Let me give you a bit of advice.

If you ever work somewhere where parking spaces are designated with numbers, they are not for you.

This is my first Tip for Smarter Living.

I worked for The Chronicle-Telegram, a newspaper in Elyria, over winter break. It is a fairly large building with two lots. One is dubbed ?the loser lot.? The other doesn?t have a name.

I am no loser, so, well, I made it my goal every morning to stalk out those spaces in the first lot.

On one specific morning, I spotted an open space under a sign that read, ?Reserved for The Chronicle-Telegram.? It had a number one beneath the words.

Me, being the intern I was, thought to myself, ?Well, I?m an employee, so this must be the space for me.?

It was certainly not the spot for me. But I didn?t know it. So I parked my Escort there and walked daintily through the snow to begin my day.

Hours later, I left and there was a car parked directly behind mine, blocking me in.

I was a bit miffed. But, assuming the motorist was blind and, well, rude, I parked my butt in my car and did a 16-point turn to maneuver my car out of the space and onto my assignment.

Later, I came back to the office. A fellow employee crouched beside my desk and asked, ?Did you park in Andy?s spot??

I didn?t know.

?Did you park in spot number one? Andy?s spot??

I had. But who was this Andy?

?The editor.?

I?ll keep that in mind. And I did. I parked in ?the loser lot? for the rest of the time I was at the Chronicle. And I promised myself I would never again park in any spot designated for anyone. Not even for me. Ever.

My name is Michelle Park, and I?m your Forum page editor.

As you can see, this page has been redesigned because we needed a change. The page now shows your thoughts are important to us. Look where the letters are, and you?ll know.

You should know that this Forum page editor is relatively moderate in view. Because I?m this way, I?ve heard some people remark that I sit on the fence. Others say I?m wishy-washy.

I say I?m human. I have conflicting beliefs. I?m not easily classifiable, and I like it that way. I take each situation as it comes, and I don?t decide what I?m going to say, what I?m going to write or how I?m going to react based on a classification I want to earn.

I don?t want to be a conservative, and I don?t want to be a liberal. I want to be Michelle, and that?s who I?m going to be.

Likewise, I don?t want Forum to be conservative, and I don?t want it to be liberal. I want to hear different voices, and I want to hear different opinions to keep this page interesting to read and fair to all sides.

I want the page to be you. Do your part. If you want your opinion on this page, contact me. We have the room, and we want to share.

Michelle Park is a senior newspaper journalism major and the Forum page editor for the Daily Kent Stater.

Contact her at [email protected].