Pulse people, it’s wild to say, but 2025 marks the 20th year of operation for the Pulse.

Thanks for the support of our little community rag, Murfreesboro.

It was 2005 when I quit my job at the old Hartsville Vidette in preparation of launching the Pulse, and convinced a young Sarah Lankford that it would be a good idea for her to design a new periodical. Now, 20 years later, she has established herself as the queen of kerning, and the Pulse has established itself as the greatest paper in Tennessee, according to a study conducted by . . . me!

Seriously, I really admire and applaud Sarah and the work she has put into the Pulse. A reliable life partner and business partner is not something that one just stumbles on every day.

Some times have been quite difficult, some editions more challenging than others, for one reason or another. But somehow, month after month, she helped make the Pulse happen, for all of these years—long hours and small miracles. Yes, she may have quit nearly every month early on, but here she is, in 2025, still making it look good. And it has been years since she last quit!

So many people put time and effort into every issue of the Pulse, and we sincerely do recognize their importance.

Thanks to Steve for his attention to detail, reliability and long hours; to Laura for making sure to carve out time to contribute a feature each month, as busy as her schedule is otherwise; to Delores, for compiling and researching information on a plethora of area businesses for the Pulse’s popular ’Boro Business Buzz section.

We recognize Zach, with his creative and funny insights through the lens of sports, Jay and the vocabularic acumen displayed within his movie reviews, Bryce for his coverage of the local music scene and judicial system over the years—all of these guys have been a part of the journey for a long, long time.

Sean and Jennifer and Mr. Murfreesboro all lend their perspectives from each of their unique vantage points.

Andrea continues to compile Murfreesboro event information, even now that she resides out of state.

To the newcomers—Jodie, Elisha, Matthew—we hope your involvement in the Pulse this past year is just the beginning of long, illustrious careers in journalism.

To everyone who takes a moment to send over a press release, a business tip, an advertising lead or information on a community event. That is important!

Credit even goes to Bracken Jr., working each month to get the papers on the racks. That copy of the Pulse you are reading may have very well been placed there by him.

The Soigne team is out there too each month, helping deliver the publication to hundreds of points around the county.

Thanks to every one of the sponsors who invests financially into this endeavor in community journalism, keeping the Pulse rolling off the press—Thor, Carlos over at Carmen’s, the P’s & Q’s team, Bruce Reed, Dana Womack, Kelly Gafford, the Hillsman family over at Sunshine, Catfeine, Nexgen, Classy Cactus, Hank’s—too many to list right here. Really, I could name 100 more people who have contributed, encouraged or advertised.

Luckily, over the pages of this, and every, edition of the Pulse, you, the reader, can find the name of every sponsoring business printed.

Speaking of rolling off the press, everyone who helps operate the printing press over in Franklin has a role in producing this thing.

A lot of hands and minds touch each edition.

What a month of Christmas fun it has been—packed with a parade, poinsettias, a Smoky Mountain getaway and family get-togethers, and the usual Pulse business, of course.

What are your new year’s resolutions? Let’s see, for 2025, mine are to boost sales by 15%, visit a new restaurant each month, hike a new trail each month, make my sons watch a classic movie with the family once a month, see a 35% increase in joy, tripling of gratitude and peace up six units (it’s good to be specific and measurable, right?).

Reviewing my goals for 2024, as stated in the Pulse, one of mine was to make a beef wellington. Mission accomplished! It took Jr. and me until December to do so, but we made it happen, mushroom duxelles and all. Initially, it came out way more rare than Sarah and Bracken Jr. care for, but we sliced it and roasted theirs a bit more, and it resulted in a lovely feast of beef.

Bracken says his next dish to attempt will be butter chicken. I have high hopes. His eggs benedict and Buffalo chicken dip this year were magnificent.

I also had the goal in 2024 of getting young Beckett using the toilet. That’s going very well!

I set the target of losing 8 pounds of body fat this past year . . . I was making a little headway on that, but the year flew by, all of a sudden it was the holidays, and an absolute avalanche of deliciousness hit me—peanut butter balls, muddy buddies, chocolate chip cookie bars, sugar cookies, gingersnaps, Oreo truffles, Oreo trifles, cakes and chocolate-covered things, oh my. I can’t stay away from that stuff.

All in all, I’m not too far from where I was a year ago, though. That’s alright.

So, once again, my 2025 physical goal: body fat down 8 pounds.

I have been blessed with great health this year; my eyes were all irritated and itchy for about a month, but that’s over, whatever that was all about, and there were some headaches here and there, but otherwise, no sickness! Fantastic physical health.

I loaded up on zinc and vitamin C in the fall, in preparation for the colder times.

This is not to brag at all, or rub it in to anyone struggling with health challenges, just my report. Whether there was causality between the zinc and vitamin C and no sickness, I don’t know, but take that as you will.

I also regularly included strawberries, spinach, green beans, blueberries, OJ, pineapple, various other fruits and veggies, and a good amount of beef in my diet. (I am currently on the carnivore, vegan, and chocolate and cookie diets, all at once . . . !)

Much love. Keep on pushing, and keep on reading the Pulse.