BENCH SEAT

Benjamin Franklin said there were only two certainties in life: death and taxes. Life is what you choose to do in between those inevitabilities. I tell you what they don’t teach you in school — or, if they do, I wasn’t paying attention — is that life is a pretty long stretch that, I’m told, passes you by pretty quickly, in hindsight. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I had no real idea of what I wanted to do with myself after high school, but went on to the requisite university degree — Accounting and Economics, if you must know — at the urging of my uncharacteristically cool and charismatic accounting teacher. I might have ended up working in the corporate world, if not for a pure stroke of chance that presented the opportunity to work for what I reckon is the best local automotive publication out there — this one. During the ensuing four years and 48 issues, I’ve done things and been given opportunities that I still can’t quite fathom, and have learned a great deal — the most important of which is that I’m not cut out for a life in front of a computer screen, under a series of fluorescent lights. Which is why I’m writing this editorial to let you know that this issue is my last working in-house at Parkside Media, as I depart for the hard-slogging, minimum-wage-earning life of an apprentice tradie. I don’t quite know what I want in my future, but I’m pretty sure it involves sunburn, a van full of tools, and a bunch of characters (1, 2, 4, W, T, R) on my licence rather than worsening myopia in front of an LED monitor. Will I still be doing stuff for the magazine? You’re damn right I will, and you’ll still be seeing me around just as often, but I won’t be doing the full-time, behind-the-scenes gig of putting a magazine to print every month. Now, at this point, your brow may be furrowed. You may feel some concern at the well-being of this beautiful monthly title you hold in your hands, but let me assuage your fears and tell you not to worry. While my departure might come as a surprise to you, it’s been in the pipeline for quite a while, and, in that time, Todd, myself, and the rest of the team have made arrangements to ensure that the magazine remains as you know and love it. Included in that is my continuing on as a freelancer. It isn’t easy putting a magazine out every month, especially one that you can feel proud to put your name on for the world to see. It isn’t easy working late, or weekends, with a brain that’s ready to sleep from the amount of shit that’s pouring through it to ensure that this current issue, and the next one, and the one after that are all tracking well, but it’s been a hell of an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. It’s been a hell of a challenge to master, but maybe I’m being a bit selfish in feeling that I’m ready for the next one. Whatever, I’ve heard that life passes you by pretty quickly, in hindsight. Cheers for the memories, opportunities, and saying “Gidday” at shows. I’ve met so many of you that I may sometimes struggle to put names to the faces, but the yarns are always good anyway.