I never thought I’d see a time when I had a single thing in common with a political candidate racing toward an election deadline.  But, never say never.  As it happens, my final deadline for Legendary Locals of the Long Beach Peninsula is November 6^th.  On most calendars that is marked as “election day;” on mine, I’ve written “ms delivery” in red ink.  It is the day that my manuscript must be in the hands of Arcadia Publishing Company.

Since the text (58 pages; 21,858 words) and the photographs (177 images; 8+gigabites) must be delivered to my editor in New Hampshire, I will need to send the package a few days early so that it arrives on Deadline Day.  Nevertheless, November 6^th looms large in my mind.

Like all those political candidates, I’m essentially “done.”  They are just hoping to convince one more voter.  I am just hoping to catch that one last error.  Which brings me to another similarity (ugh!) – the need for ‘fact checkers.’

The media often talks about fact checkers in relation to various claims made by the candidates.  More often than not, the statements they are checking have a grain of truth to them plus a whole lot of ‘spin’ so that the fact checkers have to do a lot of explaining.  It’s not just a matter of “Yes, that was true” or “No, that was a bald-faced lie.”

I think those fact-checkers would have an easier time with my manuscript.  Did Jenny Sankela spell her name with a ‘y’ or an ‘ie’?  I’ve seen it both ways and don’t have time to research it anymore.  And which year – 1900 or 1903 – did Andy Howerton start the Ilwaco Telephone and Telegraph Company?  Again, I’ve read both dates. Which was it?

Those particular questions involve just one entry in this Legendary Locals manuscript.  As I read and re-read the pages looking for typos and misspellings, I find myself second guessing my facts at an alarming rate.  I could use an army of fact-checkers, no doubt.  Without such luxury, however, I’m combing my files, haunting the museum’s archives and annoying people with last-minute phone-calls.  These, mind you, are “facts” that were diligently ferretted out weeks and months ago.  But when it comes to history (even yesterday’s history) it’s often hard to be sure.

Along about next Thursday I’ll have to put a stop to the fine-tuning and get this package in the mail.  If only the political push stopped that soon… I’m pretty sick of all of it.