Without any doubt, the year can be summed up by that movie title: “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” From unbelievable printing costs increases to national awards that makes Yours Truly beyond proud, 2025 will come to the end.
And the optimist inside me, along with my PILL (partner in love & life) are convinced and looking forward that 2026 will be (as we say every year) the “best year yet!”
But let’s recap and start with the bad and ugly. Over the summer, The Vegas Voice was hit with double digits increases in printing and postage. Worse yet, we discovered that our (now fired) mailing service “forgot” to mail out our magazines to numerous Sun City communities over the summer.
I have to admit to mixed emotions when I received numerous telephone calls and emails from readers asking what happened to The Vegas Voice. Their collective very kind words about our publication and columnists were and will remain extremely gratifying while my Bronx anger was boiling for this confusion.
Nothing like paying more for less service became our motto. Hopefully our new service can right the wrong but it’s still a work in progress.
As for the good: I was beyond thrilled, proud and humbled by the recognition of my peers for our magazine. The senior publication trade association (NAMPA) awards are beyond rewarding and my heart-felt thanks goes to our columnists who are “simply the best.”
And that includes our “webmeisters” Success City Online for taking this publisher “kicking & screaming” into the 21st century with our websites, podcasts and videos.
And this December, Rana and I will be celebrating our 13th year of “playing house.” To my surprise, there are no words that can describe my finding and being in love again.
I guess when you cut through all the life hassles and BS that is out there, there is something to be said of the adage, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” And if you have your health and family, everything else is “small stuff.”
Now my concept of “family” is not strictly blood relations. It includes those that always have your back and is there for you when times get tough.
For my Rana and me, it’s our “Vegas Voice family.” This family consists of our ever increasing number of columnists, advertisers and you – our readers.
Now we may not always agree and recognize that every family has its dysfunctional members (and god knows we have ours, but that’s for another column) however my PILL and I have come to recognize these once strangers as members of our family.
And for that, we are most fortunate and blessed.
From the bottom of our collective hearts, our family wishes you the happiest of holidays and that the New Year brings you and yours all the smiles, joy, happiness (and health) that life has to offer.
