It isn’t often I feel as if I have made any real difference in this world. In other words, no real contribution of which to speak.

If you think about it, there have been so many people who have made some kind of a change in another person’s life.

Think of all of the inventions there have been — the everyday things we use which assist us in some small way. Yeah, somebody created that.

It’s amazing.

Think about all of the people who have made a difference. The ones who have done a good deed for another and never asking for anything in return.

The volunteers who have helped people in times of crisis, the individuals who continuously help animals every single day.

They can look in the mirror and say to themselves they have made a contribution in someone’s life.

But as for me, I often think from time to time … what have I done to make a difference?

I mean, for the most part, I have always worked as a server inside some restaurant.

I was quite good at it — and I know this because it reflected in the tips I received.

But it’s hard to make another’s life better and do something meaningful when you are a waitress.

I remember the day I was working at a job I couldn’t stand. It was a new business that wasn’t operating well at all. I cried having to be there. All of a sudden, I heard a faint ding on my phone and looked to see who was messaging me though my Facebook app.

It was my friend, Janice.

Yes, the same Janice Kiaski who used to occupy this little corner of the newspaper.

She briefly relayed she was retiring and wanted to know if I would be interested in taking over her position as community editor.

I’ve always liked writing but never thought much about it being my source of income. I had tried that years ago and it just didn’t work out. But I hated the job I had and after some thought, told her I would do it. Since coming back to the Herald-Star, I actually feel like I have made a small difference in the lives of a few people.

Nothing overwhelming, but still a difference.

For the first time in more than half a century, I feel like I have helped someone.

When Vince, the man I wrote about in the article above, wrote to the paper, I read the e-mail he had sent that was forwarded to me. He was looking for someone’s help. Anyone’s help. He thought by writing to the newspaper that was located in the city of the woman whom he was looking for might be a productive source since he was having no luck on his own.

He had started a search for this woman almost 56 years ago and embarked on finding her again after pouring through her letters while cleaning out his storage facility following the passing of his wife.

The article I wrote asked members of the community if they had any information about what happened to the woman named Claudia Lynn Henry. It provided Vince’s e-mail address if anyone knew anything. However, no correspondence ever came.

After hearing from Vince about how no one responded, I decided to ask another staff member if they could help find her. They gave some background on her, but nothing about where she was living … only that she was alive, for no death certificate could be found.

So I searched the Internet for a while. Finally, I went on whitepages, a site I stay away from because they charge you to use their services.

When did the phone book start charging people? I think that is absolutely ridiculous.

Anyway, I decided to go the route of seeing if she was registered to vote and came across an address for her. It would cost me though.

Fortunately, the site had a special where if you pay a dollar you could use it free for like a week or three days. I can’t remember which because I canceled the subscription before it renewed and charged me more. So, I paid the dollar and was shown an address.

I sent an e-mail back to Vince telling him to try it.

The phone numbers listed with the address were no longer valid and now belonged to someone else or had been disconnected. I didn’t hold out hope the address would still be correct either.

He thanked me and sent a letter to the address I had mentioned. I was almost in tears when he e-mailed me back and said she had written him back.

He thanked me again for my help in finding her.

And right then, for once in my life, I felt like I had actually made a difference in someone’s life. He was finally able to explain what had happened all those years ago and tell her thank you.

I can honestly say that this was, indeed, the best dollar I have ever spent.

(Stenger is the community editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times. She can be contacted at jstenger@heraldstaronline.com.)