I\u2019ve spent the past week filtering through our archived magazines to try to find some of Motorcycle Mojo\u2019s most memorable moments, slowly strolling down the proverbial memory lane.<\/p>\n
My job was to pick out some great articles and notable people, but when I opened up the very first \u201cprimal\u201d issue of Mojo, time halted. I slowly flipped through each page of the digest-sized magazine and read my parents\u2019 first-ever columns, which they had put together so carefully. Their thoughts and outlooks on the industry were written on the pages that I now spend my time trying to fill.<\/p>\n
I started combing through each of my mom\u2019s and dad\u2019s columns: reading about their riding seasons and injuries, and about raising me to ride \u2014 and the fears that came along with that, as I moved up to bigger bikes. It felt like I had just found a journal that my parents had written years ago. A public journal, available to everyone to read \u2014 but for me, it\u2019s the stories of our lives.<\/p>\n
I read about what they were feeling and experiencing at a time when I was too young to understand what, exactly, they were working toward. But now, 20 years later, with Motorcycle Mojo still holding strong as Canada\u2019s prominent motorcycle magazine. I couldn\u2019t be prouder.<\/p>\n
I read about my dad breaking his collarbone, trying to stay optimistic and hoping it would heal in time to take in the last of the riding season; his experience was similar to my struggles with injuries. I read about my mom learning to ride and finding joy in each bike she owned, which I often feel.<\/p>\n
Then my dad stopped my trip down memory lane with a stern reminder that I have a legitimate job to do.<\/p>\n
Throughout the years, I\u2019ve watched my parents work countless late nights, put off riding to write and travel from show to show in order to mold this incredible publication into what it is today. Countless times, I saw my parents struggling to break into a new market and industry, all because they felt it needed to be done. I\u2019ve realized how far my parents came with their ability to create something intriguing and thought-provoking for motorcyclists of all kinds.<\/p>\n
For a graphic design artist and an auto mechanic to step away from their reliable jobs to set out into completely unknown terrain in an attempt to provide the Canadian motorcyclist with something they had been missing was truly a risk. Throughout the years, I watched their business grow, along with the magazine\u2019s physical size, and began to understand just how many barriers my parents were constantly breaking, all while staying calm and collected (well most of the time).<\/p>\n
I remember saying when I was a teenager that I would never work for my parents. It wasn\u2019t because I didn\u2019t like the idea of working for them. It was because I never thought I would be good enough. Over the years, though, I started to realize that the fear of letting my parents down was inhibiting me, not only from helping them but also from helping others by writing about my experiences.<\/p>\n
I started writing my first article for Mojo when I was 18, after my Alaska trip. I say \u201cstarted\u201d because it took me almost a year to finish. I would attempt to write, then I\u2019d read it over and delete it right away. It wasn\u2019t good enough. Finally, my dad told me: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you think it\u2019s good; you have to start somewhere. If you can just put words on the page it will turn into something. It might take a few tries, but it\u2019s a starting point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sure enough, he was right. I finally completed my first article and then I turned it over to dad to completely overhaul through his editing process. Like anything, practice makes perfect \u2014 or close to it \u2014 and this was no different. I\u2019ve come a long way since my first article, but this moment instilled in me the idea that maybe I was good enough to work for my parents and maybe, just maybe, someday they might actually want me to work for them.<\/p>\n
Ten years later, I\u2019m full-time with the magazine and, although I live on the other side of the country from my parents, we\u2019re closer than ever. I have so much respect for them and what they were able to create from just an idea.<\/p>\n
Throughout the years, I\u2019ve watched Motorcycle Mojo change and evolve, along with my parents and the industry as a whole. From the custom-heavy beginning of the publication to the refined and well-rounded spectrum of motorcycle information that Mojo now offers, I\u2019m proud of my parents for having the discipline and determination to make their dream a successful reality for all riders to enjoy throughout the years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve spent the past week filtering through our archived magazines to try to find some of Motorcycle Mojo\u2019s most memorable moments, slowly strolling down the proverbial memory lane. My job was to pick out some great articles and notable people, but when I opened up the very first \u201cprimal\u201d issue of Mojo, time halted. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":61892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1975,2109],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n