Christmas is a great time to pause and reflect on what really matters.
I always get nostalgic and think back to stories of Christmas past, especially one involving a curmudgeon reporter and a young girl.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s George D. Graves Jr. was a reporter at The Leader on the other side of the county in Seaford. He was well past retirement age but was still working using a manual typewriter. I can still see him today banging out stories with ashes falling into the typewriter from a half-lit cigarette. It was a different time for sure.
He came across to most people as man with a cold heart who covered the hard news beat with little time for trivial matters. That was not really the case. I knew George's heart was larger than most people's – he just didn't want to let down his guard.
For some reason one Christmas season, George found himself working on a story about donations from school children to those less fortunate. It was not something he normally did, but I think there were bigger factors at play here. During his interview he discovered that one child had pinned money in a donated jacket. The money was everything this young child had saved; she wanted it to go to someone who needed it more.
George was so touched that he made it his mission to find out the identity of this young girl. It was not an easy task because the donations were anonymous.
He hit roadblock after roadblock but he refused to give up. Eventually, he was able to find the girl who made the heartfelt donation. To my surprise, it was my niece.
That innocent gesture touched many people that year and it also showed another side of this reporter who came across as the Grinch who was really far from it.
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Ron MacArthur has lived and worked in Sussex County all his life. As a journalist for nearly 50 years, he has covered everything from county and town meetings to presidential visits. He also has a unique perspective having served as an elected official and lived on both sides of the county.
Contact Ron at ronm@capegazette.com
