315,619,200 seconds
This is the 10th time I am doing this (although I think I skipped 1 or 2 Februaries in the past)… this is the 10th time I am writing something to mention and commemorate a milestone for our monthly “bilingual” newspaper… and this is the 10th time I am trying to say something non-repeated, that will feature this occasion… but it is difficult to come up with something that is non-repeated, and something that I would love to feature without sounding selfish and/or egotistical, not only because I am proud of my efforts, but also because I am happy of reaching this highlight that represents my people of the local Latino community.
Every project always brings learning experiences to whoever creates it and runs it, and the creation of the CNY Latino newspaper back in 2004 with the running for 10 years, is not an exception. We have learned a lot from the diverse readership we serve, and from the customers and clientele (advertisers and sponsors) that support us. We have experienced in so many different ways, what being Latino (here in the EEUU) is to our own culture, and to other cultures, and we have been trying to change (better) the image and impression of many things related to this project (and its culture) through the process of creating and running this publication.
We have also learned many other aspects among ourselves, the creators and makers of the CNY Latino newspaper. This project for instance was a pinnacle for me to know better my girlfriend (Editor in Chief of the newspaper) Marisol Hernandez, and understand her passions and life interests (not to mention that the creation of this project might have also been a direct link to meet her – and many in the Latino community of Central New York). Similarly, I get to meet and deal with other great people that work with us in the development and making of this project, like my Online Director Eddy Dominguez, who ended up to be a fantastic professional within a caring sweet Mexican woman. Also, many of our city-associates that have gotten out of their way to distribute and make popular our publication in locations like Rochester, Ithaca, Rome-Utica, Watertown, and Oswego.
And even with myself, this project has been a challenge that in many instances has brought out some aspects of me, that I don’t think I would have seen or expressed, if I were working in other situation… like working for somebody else, in one of those regular 9 to 5 jobs… I do recognize and admit that creating and making the CNY Latino has brought up some phases of my character and way-of-being, that probably molded my personality, as how I am right now. The good and bad of this (or any) project forces anyone that creates it or runs it, to develop these types of phases… in the case of CNY Latino, I think these “goods” and “bads” helped me to be, a good portion of what I am.
Yes, 10 years… 3,653 days… 87,672 hours… 5,260,320 minutes… 315,619,200 seconds… does not matter how you place this decade, it is a long period of time for many things in life, and a long period of time for many projects. Of course I am going to say that it was not easy, and of course I am also going to say that it was pleasurable, and I think (like many other things in life) it has been an enjoyment with work satisfaction, and a challenge with some struggles. There were in this 10 years (and still are) many issues that I had to face and handle, and lots of “ups and downs”. Between obtaining advertisement (the main source of income for the newspaper) and obtaining content, and coordinating development and distribution, and running the business with all its aspects, and organizing other events, and planning for the future of the newspaper (and the business), and – oh yeah – also having a family with a teenage girl and house repairs and vehicles mechanical problems.
I know, I know… I might have sounded above like if I was “whining” in a selfish way, but that was not my intention. My intention is to portrait some source of successful scenario, where not only I could motivate and drive some of our readers, but also to show to those that doubted on this project, the perseverance and determination we at CNY Latino had for… 10 years.
