In the spring of 2016, my friend Morgan, who serves as an editor at Tulsa People, put out a call for music writers. Seeing an opportunity to get back into writing about things not involving Cherokee Nation, I reached out to her.

My first freelance assignment had nothing to do with music. Instead it was about Tulsans in their 80s and 90s who still work. It was an assignment that excited me because I love Tulsa and its history. I thought the story would give me a rare opportunity to talk to those who have witnessed all the changes going back nearly a century.