It may be autumn, but the laurels are green

Bill Rasmussen's guidance counselor probably looked at the young student's list of interests and said, "You're a people person. You like sports. Congratulations, you're going to make a great peanut vendor at the local ballpark!" Of course, Rasmussen famously founded ESPN franchise instead, and the sports world has never been quite the same since. He encountered skepticism when, as an unemployed former New England Whalers staffer, he boldly bankrolled the company's first satellite transponder using his personal credit card. There's never a shortage of folks to say something can't be done or shouldn't be done. Cezanne supposedly welcomed rejection from the masses because it meant his art was on the right path. Great painters, and great thinkers, stand outside the prejudices of their time. Adherence to conformity is a fine mentality, if all you're concerned about is your batting average. A great number of new businesses and new ideas do, in fact, fail. But it's only creative thinkers like Rasmussen who persevere against the tide of skeptics. We here at PRIME hope that you enjoy the details of his rise to the top, and share in his frustration at those who would steal his laurels. My own guidance counselor? High school was many years ago, but I think he said something about my becoming a famous writer some day. Well, I guess he was half right. In other news this month, we learned during our production deadline that the Miss Senior Massachusetts contest was on the cusp of being revived (see story on page 9). This was wonderful news to hear; it would be a disappointing fall without that storied senior showcase. Finally, although I normally loathe when periodicals devote space to congratulating themselves on their accomplishments, this month's editor's note would be incomplete if it didn't include mention of two significant milestones. Please bear with us; hopefully we don't break our arms patting ourselves on the back. First, PRIME turns 18 years old this month, making our magazine both legal to vote and able to serve in the United States Armed Forces. It's also worth noting a recent award bestowed upon the editorial staff by Independent Free Papers of America. Our November 2009 cover story about the Young at Heart group won top honors in the feature writing category. The PRIME story ranked above entries from periodicals across the nation. The award was handed out late last month in Nashville, Tenn. In nearly two decades of PRIME being published, it is the first top editorial award won by this magazine from the IFPA. Congratulations to us, and thanks for reading. Sincerely, Mike Briotta PRIME Editor mikeb@thereminder.com