Every once in a while, someone here — okay, a certain managing editor — gets very attached to a story.
It's an attachment that puts the editor-in-chief at risk, especially when he messes with the fifth word in paragraph seven. And it's one that causes her to hover over the assistant art director's shoulder, while offering Skittles in exchange for periodic glimpses of his design.
It's an attachment that grew only stronger as our September issue neared publication. She cannot stop thinking about the voices of the people she interviewed and the stories they told. And, she has continued to retell their adventures to her family and friends as if she had been there herself.
Such was the case with our Work/Life feature in this issue, "It's Not About the Bike." Seventeen consultants embarked on a seven-day, 575-mile bicycle ride on the West Coast to raise money and awareness for the AIDS cause. I found their individual stories as moving as the cause itself. Many of them had not been on a bicycle in years and had to train for half a year for the event. Others met with physical challenges much tougher.
"I want to be a rider!" yelled a child watching the parade of bicyclists go by. Hey, so do I! Inspired by the cycling consultants, I bought my first bike in 15 years. You can now find me rushing home every night to cycle around the crazy streets of Brooklyn, NY.
Speaking of crazy places: One spot in which we never expected to find ourselves for this issue was Newt Gingrich's living room. But that's where we ended up when it came time to photograph Mr. Gingrich for this issue's cover. (Mrs. Gingrich, please accept our apology for the short notice.) It seems that no matter how our reporting begins or ends for each issue, it's always the journey — as my fellow cyclists know only too well — that pays the greatest rewards.
We hope you agree. If the stories within these pages delight you or anger you or move you in some way, please let us know by sending your thoughts to us at customercare@alm.com. We certainly enjoy reading them (even the rather hot ones!), and we've been told our readers do, too.
Mina Landriscina, Managing Editor
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