I have written before about the joys of being a journalist.

In the five years I’ve worked professionally as a photographer and reporter, I’ve been granted access to some incredible moments and places I will never forget.

The greatest part of this job will always be meeting the people that make up the community I’m covering.

I’m not talking about community leaders and other public figures.

I’m talking about the people the everyday people who make Selma what it is.

There are topics and events in the newspaper business that have to be covered on a daily basis; government, education and crime are just a few of them.

One relatively new feature in the Times-Journal looks beyond those often-told stories for others that tell the true story of our city and county.

The Dart is a weekly feature where the reporters at the Times-Journal throw a dart at a map of Dallas County and try to find an interesting story near the spot where the dart lands.

Civic leaders obviously need to be heard from and have their stories told so the public knows what they are up to, but it’s also important that the stories of the everyday citizens are shared as well.

We haven’t been writing The Dart for very long, and already we’ve been able to share the stories of residents of Selma and Dallas County that otherwise would have been untold.

Among the stories we’ve written so far for The Dart, we’ve featured a man who met John F. Kennedy, two sisters training together at Memorial Stadium and a 94-year-old woman who has been a member of the same church for 83 years.

This week I met a grandfather sharing his love of the outdoors with two of his grandsons.

For some, these stories might not be worth their time, but for me, they are the ones that need to be told.

They are the stories that are cherished by those featured and their family and friends.

The Times-Journal has only been doing The Dart feature for a few months, and already I have heard plenty of positive feedback from several members of the community.

What I’ve heard is what we had hoped when the weekly feature began; people want to learn more about their neighbors.

Selma is full of people who have lived amazing lives and have incredible stories to tell, and The Dart gives us a chance to do just that.

The Dart helps us celebrate the everyday and the extraordinary. It helps us find out things about Selma that even lifelong residents may not know.

Undoubtedly, as you read this story, you have thought of a story you or your neighbor would love to share. So, here’s hoping The Dart can land near you someday.