Melanie Lawson: Why I’m celebrating my 50th birthday by saying ‘Dear Jacksonville’

I still remember arriving in Jacksonville 21 years ago.I was 29 years old, coming to town for a job interview at Channel 4, and what I remembered growing up in Orlando when passing through Jacksonville was... What is that smell?If you’ve lived here long enough, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.But by the next morning, I had a job offer.And as I started looking around, something about Jacksonville felt right. It wasn’t too big. It wasn’t too small.Jacksonville was just my size.I came here for a job.I had no idea Jacksonville was about to give me a life.Twenty-one years later, this is where I built my career. It’s where I met and married my husband, Tarik. It’s where we’re raising our children. It’s where I found a church home, made lifelong friends and became part of a community that has trusted me with its stories.And on Oct. 29, it’s where I’ll turn 50.So when I started thinking about how I wanted to celebrate this milestone, I knew I wanted to do something different.A