Top SF Realtor POV: What Was the Fit-to-Frame News?

by Susan Dakdduk

There is almost always at least one career that precedes a career in real estate, and Susan Dakdduk’s history is no exception. In her past working life, Susan was a news anchor and investigative reporter, and received the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. To learn more about her practice as a top San Francisco Realtor, click here.

Reading time: 1 minute 30 seconds

Before I became a Realtor I was – for a good portion of my life – a news person.  An anchor, and a general assignment and investigative reporter. 

I’m good at asking questions and especially questions I already know the answer to! I am quickly able to assemble the facts and if there is one little thing that doesn’t make sense I ask more questions. I drove many an elected leader (including those with things to hide) crazy with the non-stop questions. 

A week ago, I received a package in the mail, addressed with very neat handwriting. It was from my brother and I wondered immediately, “What could be inside and how in the world did he develop such nice handwriting?”

Inside the large manilla envelope were a collection of newspapers with a very neatly written note saying he thought I should have these. They were editions of our high school newspaper from the last six months of my senior year. I had been, of course, a reporter on the newspaper staff.

I eagerly went through the half dozen editions looking for articles I wrote….so curious as to what my 17-year-old mind was expressing in print for others to read. There was only one byline and to my shock and dismay it was a sort of gossip column! Who was awarded a scholarship, which former student was getting married, who was having a baby. Hmm. 

I recall writing a lot of articles for that school paper about important topics my classmates needed to know about. Surely those stories, too, were published? 

There was one edition with a missing front-page story that had been carefully cut from the above-the-fold part of the paper. Ah-ha! THAT had to have been my article and it must have been so special it was cut out and framed, and today is still displayed in a special place on the planet.  

At least that’s the story I told myself as I neatly folded the papers and returned them to that large manilla envelope with the very neat handwriting.

Photo Credit: Markus WinklerHire