The title for my "Draggin' Thru" column this month refers to something that writers have a hard time dealing with. When something is indescribable, that means it is beyond description and if that's the case, then there's no point wasting my page trying to put my feelings into words, because no matter how hard I try the words will not be able to portray exactly what I'm feeling. But, as always, I will do my best.
Another word that comes to mind when the hamsters in my brain turn the little wheel inside is accomplishment. This month marks my one-year anniversary as Editor of Mini Truckin', and let me be the first to tell you that despite all the challenges this job presents, the rewards are immeasurable and definitely indescrib-able. Although the year has just flown by, overnight I somehow managed to cross off the top three priorities on my personal "to do" list when taking over this magazine. And these three things were in no way an easy overnight undertaking. In fact, for the last 18 years of Mini Truckin's existence they were unheard of.
First and foremost, as a reader back in 1994 I remember just how pesky it was to be flipping through show coverage and seeing a truck half color and then half black and white. When I first got hired on in 2002, as soon as I got settled enough to learn the way things operated in the publishing business, I began asking what the possibilities of going full color where. Well, at that time all I was told was it was impossible and "they've" been trying for years. But I vowed to fight hard to make this the best magazine it could be, so the first thing that had to go were the black and white pages. And we did just that. Next on the "to do" list was to add more pages. This next step was much more costly than the first. After many "prod-uct improvement" meetings we got the approval (as you saw in last month's issue) to add 32 more pages, which is huge! All of our hard work was really starting to pay off (when in reality, with 32 more pages our hard work has just begun - LOL).
Now, the third thing is not as tangible and to me is actually the most important. I wanted to really bring the excitement, enthusiasm, and overall lifestyle back to the mini-truck world and the one and only magazine dedicated to it. To me, everything had become kind of stale or stagnant. We weren't dying off or anything, but we certainly weren't growing, and everyone's demeanor seemed to have changed from just having a good time being around cool people and cool trucks to some sort of better-than-thou, too-cool-for-school type of bearing. It really began to dawn on me that we're the only magazine that caters to 100% mini-trucks and the only ones that could bring some life and excitement back to the world that we all know and love. So that became my third mission and like I said, the hardest and most intangible one of the three. The first two goals were an editor's task and could be accomplished on my own; however, for the third it really took an amazing team and someone who shares my enthusiasm for the mini-truck world to really bring the magazine full circle. I couldn't be prouder than to work side by side with Chad, coming up with more and more ways to grow the excitement in our scene and to keep bringing you everything you love about mini-trucks and our way of life. That's why my feelings of joy for the sport, and the magazine, are overwhelming and indescribable - not because of how far we've brought the magazine, but because it seems the pure happiness from mini-truckers nationwide has come full circle and we are once again looking like a family. People are helping each other on their rides instead of keeping their knowledge secret and locked away like some fake secret society. People are once again just enjoying their fellow mini-truckers' company at shows and getting totally excited about everyone's projects. I have genuinely noticed a shift for the better, and for that I truly am grateful that we've been able to give back to our culture. Seriously, without each and every one of you working day and night on your rides just to see something beautiful that you created with your own hands, WE would be nothing. Mini-truckin' is my way of life, just as it is for all of you, and I will keep up the good fight knowing that at the end of the day it is all worth it. Now, enough of this mushy crap. Go destroy some fresh pavement!!!