In the Blink of an Eye By Traci Matt Associate Editor It’s hard to believe I was still in my 20s when Polly called 16 years ago to ask if I’d write a feature article about a rebuilder (whatever that was) for her newly-purchased trade paper. Our first foray was a quick drive to interview a rebuilder located just south of Kansas City. He didn’t quite know what to think of the two “girls” trying to grasp what he did for a living. In the beginning, Polly patiently schooled me in the requisite vocabulary: “stator” is not “starter” misspelled — usually; Juan Grube is not spelled John, even though he’s got a heavy mid-Missouri accent and not much of a tan. Some things I learned the hard way: just because something pops up on a Web search doesn’t mean it’s timely; some people have too many lawyers OK’ing every word they say; and even in this good-old-boy industry mistrust abounds, and very often it’s warranted. The conservative estimate of my writing for this publication tops a quar- ter-million words. That doesn’t include the million or so words I’ve chopped, changed, manipulated, and questioned as an editor— which has delighted some of our writers and horrified others. My sweet spot is when I sit down with a pile of interview notes, research results, and my tattered stylebook and start to weave a story together. Any career guide will tell you you’ve made it when hours can go by at work with- out you even noticing. In that sense I’ve made it. Then there are the shows. I remember my stomach churning as I looked out over the sea of regis- trants at the show in Philadelphia, wondering if we’d ever get all those name tags made. I remember one angry exhibitor standing in the lobby in Chicago shouting for “Polly Ferrerrrr’” and being very glad I wasn’t “Polly Ferrerrrr.” I remember shuffling through the Fort Worth airport in my sock feet because of the blisters my new stylish cowboy boots had caused walking the show floor. I also remember the 2003 show in Kansas City where I could only work a few hours because of my bout with cancer. As I recall, the people at DuBois had lost someone dear to them that year and there seemed to be a satis- fying undercurrent of true priority, even when work and money may have appeared to be front and center. It must be those times which keep Polly and me, along with our talented support staff, turning the pages in our notebooks over each month to plan the next issue. Thanks for reading and letting us know when we make a dif- ference in your business and in your life.