Just Telling Our Story

Gone too soon

As I was packing to leave for vacation last Monday night, I happened to catch the evening news. A teaser caught my eye, something to the effect of "Missing Plainfield man found after two years." My ears perked up. I called my husband in to watch. We were about to finally found out what happened to my former classmate, Brad Hensley.

Brad disappeared from his Plainfield home Jan. 12, 2006, sometime after 6:15 a.m. For two years, his wife, family and friends desperately searched for him, but never found any clues. His cell phone and bank accounts were never used after that date. His 2005 red Jeep Wrangler had never been found.

Then, last Monday, just a few blocks from his home – still within his own subdivision – they found him. Firefighters probing a retention pond near his home hit metal and soon brought his Jeep to the surface.

He was inside.

The driver's side window was half-way down. This horrible vision of him trying to get out of a sinking Jeep keeps haunting me. What a horrible, horrible tragedy.

Exactly what happened that dark and cold morning might never be known. There were no tire tracks in the grass leading to the pond. No oil or gas were obvious on the pond's surface after the accident. No one saw anything happen.

And his wife lived the next two years just a few blocks away from her husband...without having a clue.

I knew Brad. He grew up in Danville, just like I did. When you grow up in a small town, you know everyone, and it's funny, but I can still hear his voice. We weren't close friends, but we had many classes together over the years, and we got along just fine. It's eerie to think that something this tragic could happen to someone I know. I thank God that it wasn't my husband or any family of mine - but I can't stop thinking about his wife, his mother, his family.

All we can do now is pray for his family. May you rest in peace, Brad.

Updated my Web site...finally!

It's funny; I know the importance of updating one's Web site frequently - both for the purposes of making and keeping it useful, as well as keeping it in good standing with the search engine robots (and therefore improving your rankings in search engine returns).

Yet somehow, I don't seem to stay on top of my own Web site like I should. It's one of those projects without a deadline, one that can be pushed to the end of the to-do list over and over again, until suddenly it's been three months since it's actually been an active project.

That's where I am today. I finally took some time out of my schedule and started updating my Web site, hitting the most pressing areas with the most improvement needing to be done. So, if you have a second, take a peek.

Here are the pages I've updated (to save you the time in wandering through old pages):

• Portfolio: Writing
• Portfolio: Design
• Portfolio: Advertising
• Kudos for Corie
• What do I charge

Yes, there are other areas that need work, but those will have to wait!

Maybe I need to outsource my own Web site updates to someone else, to ensure they're done in a timely manner. :-) How's that for pitiful? But hey, at least they'd be on someone else's more timely to-do list, deadline and all.

It never fails...in search of new clients

It never fails. I struggle for months with a personal decision of whether or not to add a fourth day to my work schedule and therefore give up that day with my kids. Then I finally make the decision to go for it, and practically the minute I do, my workflow takes a dramatic plunge.

Ugh.

It turns out one of my four "major" clients (for whom I do work every week) has finally hired a communications director, filling the position I left more than a year ago. While I am very happy for them and know that it's a position they desperately needed to fill (considering the person who was pinch-hitting is also the number-two in charge and has a million other responsibilities on her plate), I have to admit that it makes me a little sad, too. Not to mention the fact that I will soon be a little poorer!

So, I'm on the hunt. Does anyone know of any organizations that could use a little outside communications help? I am particularly interested in not-for-profits, but am open to all kinds of work. I'm not ashamed to admit it; I'm looking for referrals. For anyone who refers new clients to me that turn into regular business (more than one assignment), I will be happy to provide you a discount of $5 per hour on your next project (or month of projects, for regular clients for whom I bill by the month). If you're not my client, maybe I'll take you to lunch!

(It's not bribery, really. I like to think of it as incentive.)

I would be also pleased as punch if you could just offer a recommendation or kudos for me to post on my Web site. Those always make my day and can go a long way in getting new clients. Just post a comment here (click below) or send me an e-mail at Corie@CorieCommunications.com.

Thanks to you all! If you're reading this, you are a very valued client, friend or family member! I appreciate you all!