2017 October PASO Magazine

S O M E T HI N G W O R T H R E A DI N G
B y Ni c
M att s o n
I n 2 0 0 2, I w or ke d f or Bar nes &
N o ble i n L as Ve gas as t he s u per vi -
s or of t he ma gazi ne secti o n. Eac h
m o nt h, ne w ma gazi nes hit t he
s hel ves a n d ol d o nes were t osse d.
Part of m y j o b was acc o u nti n g f or
t he sales of ma gazi nes. I re m o ve d
all ma gazi nes fr o m t he s hel ves a n d
t ore o f t he c o ver wit h t he barc o de
t o se n d bac k t o t he ma gazi ne distri
b ut ors. he rest of t he ma gazi ne
was free f or t he ta ki n g.
I starte d c ollecti n g ma gazi nes
wit h great art — travel, m usicia ns,
q u otes, la n dsc a pes, a n d pe o ple e n -
j oyi n g life. I use d t he ma gazi nes
t o create lar ge c olla ges or “ visi o n
b oar ds.” I still have t he m, a n d if I
l o o k cl osel y, I c a n see w here t h ose
t hi n gs I i ma gi ne d bac k t he n c a me
t o realit y.
hat is n ot reall y t he p oi nt ri g ht
n o w t h o u g h. he reas o n I write t his
n o w is beca use o ne of t he q u otes
t hat I c ollecte d was fr o m t he a ut h or,
pri nter, i nve nt or, a n d F o u n di n g Fa -
t her of t he U nite d States of A merica,
Be nja mi n Fra n kli n.
It is a q u ote t hat g ui de d me f or
t he past 1 5 years a n d will c o nti n ue.
“ Eit her write so met hi ng wort h
re a di ng or do so met hi ng wort h
writi ng.” — Be nj a mi n Fra nkli n
F or a writer, it sets a hi g h bar.
F or a citize n of t he U. S. A., it als o
sets a hi g h bar.
I feel f ort u nate t o live i n a c o m-
m u nit y t hat lives u p t o its citize n -
s hi p. O ver t he last m o nt h, I have
bee n i ntr o d uce d t o t he o utsta n di n g
f ol ks t hat ma ke u p vari o us gr o u ps
t hat pr o vi de ple nt y of “s o met hi n g
w ort h writi n g.”
Fr o m Estrella War bir ds M use -
u m, Pi o neer M use u m, Pi o neer Day,
Pas o R o bles R otar y, Ca ncer S u p -
p ort C o m m u nit y, a n d of c o urse my
hist or y wit h t he st u de nt-at hletes of
Pas o R o bles Hi g h Sc h o ol a n d t h ose
w h o pr ovi de t he m a n e nvir o n me nt
i n w hic h t o t hrive.
S ee ms li ke a n i m pressi ve list,
b ut it is h ar dl y t he ti p of t he ice -
ber g of w h at m a kes Pas o R o bles
t he c o m m u nit y it is.
I c o ul d g o o n a n d o n a b o ut
gr o u ps a n d i n divi d uals t hat c o n -
tri b ute t o t he greater g o o d, a n d I
will a d d t o t he list as I c arr y o n t he
P A S O Ma gazi ne tra diti o n of ta k -
i n g a “ m o nt hl y l o o k at o ur re mar k-
a ble c o m m u nit y.”
S o ma ny pe o ple i n o ur c o m m u -
nit y are d oi n g “s o met hi n g w ort h
writi n g” a b o ut, a n d it is a part of
my pers o nal c o nvicti o n t o pr o d uce
“s o met hi n g w ort h rea di n g.”
P A S O ma gazi ne has a s pecial
nic he t hat ma kes it a p o werf ul t o ol
“ Eit her write s o met hi n g w ort h re a di n g or d o
s o met hi n g w ort h writi n g. ” Be nj a mi n Fr a n kli n
f or s prea di n g t he g o o d w or d a b o ut
great t hi n gs.
Pas o R o bles is a cit y of hist or y,
tra diti o n, h o met o w n val ues, sc h o ol
a n d c o m m u nit y pri de, a n d a har d-
day’s w or k.
I’ m h u m ble d a n d h o n ore d t o
have a n o p p ort u nit y t o ta ke part
i n pr o m oti n g a n d p u blis hi n g t he
t hi n gs t hat ma ke Pas o R o bles great.
If y o u h a ve a st or y of s o met
hi n g or s o me o ne d oi n g s o met
hi n g w ort h writi n g a b o ut, please
d o n’t hesit ate t o gi ve us at P A S O
M a g a zi ne a n o p p ort u nit y t o write
s o met hi n g w ort h rea di n g!
Yo urs tr ul y,
Nic Matts o n
8 0 5- 2 3 9- 1 5 3 3
p u blis her @ pas o ma gazi ne.c o m
1 0 P A S O M aga zi ne, Octo ber 2 0 17