The View from Desk 12B
The Shutdown That Didn’t—and Did—Touch Us
By: Chloe Papadakis
From the fictional town of Cedar Valley, where characters from Quiet Echo continue to respond to real-world events.
The headlines say “Government Shutdown.” The talk shows say “Crisis.” But here in Cedar Valley, the grocery store shelves are still full, paychecks still clear, and most families I know are living their normal Thursday lives.
That’s the strange thing about national storms—they don’t always hit evenly. For some, the shutdown is little more than a headline scrolling past the bottom of a news screen. For others, it’s the difference between paying rent or not. The question isn’t who’s right about the shutdown—it’s whether we’ve forgotten how to see the people who feel it differently than we do.
One friend told me she’s fine. Her husband’s job isn’t federal, her kids’ lunches are packed, and the local hardware store is still humming along. Another friend, though, is a single mom who depends on food assistance to fill those same lunch boxes. She’s the one refreshing her phone, waiting for updates from Washington, praying the delay doesn’t stretch into weeks.
Both women are good, hardworking, patriotic. Both are part of this town. And both reveal something true about America right now: we’re all living in the same country but not always in the same reality.
Maybe that’s the real shutdown—the one inside us. The closing of empathy occurs when we think an issue doesn’t directly affect us. The loss of curiosity about how others live.
In Cedar Valley, we have a chance to do it differently. We can still ask, “How are you doing?” and mean it. We can still open our hands before pointing fingers. And we can remember that the health of a nation isn’t just measured in GDP or government budgets—it’s measured in whether neighbors still care about neighbors.
Whether the federal lights turn back on tomorrow or next week, life here will keep moving. The leaves will keep turning. Kids will still need rides to soccer. Bills will still arrive. But if we use this moment to look beyond our own routines—to see those who quietly bear the cost—then maybe something good can come out of another weary headline.
Because even when Washington stalls, compassion doesn’t have to.
This editorial is part of the fictional Cedar Valley News series. While the people and town are fictional, the national events they reflect on are real.
It’s free, live, and fresh! Quiet Echo—A Cedar Valley News Podcast is live on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4nV8XsE, Spotify: https://bit.ly/4hdNHfX, YouTube: https://bit.ly/46Dmi3b, and Podcastle: https://bit.ly/4pYRstE. Every day, you can hear Cedar Valley’s editorials read aloud by the voices you’ve come to know—warm, steady, and rooted in the values we share. Step into the rhythm of our town, one short reflection at a time. Wherever you listen, you’ll feel right at home.
Author Campaign Method (ACM) for Authorpreneurs
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. Author Campaign Method (ACM) of sales and marketing is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authorpreneurs who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for them.
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The Great Alaska Book Fair: October 8, 2016
Costco Book Signings
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Jim Misko Book Signing at Barnes and Noble
Cortex is for serious authors and will probably not be of interest to hobbyists. We recorded our Cortex training and information meeting. If you’re a serious author, and did not attend the meeting, and would like to review the training information, kindly let us know. Authors are required to have a Facebook author page to use Cortex.
Correction:
We take the quote by Marcella Smith, Small Press Business Manager, Barnes & Noble seriously: “The author is essential to the success of the book, giving energy behind the book to make it something that a customer will come in and ask for. That is what makes the difference in a book that sells, that develops legs, and has a life of its own. Otherwise the book goes on the shelf and stays there for three months. Then it gets returned.”
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. ACM is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authors who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for serious authors, but a burden for hobbyist. We don’t recommend ACM for hobbyists.
We’re the only publisher we know of that provides authors with book signing opportunities. Book signing are appropriate for hobbyist and essential for serious authors. To schedule a book signing kindly go to our website, <
An Author Page on Amazon Author Central is a serious author ACM requirement and desirable for the hobbyist. Author Central is a free resource designed to help authors become more active participants in the promotion of their books. In Author Central you can manage an Author Page, update information about your books, and view Customer Reviews and sales information for your bibliography. If you don’t already have an Author Page on 
We hear authors complain about all the personal stuff on Facebook. Most of these complaints are because the author doesn’t understand the difference difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. Simply put, a profile is for personal things for friends and family; a page is for business. If your book is just a hobby, then it’s fine to have only a Facebook profile and make your posts for friends and family; however, if you’re serious about your writing, and it’s a business with you, or you want it to be business, then you need a Facebook page as an author. It’s simple to tell if it’s a page or a profile. A profile shows how many friends and a page shows how many likes. Here’s a link <> to a straight forward description on how to set up your author Facebook page.
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Mosquito Books has a new location in the Anchorage international airport and is available for signings with 21 days notice. Jim Misko had a signing there yesterday. His signing report included these words, “Had the best day ever at the airport . . ..”
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When he published those overseas blogs as the book The Innocents Abroad, it would become a hit. But you couldn’t find it in bookstores.
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