On Tuesday, July 23, at 10:00 a.m., I officially became a United States Citizen. If I were to do the math, it took me 9 years and 54 days to get to this point but it was worth every second.
I stood with 106 other men and women from 39 countries in pledging our allegiance to America and watching the faces of these new Americans was indescribable. There was a sea of American flags waving in the audience as tears streamed down many faces.
These are the moments we don’t see so often in the media.
While I may have packed my whole life up in three weeks and moved to America with only two suitcases not knowing a single person; I know my story doesn’t compare to some.
If we could tell the stories of these new United States Citizens, I guarantee you they all came here for the “dream” and I’m here to tell you that dream is still alive
In this day and age, with 24/7 news coverage, social media and the ability to go “live” at any time with breaking news; it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. It’s easy to get distracted by the “negative”.
The world has changed and the rules of journalism have changed. As journalists, our jobs are to inform our readers…not influence them. Although, some days it seems that has been forgotten.
If we have the ability to reach thousands of people in an instant then why aren’t we using our voices for the good?
America is STILL the land of dreams and a place of hope for so many people. It’s our job as journalists to use our position to do good. Yes, there will always be negative and sometimes even disturbing news that needs to be reported but it doesn’t need to outweigh the good; there is good all around us if we open our eyes..
Before I moved to America, I had zero intention of being a “mainstream media” journalist. I moved here to write about rodeos and work within the western industry. I also had never heard of Paris, Texas, nor did I ever think I’d end up here. But I believe this town found me and, in fact, this town made all my dreams come true.
Paris, Texas is a special place and I believe GOOD things are happening.
Some of my favorite stories I’ve ever written have nothing to do with “news” but, in fact, are in simply telling the stories of people who make up our beautiful town.
These are the moments we need to see more of in the media.
Today, I’m proud to say I am an American citizen and proud to say our team at myparistexas.com is here to shine a positive light on our town.
By Katie Dixon – Managing Editor
