A day at the elementary -- exploring youthful curiosity

Our youth are active and engaged.

They're curious about the world and their place in it.

That has always been true. Often, as adults, we tend to forget that curiosity. We put that sense of wonder and amazement about the world and its workings behind us as we strive for "grown-up" practicality.

That becomes more pronounced for those of us who may not have the chance to be around young people.

Outside of our families, if we don't work in the educational system or the athletic field, we don't have the opportunity to interact with children or teens on a regular basis.

Yet one of those opportunities came our way Friday when the elementary school at Schell City and educator and guidance counselor Abby Brown hosted a pair of Daily Mail staffers for a "here's a few things to know about the press and the media" session that consisted of some history, some handouts, and plenty of questions.

The audience of fourth, fifth and sixth graders, as part of their lunch, heard such a presentation.

The students liberally sprinkled questions throughout, from, "What does it take to work at the newspaper and are there intern possibilities," to "What's the biggest story you've ever covered?"

Those are pretty good questions and the others offered up were equally thoughtful.

The students themselves were put on the spot with an opening question of "What do you think you want to be when you get older?"

Virtually every one of the 31 students in attendance had a vision of what they wanted to be or do, ranging from working as a scientist and aeronautical engineer to being a printer, a nurse, a writer, to a professional cowgirl and various occupations in between.

Each of those occupations and interests have found their way at one time into the editions of the Daily Mail, Nevada the Magazine, the Nevada News, or our website and social media platforms.

That's the interesting thing about the communication business, you get to learn about different people and all the different things they do.

And then, when you find out that information, either in the form of a story, a photograph or ad, you can share that with those who want to know more.

Yet another question came. "Does it ever get boring?"

The answer promptly followed. "Never."

Writing about and interacting with people on a daily basis, as co-workers or in the capacity of writer, reporter, photographer, marketing and sales representative, customer service rep, printer, or distributor or mailer, presents so many varied opportunities that no day is ever the same.

Even with a planned, organized routine, that routine gets rearranged daily and morphs into something totally different.

And that was just what this visit to and sharing with the students proved.

You never know exactly what to expect when interacting with anyone, including a room full of students. But the lesson's point, "enjoy the adventure," came appropriately enough in an academic setting of learning, with the next generation of communicators, of learners and problem-solvers.

It all starts with being inquisitive and asking questions.

Our youth are looking to find and understand their place in our world. And we as adults can be the shepherds of that process, while still taking the time to be amazed ourselves.

After all, as the students said, being "amazing" and "awesome," are sure-fire ways to get in the news.