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I had imagined my first post would be about handling a new beat, but first I must digress. I will get to handling a new beat later, but for now I wanted to share a story of inspiration.

We have weekly reporter meetings where the reporters meet with our editor to discuss what's going on in the next week and other work issues. I am really lucky to have the experience in the room with me that I do. While some of reporters have been on the job less than five years, others have worked in the business more than 30.

Anyway, at our meeting last week, one of the reporters brought up how bad news seems to swamp you all at once. John had dealt with a few deaths and a child waiting for a transplant whose life hangs in the balance. He talked about how sometimes you just need a lighthearted inspiration to make things better.

While I haven't been on the job that long or had a "bad" streak, I still understand what an inspirational story can do. My editor gave me a story assignment about a guy who was riding his bicycle from Virginia to California to raise money for multiple sclerosis research. He was going to be stopping in Carbondale Thursday. This was my first complete feature story assignment, and I thought it sounded cool from the beginning.

The story became more interesting and inspiring when I met Doug Stetson. Stetson is 62 years old and riding his bike across country alone. He has traveled through mountains and feared being run over by semi trailers. But he is persevering. He says the challenge and struggle of not knowing if he will make it is a parallel to what people with MS live with every day.

One of the last things he said to me was, "People keep telling me to have fun. I'm not having fun. Up to the Ohio River, I've focused on survival. The fun has been the accomplishment of getting through a given day or road."

Imagine what would happen if more people took the time and energy of their lives to help out a cause. Could we really make a difference in the world? Even if not, people like Stetson should inspire us to think beyond ourselves. For journalists, we get to meet all these people. Even if we aren't able to give up three months of our lives to ride coast to coast, we can do our part by spreading the word of people who do. Look beyond the scandals and the negative news to find these people who want to make a difference.

When things start to get down and the sad stories pop up all around you, look for that inspiration. You might be surprised what you find.

To read the story about Stetson, click here. To donate to his MS fund, click here and search his name.

I admit it. I "stole" the idea for this blog from a past co-worker and friend. But in the field of journalism, we don't steal ideas from each other, we receive inspiration from them. And most importantly, we give credit where credit is due. So Marco, thanks for inspiring this blog.

So anyway, welcome to "Lessons from the Field." Here, I hope to provide some insight into the world of professional journalism from the standpoint of an entry-level beat reporter. The lifestyle is far from glamorous, but for anyone with a passion for journalism, there's no better life than this.

For those who don't know me, I graduated from Eastern Illinois University in May 2007 with degrees in journalism and marketing. For most of my time at Eastern, I was trapped in the public relations mindset (not that PR is necessarily evil, I was just glad to find myself in journalism again). I started my path in journalism as city editor for The Daily Eastern News in the summer. From there, I became the first Online News Editor and helped develop online, interactive content. After that, I took the challenge of reinventing our arts and entertainment/weekend guide and bringing glory back to the name of The Verge.

After graduation, I began working for the Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale. The Southern is an approximately 28,000-circulation regional paper serving about 12 counties. I cover two beats and will be picking up half of a third soon. I cover the city of Murphysboro, Jackson County and will soon be getting involved in the business beat.

So what can you hope to get out of this blog? Advice? Maybe. Guidance? Hopefully. Useful information? That's what I'm really shooting for. If you've ever wondered what it's like to enter the field as a beat reporter, here's your chance to get a taste. Welcome to the field.