Pokin Around: A good deed? In journalism, stories often have more than one side

On Tuesday a newsroom colleague received an unusual email he sent my way.

It was from someone in Branson who was asking for help in tracking down a person. I'm not going to name anyone or the place where they met because I don't want to embarrass someone with good intentions.

It goes like this:

"Last Sunday (8/4) I was at a Springfield (restaurant) around noon. ... I sat down at a two-person table near the back left of the (restaurant) dining area. As I was sitting down I saw a sweet, well-dressed, elderly woman sitting alone at the corner table next to me.

"I noticed she was reading her receipt repeatedly and studying her food intently between every dainty bite. I knew after observing her for a few moments that she may need a friend.

"I said, 'I'm not very good at eating alone,' and then she looked over at me to reply, "if you hate it as much as I do, then you're really not good at it.'

"I asked if I could sit with her and she gladly accepted. As soon as I sat down she began telling me her life story. We talked about our shared faith in Christ and how we had both come from Church.

"When I said I lived in Branson, a new joy overcame her and she exclaimed that she used to come to Branson constantly and had been to almost every show back in the day, but now being almost 90 years old, she couldn't make it back. She said loneliness was one of the hardest things she has ever gone through.

"I wanted to fix that any way I could."

At this point, dear reader, you're probably like me: You've heard the arc of the story and have a good idea how it will end.

But this isn't fiction. It's journalism.

"As we neared the end of our conversation, I promised to come pick her up so we could enjoy a Branson show together. She was ecstatic.

"I asked for her cell phone number and she dug her old slide phone out of her purse.  She gave me her name and number.

"I didn't ask for an area code for some reason ... so I left without testing the number. When I got home that evening, the number was inactive.

"My heart has been broken ever since. I wanted to bring her back to Branson and give her some joy and laughter in a season of life where she feels nothing but loneliness ... but I can't reach her."

She wanted the newspaper's help in finding the elderly woman.

We all like stories with happy endings

This is where I come in. Like most reporters, I'm pretty good at finding people.

I found a person of the same name and age living in Springfield. But the phone number I discovered — different from the one provided to me — was no good.

So on Wednesday morning, I drove to the address listed and knocked on her door.

Maybe this would result in a touching column, I thought. We all like stories with happy endings, right?

The woman came to the door and initially was puzzled as to why a newspaper reporter was at her threshold.

I explained how I was involved. She understood.

"You must have given her a wrong number," I said.

I asked for her current number so I could relay it to the person she had met  — so they could continue their new friendship and enjoy plenty of shows in Branson.

But no. In journalism, stories have more than one side.

"I don't want to do that," she told me. "I found the whole thing kind of scary."

These are the views of News-Leader columnist Steve Pokin, who has been at the paper seven years, and over his career has covered everything from courts and cops to features and fitness. He can be reached at 417-836-1253, spokin@gannett.com, on Twitter @stevepokinNL or by mail at 651 Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65806.