By Gordon Anderson

People just want to be appreciated.

I mean, yes. I know paychecks put food on the table and a roof over your head and all that. But if you’re lucky enough to decide which endeavor you’re going to give your waking hours in exchange for compensation, you’re probably going to pick something gratifying, right?

A server at a restaurant, I’m entirely conjecturing here, has to appreciate being verbally thanked for creating a great dining experience almost as much as a nice tip. “Nice building you designed there,” must be something the architect enjoys hearing. “This septic tank is as empty as the day I got it” has got to be music to the pump man’s ears.

Everybody likes to be appreciated.

So while I do take a moment to soak it in every time I hear something like “I sure love that newspaper you’re doing, Gordon,” that spirit-affirming feeling gets wiped away like the convictions of a pardoned Trump crony every time I see a Facebook comment on one of our stories asking a question that’s literally answered in the story’s opening sentences.

I mean, come on! 

It’s happening way too much lately, too. “A Mexican restaurant serving cafeteria style breakfast, lunch and dinner will soon occupy the site of the old Landmark Breakfast shop at 129 W. Main St. in the Jonesboro area, according to signs in the window and information from the Sanford/Lee County Planning Department,” I led off a story with on Dec. 23, eliciting at least three comments to the effect of “so what is this?”

“Taste of India opened last week at 143 Rand St. in the Jonesboro area, and we’ve been getting all kinds of calls and messages about the quality of food there,” I wrote back in June, prompting one person to ask where the restaurant in question was located.

“Since December 12, the Medicine Park Pharmacy at 100 Park Avenue, Magicias Tajeras at 101 Wicker St., Advance Auto at 936 N. Horner Blvd., Fabulous Finds at 201 N. Steele St., City Electric Supply at 817 Woodland Ave., and Dominion Energy at 800 N. Horner Blvd. have all made similar reports,” we included in our story about the shooting out of windows at Kringle & Kompany in the Riverbirch shopping center, only to be informed by several folks that other businesses had also had their windows shot out.

And on and on.

I don’t bring this up to single anyone out or make them feel bad. We appreciate all of our readers. And in the age of cable news and social media, sounding off on a story without giving it a full read is probably the new normal (and one of the reasons a visit to the comments section often requires a hazmat suit). 

But so anyway. Thanks for reading our work. We’re probably gonna know if you didn’t.

Gordon Anderson was created in a Russian troll factory, rebelled against his masters and now lives under an assumed name (Gordon Anderson) in Sanford, North Carolina. He co-owns The Rant.