Take the good with the bad.

It’s a valuable life lesson that inspires flexibility in mind and attitude, and one that I continue to see the value in every day.

In this job, I have the pleasure of meeting all kinds of people with all kinds of opinions and stories, and one question I’m asked fairly often is what I think about Merritt.

The truth is, I took a huge risk moving out here, but it basically couldn’t have gone better. I attribute half of that to pure luck, and the other half to being able to take the good with the bad.

This city has its share of social problems, but as with every society, Merritt also has some incredibly positive aspects.

Take, for example, the charitable attitude of so many Merrittonians (lifelong and transplants). With the help of those people, local eight-year-old Jacob Schultz beat his goal of raising $10,000 for the BC Children’s Hospital by over $2,000 with proceeds from a benefit concert and barbecue, and the fundraising efforts of members of the Merritt Fire Rescue Department.

The admirable quest to $10,000 started with a more modest goal of $500, but the enthusiastic response to Jacob’s generosity quickly pushed that limit way up. And, of course, the whole Schultz family was on board to help this charitable crusader.

However, even with all that good work for a good cause comes a little bit of bad. A container with about $700 in cash donations disappeared, according to a Facebook post by Jacob’s father, Amery.

Logic leads me to believe that the container didn’t leave the building on its own accord, which is disappointing, to put it lightly. Even when it comes to an event so positive, it’s a good reminder that all the good hangs in a delicate balance with the bad, and it’s all we can do to take it in stride.

Amery seems to be taking it in stride, asking that the container is returned with no questions asked.

The good-bad balance is at the crux of many of the stories that come through this newsroom. For better or worse, everyone in town has a story, and these stories need to get out there. As the new editor of the Merritt Herald, I am looking forward to helping those stories get on the printed page. And in my time at the editor’s desk, I’m sure taking the good with the bad is a lesson I’ll continue to learn.