A long time ago a mentor told me that journalists tell other people's stories. I've never forgotten that creed, and it seems rather important today. My goal, as it's always been, is to tell stories. These are not always happy stories, and they're not always sad. They're our stories, and they need to be told. Sometimes stories require medical bills; sometimes they require an extra coffee and a cigarette. Sometimes it means a red-eye flight, a cheap motel, a helmet, etc. I can't promise you tote bags or t-shirts, that's not my thing. I can only promise to show you our tragedies and triumphs, the bizarre and sometimes baffling realities of life. I tell stories because that's who I am: a journalist.