Those of us who write for a living do so for a variety of reasons, but I believe that for many of us, it stems from a need that we can never quite fill by simply living our own lives. The writer requires more.

By tapping into the lives of the people whose stories we share, we are often drawn into a web that gives us a unique relationship with the circumstances — although we are outsiders, we still have a unique sense of belonging.

If our mission was simply to provide information, the stories would come easily — they would practically write themselves. Instead, we often sit at quiet keyboards, staring at bylines on our screens, and ponder over that crucial first sentence. We sift through notes, write and re-write, sometimes doing that all-important lead paragraph over several times until we’re finally satisfied.

Whether we're writing hard news, features or sports stories, there is always something to share, some point we want to get across. Certainly not every story is one that makes a great point, but when one does, it truly is a labor of love to write it.

I've always liked the story that just falls into your lap, the type that isn't earthshaking, but shares something that speaks to the heart. The people who are the core of those stories often feel they have nothing of importance to share, yet when the story is published, I think they see differently.

Many of the stories we write are quickly forgotten. They may be “need to know” pieces, or stories of limited interest. If those articles were all we ever wrote, our jobs would be mundane. But since we occasionally get those opportunities to listen to people speak from the heart, and then allow our hearts to interpret their stories, we keep coming back for more.

As the entire sports department for the Crookston Daily Times, a small Northwest Minnesota daily paper, I am often bogged down, writing as many as eight stories for a single issue, as well as the photo and darkroom work that goes along with them. My job has comprised my personal and family life, and again and again I promise to quit, but I just can’t seem to walk away.

It’s not because of the day-to-day game stories — it’s because of the highlights. In 3-1/2 years I’ve seen two national hockey championships and a state baseball championship; followed two basketball players through 1,000-point seasons; experienced the thrill that comes with overtime victories; got to know a good-hearted young college football player who won the hearts of everyone around him while breaking all the school rushing records.

The list of highlights I’ve experienced while covering sports, as well as the feature writing I’ve done over the years, is too long to fully explore. While other people are able to focus on a particular involvement, I’m everywhere, and sometimes it’s like sensory overload. Too much excitement.

But boy, it can be fun to write about.