October 2008 | From the Publisher
Four Leaf Clover Not Required
I am truly the luckiest person I know. Or, maybe I am the most blessed person I know. I guess there is a fine, or thick line between the two, depending on one’s spiritual viewpoint. To be lucky, according to Webster’s, is to have a positive result by chance. Whereas, to be blessed is to be granted divine favor. Dang. I can already see this topic is going to buy me more words than I am allowed in this column.
To cut to the chase — I do feel constantly charged with divinity or spiritual grace. I have no religious affiliations, and my spiritual community tends to lean toward people who have seen a pragmatically unexplainable grace in their lives. I simply wake up every day deliriously happy and thankful to be alive! I have an on-going conversation with an entity (or maybe a group of them) higher than myself. The more I stay plugged into that conversation, the better the decisions I make in my life. Faith, trust, chance and luck — are all words that work for me.
What I want to address in these remaining words are delivered on wings of good fortune. This incredible magazine, Conscious Choice, just celebrated 20 years of publishing. In the spring of 1988, Ross Thompson and Jim Slama launched a basement alternative journal. I picked up the first copy in Chicago at Treasure Island on Broadway when I was 23. In that issue were many concepts new to me. A story on the Chicago Diner, Chicago’s first vegan eatery, and a story on energy consumption which featured a new idea for a light bulb — the compact fluorescent light. I wanted to be part of everything in that magazine. I ate up the advertising and the content like tofu chocolate mousse.
Through no planning of my own, I was blessed to land on the doorstep of Conscious Choice about 15 years later. It found me and brought me in. Further seemingly random events put me in the publisher’s chair, and eventually also the seat of operations VP for a network of regional, like-minded magazines around the country. Blessed, I am indeed.
On September 6th, we held an anniversary gala on the Chicago River. I cannot possibly mention all of the supporters who stepped up to donate goods and services for the event, plus silent auction items to benefit FamilyFarmed.org. I do want to offer special thanks to a few who went beyond the call — Tamara Wills, owner of Allyu Spa gave us the perfect venue and music and was the ultimate hostess; Greg Christian Catering provided wonderful food, and most especially, the greatest catering staff I have ever experienced; and the Village of Lisle’s green downtown development campaign assisted with party essentials and made the event far better than we could have ever imagined. Hats off to the staff of Conscious Choice as well — Sondra, Kevin, James, Carrie and Tim are some of the most remarkable people one could ever meet.
So, cheers to all of us lucky enough to have Conscious Choice as a resource in our lives! And blessings for another spectacular 20 years.
— Richard McGinnis
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