The other day I stopped by the local country store in our town. I had met a new friend and asked her and her husband by for a drink after work so, my mission was to pick up a bottle of wine, some artisan cheese and some smoked salmon. It may be a country store, but we are living in gourmet times; even Vermont country stores have culinary street cred.
I made my selections and went to the counter to check out only to find that I didn't have enough cash to pay for it all. "Oh well," I said to the nice young man behind the counter, "I'll bring the rest of the money by later." Now, I realize that to those of you who are visitors to this part of the world, this may sound strange. In most places, when you buy something, you pay for it, and if you don't have the necessary cash, you go without. Basic rules of commerce. But the owners of the store are close friends and I had gotten away with this kind of deal in the past. This is how we roll in the country; things are not wrapped too terribly tightly. However, the young man behind the counter was a new employee. He didn't know me. He told me he was sorry, and gave me a quick lesson in consumer economics: if I didn't have enough money, I couldn't walk out with the items I wanted.
Feeling contrite to have put him in an awkward position, I began to survey my cocktail items lying there on the counter. What could I do without? I had to have the wine... or maybe I had enough at home. I really wanted the cheese, but, then again, smoked salmon is one of my favorites...
I asked the clerk to add up various combinations of items, but couldn't re-envision the stripped down cocktail party without any one of them. Like I said, even we country folks have culinary street cred. Meanwhile, a line was forming behind me. The other customers were probably eager to pay for their items and move on, but since this is a small town, they were also invested in my plight. The man behind me handed me a few dollars. "Here," he said, "Take it all."
"Oh, no," I replied. "I couldn't."
"Yes, you can. I've been in the same position myself," he added. "Please take the money."
So I did. I offered up many thanks once we had both paid for our items and moved toward the door. I introduced myself and he said that my name sounded familiar. I told him that I was the editor of Stratton Magazine and that a lot of people who read about me in these pages think they know me even if they haven't met me in person.
"Oh yes," he remarked with feeling. "I love that magazine! I've been reading it for years! Look forward to every issue."
These words are music to any editor's ears. It's always great to have positive feedback about our magazine, so when he went on to say that he had a great story idea, I paid attention. It did actually sound interesting, so I gave him my email address and told him to send me details. I didn't necessarily expect to hear from him again, but he in fact did follow up (he's a fourth grade teacher at Maple Street...very bright...very organized in his thinking). I ended up assigning the story to one of our writers, so now it's in the works. You'll be reading it in the next issue or two.
The point of this tale? Oh, I don't know... it's just a day in the life of a country magazine editor. We don't pitch stories in offices or use blackberries, we mingle in line at the country store, share story ideas and help each other out in desperate cocktail party straits. It truly is the way things work around here. And part of what makes life in this part of the world so rewarding.
Also rewarding, is the winter issue you're getting ready to sample. The weather has turned cold and it's time to play in the snow, something telemark skier Kare Anderson has been doing for nearly a century. Outdoor writer Peggy Shinn also introduces us to XC wunderkind, Andy Newell of Shaftsbury, who continues the free heel tradition, but with a slightly different twist. Former Olympian Betsy Shaw McKenzie tells about teaching her daughter Esther to ski. And Dorset author Geoffrey Norman recalls the thrills of tracking animals through the snow. There's much, much more too. Enjoy.
