100 years in the making: A break from harsher side of life in Brevard
Dear FLORIDA TODAY Subscribers,
Contrary to popular belief, journalists in general are not harbingers of doom. None of us enjoys telling you about a fatal crash, or a foster child who died after getting tossed about in the system. No one is giddy to tell you that a public official is corrupt or that your taxes are going to increase.
But that's our job. It's our job to keep you informed of what is happening in your community and it's that passion for keeping you in the know that motivates us to sniff out the truth no matter how bad the news is we have to tell.
But this week, breaking news reporter Finch Walker had the opportunity to step away from the doom and gloom that often comes with that beat.
Finch sat down with Betty Pappas, a Melbourne Beach resident who surpassed 100 years on the planet as of January.
The young reporter learned a lot about Betty's quiet life spent blazing through a book each day - yes, a different book every day.
And the story brought Finch and you, our subscribers, a break from the harsher side of everyday life in Brevard.
I asked Finch what it was like covering Betty's story.
"Getting to talk to Betty was such a joy – she’s an incredible woman with a passion for reading, which was something we connected over very quickly. We also connected over our love of animals; while it didn’t make it in the article, we spent quite a bit of time talking about our dogs," Finch told me in our Viera office this week. "She has such a sweet heart, and in many ways, much of her life mirrored my grandma’s, who would have turned 100 this year. Both she and my grandma shared a favorite author, and Betty talked about enjoying some of the restaurants where my family used to take my grandma on special occasions. Not only did I get a wonderful chance to meet a really sweet woman, but I also got the chance to be reminded of my grandma in a really bittersweet way that I’ll treasure for a long time."
That family tie continued through their conversation. I asked Finch if Betty had offered any advice on longevity.
"Betty said she enjoys a glass of Zinfandel white wine and a bowl of Cheetos every day. I don’t know that I’ll incorporate those habits into my life, but the suggestion made me smile," Finch said. "My grandma personally enjoyed a glass of Bailey’s Irish Cream and cheese and crackers, so the suggestions were another thing that struck me."
It should be noted that we don't always have the time or ability to cover everyone who passes into triple digits in age. Content specialist Britt Kennerly has been known to pen a tale or two about hundred year old seniors in our community, but it is not something we normally do.
For Finch, the feature piece on Betty gave her a much needed respite from breaking news and the chance to take a deeper dive into getting to know someone a little better.
"I love taking a break from the tougher news sometimes and writing something focusing on one person in particular," Finch said. "I also enjoy being able to talk to a person and find out the interesting details about them. It’s important when you do an interview with someone to find the interesting details about them – the things that “make them tick” or the things that will resonate with readers."
You can read Finch's story about Betty here and I've placed it down below with some of the exclusive content your subscription helped us provide this week.
You can reach Finch at fwalker@floridatoday.com.
And as always, you can reach me at rlanders@floridatoday.com. Or you can find me on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube (just click the name, the internet will do the rest).
And if you want to see me in person, come see me in the Cocoa Village Playhouse production of "Something Rotten," which runs weekends through May 15.
Thank you for subscription and your continued support of local journalism.
Rob Landers
Sr. Multimedia Editor
FLORIDA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 100 years in the making: A break from harsher side of life in Brevard
