Eye On Illinois: Thankful for the opportunity to connect with readers

Jo Daviess County’s rolling hills. Wrigley Field. Shawnee National Forest. Route 84 north of Savanna. The Museum of Science and Industry. Ottawa’s Lincoln-Douglas statuary fountain. Sky Trek Tower at Great America. Heritage Canyon in Fulton. Pequod’s in Morton Grove. The Silo in Lake Bluff. The Krannert Center in Urbana. State parks too many to mention, such as Ferne Clyffe, Giant City, Moraine Hills, Illinois Beach and Mississippi Palisades. Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue.

These and more are just a few corners of Illinois that have been special to me over four-plus decades, and on a day dedicated to American gratitude, it seemed worthwhile to set aside a few moments for appreciation.

We’ve all got plenty of reasons to dislike our home state as well. Don’t believe me? Spend about 30 seconds in the social media comment threads of any news organization or politician. Although I always try to avoid needless negativity, today I choose intentional optimism – hopefully with no disrespect to those struggling with health, finances or other uncertainties.

Personally, I’m thankful for the chance to have this space to connect with readers four times a week about state government, how it affects us all and how we, as regular taxpayers and voters, can in turn directly affect those elected and career officials, taxing bodies and agencies that so strongly influence many aspects of daily life.

When the Shaw Media editorial team came to me in May 2020 with the opportunity to write Eye On Illinois, it filled a creative hole in my life. After taking fingers to keyboard with Libertyville High School’s Drops of Ink student newspaper in August 1995, which led to some occasional Daily Herald bylines and then college and a career, journalism was part of my life for nearly 25 years until COVID-19 dealt the local print news business another long-running series of staggering blows.

Newspaper folk keep running mental lists of where our former colleagues are working these days, if at all. The exodus seems to escalate yearly: some by choice, others by force. I’ve seen top-shelf sportswriters become excellent city hall and school board reporters. Photojournalists and page designers have continued to prove the medium is vital and vibrant. The digital offerings evolve and improve. It’s an honor to be on the team and consider the privilege of filing nearly 1,000 columns.

But as usual, it’s the readers who make everything click. Being able to run in a handful of publications has fostered connections in many different corners: encouraging, chastising, inquiring, inspiring. Most everyone wants a better Illinois, even if we disagree on the building blocks.

So thanks for reading – and writing. May your holiday hearts be full. Happy Thanksgiving.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. Follow him on X @sth749. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.