Isms: Views on life in rural America

The time comes when you know you’re ready to retire. No, I’m not making an announcement today, so don’t get the rumor mill started.

I’m bringing up retirement because last week I had an opportunity to join newspaper folk from around the country to watch a 30-minute documentary, “For the Record.” The independent film chronicles The Canadian Record and its owner/publisher, Laurie Ezzell Brown. The newspaper, based in Canadian, Texas, is located in the state’s panhandle. It’s survived oil booms and dried-up wells, a shrinking population and natural disasters.

The paper was established in 1893. La...