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Yes, I’m still here—ye olde founding editor still trying to
retire from the magazine business, with an unfinished
book project cluttering my desk, letters to write, bills to pay, junk mail to sort, personal files to organize, requests for
reprints to find, volunteer tasks to finish, meetings to attend, phone calls to return, emails to answer, a house to clean, kids and pets to feed, laundry to do ... the list goes on, ad infinitum. What
else is new? Life keeps getting in the way of my life.
Okay, so I’m over-committed. I admit it. And I have time issues. Heaven only knows how I’ve found time to squeeze in a doctor’s appointment or a trip to the Farmer’s Market. Someone commented the other day that my hair was getting really long again. I said, “Yes, I know, I haven’t had time to get it cut.”
Is it me, or is time speeding up and the days are getting shorter? My friends seem to be suffering from the same affliction (besides the
recent cold/flu). We all say there is too much going on—so many obligations, projects, fund-raisers, events, etcetera etcetera.
Whatever happened to curling up in front of the fire with a good book? In the words of poet Charles Bukowski, “The days run away like wild horses over the hills.”
On the other hand, I have rather appreciated my lessened duties at The Sun Runner now—just showing up at deadline to edit stories and help with layout—that’s freed up some of my time. Publisher Steve Brown, who is also over-committed, has been respectful of my semi-retired status and grateful for any work I offer to do. He did ask me the other day how I managed to run this magazine by myself all those years and stay sane. “Honestly,” I said, “I don’t know, I was half crazy most of the time.” I empathize and try not to feel guilty about selling him a business that equates to buying a stressful, low-paying job! If I were a really nice person, I’d volunteer to help clean up the office for him once in a while, but I have a ton of clutter at my own home-office to deal with before I get that magnanimous.
Somehow this magazine manages to go to press and get distributed, time after time. The Sun Runner now begins its 14th year. It’s bigger than ever, in size and print run, and sports color and a host of new writers.
I’m grateful for Liz Mediavilla, who has taken over the Art News.
She puts her own spin on the column, has assembled all the artsy news and dates we could ever want, and starts the section off with a charming story of how she came to be here in the desert.
And how about that Maddy Lederman, huh? She has written multiple stories for this Music issue, complete with great photos and delivered on
time. I’m impressed! Also new is the beginning of a series on creating “A Simple and Sustainable Life” by David Brown, which I found very inspiring. I look forward to reading more of his columns in
the coming months. And Shawn Mafia is back, accompanied by Captain Blackberry and treating us to an amusing story and colorful interview with musician Dandy Brown.
I hope you can “find the time” to sit and enjoy the many stories in this issue, and perhaps you’ll consider getting out and relaxing at
some of the art, music, and theatre events being offered during February and March in our desert home.
The time is now—2008—the year I vowed I would begin to spend more time in the “now.” Are you with me? -
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