Singer a reminder to pursue dreams
“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
All of us would do well to remember those words of William Shakespeare, for they are just as pertinent today as they were all those many centuries ago.
One never knows where the next president, astronaut, sports hero or yes, even musician, might hail from. Certainly the most recent case in point would be Lauren Duski, this week’s runner-up on NBC’s popular “The Voice.” Duski today lives in Nashville but she grew up in Gaylord, and her musical roots sprouted, grew and blossomed in northern Michigan. Her parents still reside and work in Gaylord, and the whole community — as well as all of northern Michigan — had been rooting her on through the competition.
As young people today consider their professional calling, they might do well to remember Duski. Having attended St. Mary Cathedral School, she loved all the same things kids growing up love, including singing. Her website says she started performing at the age of 7 in Gaylord. She performed with the JR Country Band and prior to that, often would enter karaoke contests.
Recently a song she personally wrote and later sang on the show, “Deja vu,” reached No. 1 on the iTunes singles chart. And, at the same time another song she sang on the show, Garth Brooks’ “The Dance,” was No. 2.
Duski’s recent success should be an inspiration for all of us. Talent cannot be limited by geography and we need to do everything we can to unleash the potential inside us.
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Alpena residents got a healthy dose of fake news Wednesday.
At some point in the afternoon social media, particularly Facebook, started buzzing about a quadruple murder-suicide in Alpena. The report was filled with names, ages and interviews of people who knew the family.
Thursday morning when I went to breakfast I was quickly asked by first one person, then another, about what I knew about the incident. While not actually asking, I knew the people asking wondered why there was nothing in the newspaper about the tragedy.
The answer to that unasked question is because there was nothing to report — it all was fake.
Why anyone would want to perpetuate a falsehood like that is beyond me, but many were taken in by the report. In actuality the information, which I later saw and read, looked quite authentic and I can easily see how people were duped.
When I got to the office Thursday morning the first thing I did was begin researching the information, which led me to discover the same story was reported on social media using the same names, but instead of Alpena the incident occurred in various other communities around the country.
Further inspection revealed that the website perpetuating the lie is known for disseminating fake news. The whole report was a hoax.
Which should be a good reminder for all of us this morning. First, it is easy to be taken advantage of. Even smart, educated residents can sometimes be taken in by something that sounds “too good to be true.”
If you want to be sure something is true, go to the source of information you trust. Don’t rely on strangers or “someone who knows a friend of a friend.”
This incident proves that rumor, left unchecked, can spread like wildfire. The perception soon becomes the reality, which is dangerous. Never rely on unverified sources for information.
And after all that, if you still are going to rely on social media for your information, well then good luck with that.
Can I interest you in a bridge in Brooklyn?
Bill Speer can be reached via email at bspeer@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 354-3111 ext. 331. Follow Bill on Twitter @billspeer13.