Finding the truth

The photo on this week's front page of Mya Aquino is priceless. Ed Moreth is great at capturing special moments. When she's older, Mya may not appreciate this photos as much, but it's a memory and a moment is something to which many parents can relate. The screaming kid who will not give up for even one second for a nice photo with Santa.

I was that kid. My parents liked to joke that I came out screaming and didn't quit until I was 12. I cried at everything. Let's be honest, I still cry at everything. I'm a sensitive person. After 43 years, I'm stuck with it.

When we're young, we'll believe almost everything. It's not just what our parents tell us. In my case, my brother Kirt and his friend Eric had a great time when I was about four telling me that deer were aliens and that's why their eyes glowed at night. It was my older brother, of course I was going to believe him. So from then on, every time I saw a deer, I would let out an awful scream.

One evening many, many years ago, we were packing our RV for a weekend trip. My mom and I were hauling piles from the house to the motor home. On one trip back to the house, I came out first, and about 10 yards in front of me was a doe standing there just looking at me. As was customary, I screamed. My mom hurried out of the RV, tripped, and was not so happy to find that I was actually OK.

People like to joke around and tell fibs, but the alien deer was definitely traumatic for my young self and the story that stuck with me. Kirt and Eric probably never thought their kidding around would have such an effect on me. Honestly I probably didn't completely dispel the lie until I was old enough to hunt.

I've always been pretty gullible. I mean, why would someone lie? I just assume everyone is telling the truth and is genuine in what they're telling me. Maybe that's part of the reason I became a journalist, to seek the truth after learning that even my own brother and his best friend lied to me. One of the first lessons I learned in journalism school was to never assume anything.

— Annie Wooden