See something, say something
This crazy thing we call life: Leaning in without pause
No, I’m not a Homeland Security reporter.
And this is not a column about terrorism
But I do like the slogan the U.S. government uses —"If You See Something, Say Something” — as part of its national campaign that raises public awareness of the signs of terrorism-related crime, and how to report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
I would respectfully submit that the #SeeSay simply means pay attention and speak up.
Note: This is the mission of “Shifting Gears.”
After 15 weeks on substack, I’ve received emails and texts and phone calls that have inspired me to reflect on what to write and where I’m headed. I began with the idea of a “car culture” column, as an award-winning reporter who covered Ford Motor Co. and the global automotive industry for the The Detroit Free Press.
I remain a contributing columnist to the newspaper founded a few decades before my family arrived in Detroit in the 1860s.
But I’m digging deeper into stories and bringing you along with me.
Changing things up
It’s time to focus on culture with a specialty in cars and sailing.
Life changes and we change along with it.
My columns are inspired by tips from readers and industry insiders — from factory workers in Detroit, to influential players in Washington, D.C. to police in Florida. I hear from California and New York and Iowa and South Dakota.
Questions often trigger reporting on new topics that turn into unusual stories.
Letters of gratitude leave me speechless
A long email from a retired Major League Baseball player inspired a little story about the link between Ford Motor Co. and the Detroit Tigers. Attending a Labor Day parade in Detroit inspired a piece on the politics of pearls. After the Georgia school shooting, Oxford school shooting sources revealed detail about child survivors that no one discusses.
Incredibly, my most popular stories involve sailing. My husband urged me to cover the high-profile races. “No one writes like you do,” he said. I pushed back, noting that I should focus on cars. My husband said, “I disagree.” He was right. To this day, my story about a sailor beating death under a moonless sky remains the most read.
I bring real people who don’t sail along with me, so we can learn together, whether it’s boats or cars or politics or school shootings or scientific studies on the health of owning a cat — that followed the childless cat lady debate.
What you think you know: Don’t be so sure
As Texas Senate candidate Colin Allred has said, "We might have come here on different ships but we're all in the same boat now."
Thanks for having confidence in my work, in trusting me to not disappoint you.
You’ll see investigative reporting and feature writing and pieces you don’t expect.
Coming soon: A story inspired by a firefighter who shared video captured by a Ring camera. After that, a story about a man who considered suicide reveals how driving an old Lincoln saved his life.
I am working on (literally) two dozen stories that range from hard news to experiential reviews to twists on politics that will challenge what you think you know.
My subscribers often begin for free and then convert — to $8/mo or $80/year.
For that, I’m incredibly grateful.
You allow me to do what I love.
And I promise you’ll love it, too.
As a former reporter at The Des Moines Register and lecturer at the annual Okoboji Writers Retreat in Iowa, Phoebe Wall Howard is part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.
I like auto and technology stories. I remember you told us to focus on something small and write about that. But moving beyond auto stories sounds like a good plan, too. Thank you!
Keep swinging...and I will as well!