“Consistency, that’s what I’m about!” That was a popular catch phrase by my college roommate and one of my closest friends, Taylor Lane. While he usually said it in jest, it occurs to me that I think I actually am about consistency.

At nearly every restaurant, there are default orders to which I always turn when I do not feel like trying something new. I go to those default orders a lot. I think it might have to do with the fact that this line of work offers no redundancy in terms of daily schedules or sleeping and eating habits.

But what really gets me is what I was doing 10 years ago.

Mitch Hedberg used to have a joke about job interviews. In it, he sets up a situation in which a potential employer asks him, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Hedberg’s punchline is “Celebrating the five year anniversary of you asking me this question.”

Makes me laugh every time. But really, where does anyone see themselves in five, 10 years. It was 10 years ago Wednesday that I graduated high school. At that time, at least two things in my life were true. No. 1: I wanted to get out of Alabama. No. 2: I was known as “the newspaper guy” thanks to my role with the school paper.

So, 10 years later, here I am in Alabama. And, well, I’m the newspaper guy. It is funny where life leads you. Over the last decade, I have attended three different colleges. I have majored in broadcasting, youth and family ministry, human development, youth and family ministry again and, finally, English with a dual emphasis in creative writing and — you guessed it — journalism.

Sometimes we embark on these long, arduous journeys that just lead us right back to where we were in the first place.

Now, 10 years after graduation, at least two things are true in my life. No. 1: I don’t want to leave Alabama. No. 2: I like being known as “the newspaper guy.” Even to the little girl in line at the grocery store who recognizes me from taking pictures of her Dixie Youth all-star team.

So I don’t change my restaurant orders, because the truth is I’m going to revert back to them anyway.

Consistency, that’s what I’m about.

Jeremy D. Smith is the sports editor of The Demopolis Times.