist brings some sort of truth up and into the light.

Based on the words used to describe the career choice, it seems like the realm of journalism has an agenda attached to it, which I found interesting.

In most cases, and for this newspaper, I do simply “report” or “regurgitate” what I see, hear and observe during meetings.

I share what’s said by the people I meet and during the baseball games I attend, but that notion barely scratches the surface.

Depending on the story I’m piecing together, my “agenda” sometimes reveals itself in the final product.

I’m very guilty of injecting humanity in the story somewhere, because oftentimes I can see it slowly slipping away as I continue to observe and report.

In my opinion, (this is an editorial and I get to express one from time to time) humanity took a slip off into the deep end/vortex of doom at some point in the 1920s.

I could be wrong, but I believe humanity took a sharp turn when my biggest adversary was alive, well and very hard at work.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to tell you today that the bulk of my written work (pre and post Gazette) has been dedicated to undoing the hard work of one man, Edward Bernays.

Edward Louis Bernays was born on Nov. 22, 1891 and he is considered to be and referred to as the father of “public relations.”

For me, studying and unpacking what he’s done has shown me the powerful effect one individual can have on the public mind.

It also weaves an interesting web around the work of his uncle, Sigmund Freud, the use of propaganda and all of the factors inside and outside conscious understanding.

I can’t unpack all of that for you today, so I’ll conclude by admitting I’ve never really defined my “job” or what I actual- ly do when I write things down before.

Just know, this peculiar effort to reverse things and inject humanity back into the world is always there and it always will be.

Writing while I’m here, and reversing the ghost of Edward Bernays isn’t something that I “need” to do either.

It’s something that I “want” to do — whether I’m paid for it or not.

Note: This editorial was originally published in “The Mariposa Gazette” on 05-11-2023.