I’ve had more than 125 pieces published on InnisfilToday as a freelance journalist over the past nine months and I am touched by the sense of community prevalent in this town.
Before moving to Innisfil, I hadn’t lived in a place where members of local government were regularly in attendance at events, where artisans and business owners supported each other, where community members looked forward to celebrating the accomplishments of others, and where opportunities to share one’s passions are abundant.
As an author and freelance reporter, such an opportunity was afforded to me at the end of July.
After writing an article about the Beach Road Market at the Town Square, I realized that the title of one of my short stories, Take Flight, published in 2021 was the theme of the event, so I contacted Kelsey Aman, the founder/organizer to ask if I could read the short story from issue three of Second Draft Journals: Fly In The Face of Fear during the event. She graciously agreed.
Though members of the community, including town councillors, own copies of my publications as I’ve been publishing my works since late-2020, it wasn’t until I was at the Town Square on a recent Saturday that I realized that it was my first in-person reading.
This may sound like a small feat, but I had such a fear of public speaking that the only reason the reading went well is because I am a member of a Simcoe County-based Toastmasters Club, which is a non-profit organization that helps members develop their communication and leadership skills.
The weather may not have been on our side, but Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin was in attendance with her son, Oliver, and mother-in-law, Laura. It’s not often that I can offer my opinion as a journalist, but Oliver was the star of the show as he darted back and forth in front of the amphitheatre with his mother in tow.
My works of fiction are uplifting — if I do so say myself — but so too are the experiences our community members live every day.
At InnisfilToday, we would love to tell your story! What have you experienced that you’d like to share?
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I look forward to catching up with you soon.
Amber Green is a freelance journalist whose work often appears on InnisfilToday.
