Page 6 - Issue 50

“Do what you can, with what

you have, where you are.

—Theodore Roosevelt

hile assembling this special issue I took a long, refl ective journey
back to the beginning of the magazine’s existence. I retraced
Wevery moment and memory – the good, the bad, all of it – from
the very fi rst conversations about “making a magazine” to the pinnacle
moments that have defi ned what this magazine is and essentially, who I
am. I read old emails, news articles, forum posts… I revisited abandoned
designs and stories, forgotten material, unused features… I read
pre-proof stories and laughed at my own goofy mistakes. I felt the
warmth of compliments, accolades, and almost ten years of wonderful
memories of road trips, events, close calls, and ultimately – people.

While there have been many trials and tribulations (trust me, I revisited
the bad stuff too), there have been equally powerful victories. Not the
kind that hang on your wall or show up in newsfeeds, but the kind that
quietly rest inside us. Those sacred little memories that make us laugh,
cry, or anything in between… if you’re human, you know what I mean.
I’ve watched this magazine change lives. I’ve watched it connect people all
over the world, and I’ve watched them grow in their own personal journeys.
And in that regard, I’m both humbled and amazed by the power of this
platform – and this community. Really all we’re doing here is connecting
people and shining a spotlight on the home-builder… the EXACT thing we
started this magazine to do. To say we’re still doing it 50 issues and almost a
decade later, well, gives me great satisfaction. There’s no award for that, and
really no words (even though I’ve just written 266 of them.)
You’ve all been amazing, and on behalf of everyone here at Rat Rod Magazine
– thank you. We’re ready for the next 50 issues – keep building, driving, and
rocking out that rust, and we’ll keep sharing it with the world.

—Steve

6 RAT ROD MAGAZINE ISSUE FIFITY

6 RatRod editorvs2.indd 6 6/19/18 9:57 PM