Publishers Perspective: Self Discovery
– By Josh Warburton –
Happy new year! Yeah, I know I’m a little slow on that one… but I didn’t write an article for our January edition, so I’ll say it now! I really hope we all have a good new year after two crazy years of Covid-19 disrupting….well, just about everything.
We at The Independent have started the year strong. Our February edition grew to 28 pages, up from the 24 it was over the past few months, and up from only 16 pages for the same month last year! That was a tough time indeed! Nevertheless, this year looks to be a positive one.
Like so many fellow Americans, we got a little help from our (government) through the PPP loan program, which was forgiven as promised. And while I am so grateful to have received it (and frankly, it helped us stay afloat so, so much) this year, we are not expecting any handouts, and we’ll have to make ends meet the old-fashioned way… by earning it. But like I said, things are looking pretty good so far, so here’s to hoping it continues.
2022 will also mark some significant milestones in my personal history. It was February of 1992 that I became vegan, so this month I celebrate my 30th veganiversary! Oh, you didn’t know? Well, then we probably have never met! Ha! That’s based on the old joke – “How do you know someone is vegan? Because they tell you in the first 10 minutes of knowing you.” And that is true of a lot of folks, and I’m guilty of wearing it on my sleeve on occasion, but I still have people I’ve known for years tell me they didn’t know that about me, so maybe I’m not a “pushy vegan.” That said, if you want to talk about it, I’m more than happy to!
And all of that said, I have folks say they didn’t know I am a musician either… and also of 30 years, as I started playing guitar and singing also when I was 15 years old. Clearly, that was a big year for me that set me on a path I’ve continued to pursue. But the last two years have been difficult for many artists and performers, me included. I only played one gig in 2020 and two in 2021. And that was mostly by choice… but this year looks to be a little different. Although I have nothing booked now, I’ve just started jamming with a group of musicians in Kanab, where I live these days. So you may see or hear something coming from this remote area of our state, and if so, I hope you’ll go and check it out.
This edition also marks the end of another publishing year for The Independent, having published our first edition in March of 1996. Yup, that’s 26 years that we’ll celebrate next month, and everyone that goes by now, it’s more of a marvel to me we are still trucking. And really, as strong as ever. Our print circulation is back up to pre-covid numbers. We had our highest online visitorship in 2020 and 2021, combining over 1,000,000 visits to suindependent.com over those two years.
I want to thank all of you for being part of my journey. And I hope you enjoy the latest edition of The Independent and Zion Guide. Happy reading, and seriously, have a happy new year!
Viewpoints and perspectives expressed throughout The Independent are those of the individual contributors. They do not necessarily reflect those held by the staff of The Independent or our advertising sponsors. Your comments, rebuttals, and contributions are welcome in accordance with our Terms of Service. Please be respectful and abide by our Community Rules. If you have privacy concerns you can view our Privacy Policy here. Thank you!
Click here to submit an article, guest opinion piece, or a Letter to the Editor
I will catch your band one of these days. Congrats and keep up the fine work. We need all voices to be heard, and the Independent is part of that equation in S. UTAH. I do miss Dallas from the old days, but I am sure Dixie St officials do not. The times are changing – let’s hope we hold the line in these here parts and keep our humanity intact. Peace out.