Gratitude from a grump

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

Upon reviewing my past eight or so months of “Back of the Book” essays, I came to the conclusion that I’ve been a real downer this year. That was not my intention, which I set in my Jan. 4 installment of this feature, when I wrote that I would “practice a little more guarded optimism and try on a little more gratitude for the good things, rather than the bad things that have or might happen.”

Yeah, well, I have not succeeded in that resolution — or any of my other resolutions. I don’t think I’m alone in this moral failing.

Still, I must report on this fine Sept. 4 afternoon that I’m feeling pretty OK about the state of play in Sandpoint and our Gem State on a number of fronts (as for the county… that’s always another story).

Artwork by Zach Hagadone.

First off, I went to my son’s open house at Sandpoint Middle School the other day, and felt an immense amount of gratitude for the community of educators and staff there. I am, of course, deeply biased because my son is the fourth generation of his family to attend school in that building (including me).

That doesn’t matter, though — I’d feel the same way regardless. I applaud every single employee of the Lake Pend Oreille School District for their profound dedication and open-hearted, patient and loving approach to our kids. 

Back-to-school time is such a special, pivotal part of the year, and can be scary and overwhelming. It’s also exciting and invigorating. We are lucky to have the people we have doing the jobs that they do to make the school year the latter, less than the former.

I was also recently reminded about the critical role our health care professionals play in the region. What was supposed to be a mostly straightforward medical procedure for a member of my family turned south pretty quickly and dramatically, but luckily we were already south — at Kootenai Medical Center — and the providers there most certainly saved a life while being calm, communicative, supportive and (above all) deeply humane. I can’t thank them enough, because I was more scared during that experience than I’ve ever been.

As for the political bad actors who have made going to KMC necessary for so many vital procedures, due to their barbaric beliefs, I can’t condemn them enough and not in language fit for print. If you’re one of those bad actors, feel free to contact me and I’ll tell you exactly what I think.

Speaking of that, I also applaud the bravery and spirit of those who are actively working to correct the misguided, frankly mean and unproductive philosophies that have guided our majority political party in Idaho for the past 13 years. 

Part of my optimism this week is that I sense there’s a “throw-the-bums-out” mood moving through Idaho politics, and I’m bolstered by that. 

I know darn well that the bums know it, and it’s been made clear with their squirming at the realization that we don’t want or need them. 

I look forward to January 2025, when we will hopefully be rid of at least some of them.

Finally, I wish to express my gratitude for the people who’ve made this publication part of their weekly lives for all these years — despite my grumpy “Back of the Book” tirades.