Oops!! It was my mistake

What is a blooper? It's something nobody really wants to talk about.
In actuality it is a "mistake," it is a "screw-up" and in more kind words, it is a "boo-boo."
In nearly 60 years of newspaper work I have committed some of these errors, often called mistakes.
I did it just recently when covering the Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church Strawberry Festival last Tuesday. It was the 80th annual event, this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a drive-in type of event that drew 460 customers.
After Judy and I consumed our pulled pork sandwiches, we decided we would eat our strawberry shortcake. In the meantime, I had time to take some strawberry festival photos on the church grounds.
I snapped a photo of six interns who work for Arkema, Inc. in Blooming Prairie. The interns decided to take in the festival and loved it.
I then took some photos of more consumers and of the Red Oak Grove lady quilters.
My next plan was to take a photo of some of the front-line workers including festival co-chairs Linda Christianson and Nancy Wesely. There were five others in the group.
I deviated from my usual journalistic/photographic style and decided to take names before I took the photo. Guess what: I didn't take the photo. Linda pointed this out to me when I called her for a follow-up story. I told her I was sure I had taken the photo.
I immediately looked at my camera and couldn't find a photo of the group that also included Rachel Riley, Ben Riley, Tara Johnson, Hannah Maxwell and Michelle Maxwell.
I deeply apologize for the mistake.
Things happen!
One of the most serious mistakes I have made during by newspaper career came when I reported on a stolen car. Oops! I mistakenly made the car owner the culprit and turned the culprit into the victim.
I quickly made a front-page retraction and the car owner forgave me.
A Forest Lake police officer chided me about the error. My comeback was: "Don't you ever make a mistake?" He replied, "Yes, but I don't print mine."
 
 
Photo: On a nice, hot and sunny day, what do you do? You find some tasty strawberries. Victoria D'Ammmid, an Arkema intern, gets set to eat her dessert at the 80th annual Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church Strawberry Festival on Tuesday, June 8.