Every time I say aloud that we’ve been doing PADUCAH LIFE Magazine for 25 years I get this sort of shiver down my spine. And when I choose the phrase “quarter century,” y’all I just feel a bit weak in the knees.
This time 25 years ago I was writing my first editorial. My first EVER. And when I return to those words I feel something akin to a bit of awe. Because we all know that seldom do we actually accomplish what we set out to do. There are twists and turns and peaks and valleys, and somehow we don’t ever seem to quite arrive at our intended destination.
But these were the words I penned in 1990 on page 2 of the inaugural edition of PADUCAH LIFE Magazine.
“Just as each individual story is unique, so is the community in which we live. A city isn’t gauged by the number of square feet it occupies or the kinds of businesses that are located there. A city bears a certain personality because of the relationships among its members, its connection to families and their sense of values, its balance between commerce and caring.
These are the elements which will be explored on an on-going basis in PADUCAH LIFE. We’ll look at the people and places of our hometown in a creative way. We’ll bring you colorful characterizations of local personalities. We’ll delve into our past for clues to our current way of life. We’ll probe the thoughts and minds of local leaders as well as concerned citizens. We’ll paint a portrait of a city and county that just might surprise you with its wit and wisdom.
We hope you’ll join us on this engaging journey. And we hope that because of the trip, you’ll get more out of life—Paducah Life!”
And you HAVE joined us. And for that we are eternally grateful. There are WAY TOO MANY people to thank for standing with us since 1990—advertisers, writers, photographers, designers, promoters, readers, patrons, artists, printers, and people who have shown us more love than we could ever repay. The invitation still stands. We hope that in the coming year and the coming decades you will continue to join us for this most exquisite journey we call LIFE.
