For sure, knowing a place like the back of your hand is valuable.

When you jump in the car, you don’t have to think about directions or rely on a GPS. Your brain just works like it’s on autopilot.

And when this happens, like for me, either on my way to church or to work or when I drove a well-known route taking the kids to school, there are times I could be halfway to the destination and realize I couldn’t remember how I had made it to where I was.

And this can’t be blamed on old age or memory issues. This happened when I was a young chick, too.

The fact that I was in such a routine of going from point A to point B, my surroundings went unnoticed.

I think this automated way of thinking can also occur outside of driving.

When we become so accustomed to our routines and habits, we may at times not see what is going on around us.

I know whenever I have had an out-of-town friend or relative come to visit, I like to show them around. This is when it becomes obvious that I may have been overlooking my surroundings. I try to put myself in their shoes and understand their experience of seeing Vicksburg the first time, and in so doing this, I see things I didn’t previously notice.

Having a set of fresh eyes on a subject can become invaluable.

With this notion, I thought about my colleagues at The Post.

Many of them are not Vicksburg natives, and unfortunately, because of this, there are some in town who make this an issue. Some have even said ridiculously nasty things.

But as I have come to realize in life, sadly, there are just some people who have to complain about everything.

For these folks, heaven could rain down ice cream and cake, and they would bemoan the fact they didn’t get party hats as well.

I personally think it is an asset to get new people into the community, first, because they have chosen to make Vicksburg their home and second, because they have the ability to offer fresh eyes and possibly a new perspective of the people, places and things in Vicksburg.

This equates to growth in a town. I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to see Vicksburg dry up and blow away.

This week at The Post, we have added a new element to our website.

The staff members have all submitted a brief bio. Most of you will probably know way more about me than I wrote, but for those of you who want to learn about the men and women on our staff who are working hard to keep you informed as to what is going on in town, I would encourage you to check it out.

While their faces may not be those of people whose families date back generations, I think you will find their backgrounds are no different.

We have two Tiger fans for all of you out there who root for LSU. We have a father of young children, and we have a young guy who never turns down a free meal.

They are people just like you and me, wanting to contribute and be an asset to our community.

While tradition and familiarity is important, let us not forget newcomers bring new ideas to the table, and new growth requires new ideas.

For those interested in the bios, visit, https://vicksburgpost.com/services/contact-us/.

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.