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
S M S M L a ur a M af fei P et er St erli n g J as o n Bi etz K are n H eisi n g er C ase y A p p ell Juli e K re o ws ki Justi n V a n d erli n d e n G O L E T A O X N A R D P A S O R O B L E S* S A N L UI S O BI S P O S A NT A B A R B A R A S A N T A M A RI A V E N T U R A W E S T L A K E VI L L A G E *l o a n p r o d u c ti o n o f fi c e Octo ber 2 0 17, P A S O M aga zi ne 1 1