I attend a lot of public meetings. Reporting on events is one of my most challenging jobs. When I mention a long two-hour meeting in conversation, I hear comments like “I don’t know how you do it. I’d have trouble staying awake. You must be so bored.”

But I’m not bored. Since my job requires describing what happened, I have to focus on the proceedings. And I have learned so much about how city and county government functions, the issues school boards face, and how many people give of their time, ability and money to make our world better.

Covering the news frequently gives me a glimpse behind...