Year End 2008 Editorial

As 2008 nears a close, many of us begin to reflect upon our accomplishments, failures and goals we may or may not have reached. The funny thing about goals is that you can always push them back farther and farther so that you never reach them. I guess for some people it could be a crutch, for others fear of the unknown. I know this year has been very fruitful for us here at Big Wheel and in keeping with the spirit of Thanksgiving we are all very thankful. We have made some great improvements to our coverage and have acquired some fine staff members.
We have embarked upon a project that brings us international coverage of shows in the UK, a milestone for many of us who rarely get a glimpse of shows across the ocean. Most importantly, we can never thank our staff of writers and photographers enough for the long hours they work to get the coverage and then produce it for the large global community to enjoy. Thanks goes out to the many bands that mark the musical landscape that have lent their support to our efforts here. An even bigger thanks goes to you the fans of the online magazine, your support in the form of the emails you send in, to thanking our staffers when you see them out covering shows all the way to the surprise beers you buy them at a show.

We have endured a great deal as a nation this year, with many friends and family members being affected in some way by the national crisis that we are facing. Never before have many of us seen so many people out of jobs, and kicked out of their homes while big business gets bailed out, but I guess that's just the way of the world.

 
Besides the doom and gloom we are living with daily, the one thing that has changed for the better is the price of gas. It was not long ago that the price of gas was getting so out of control that many Americans couldn't afford to go to work, needless to say go to shows or drive anywhere for pleasure. If you did decide to go somewhere you filled your car with friends and charged admission to anyone who had enough cash to spare. You just hoped that if you were the one who couldn't afford to pay, that another paying friend didn't come along and boot you out! Now people are being less stingy with giving free rides and since then gas prices have gone from a skyrocket, to a freefall, to where as I write this, the price of gas is $1.65/gal in Los Angeles, CA.


But beyond the financial problems we all face there are personal issues that have shaped how we will remember 2008 individually.  This year we've gone to shows, secluded ourselves, made friends, lost friends, traveled, married, moved, had children, created, destroyed, skated, drank, relapsed, partied, slammed, laughed, cried, hated, forgiven, loved, lost, and learned, but in spite of it all, this year has given us character and will shape who we are next year and in years to come.

-Matt C.-
Editor in Chief