From the Editor
This past week, my adult daughter Sarah and I visited Disney World for the first time in twenty years. It was magical, to say the least. The castle was stunning, the rides were silly and fun, and the characters reminded me of my childhood. We romped around Animal Kingdom, screamed on Tower of Terror, and snacked on Dole Whip in our Minnie Mouse Ears. Despite the crowds, our smiles were ear-to-ear and the joy we felt still lingers, even now, while back in New Jersey.
I was struck by one particular section of the Disney parks: Tomorrowland. Walt Disney dreamed of bringing the future to his guests and inspiring them to be an active part of shaping it. The Carousel of Progress, a relic of the 1964 World’s Fair, spins riders through the 20th century, peering into a family’s home and all its new technology. Complete with washing machines, electric lights, television, radio, air conditioning, and video games, the ride leaves a lasting impression. I loved the idea behind it. Celebrating the innovation that makes our lives easier is important, and makes us more thankful for it.
As my daughter and I wandered Tomorrowland, we rode Space Mountain, the Peoplemover, and Spaceship Earth in Epcot. The region is marked by a chrome, sleek design, and elements of space. A song played in the background:
“There’s a great, big,
beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day
There’s a great, big,
beautiful tomorrow
And tomorrow’s just a dream away
Man has a dream and that’s the start
He follows his dream with
mind and heart
And when it becomes a reality
It’s a dream come true for you and me
So there’s a great, big,
beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day
There’s a great, big,
beautiful tomorrow
Just a dream away”
The song makes me think of our little publication, Shore Local. This month marks our sixth year in print, and Bob and I are so grateful for all of your support. Whether we have written about you, you’ve advertised with us, you write, photograph, or deliver our magazines, or if you simply picked up the paper at your grocery store, thank you for helping us be a part of today and tomorrow. We don’t know where Shore Local will take us in the coming years, but we know that we will continue shining a light on local heroes and telling the stories of the incredible people, events, and places that make South Jersey a great place to live and visit.
Even though the world has changed greatly and the digital world has sprouted before our eyes, print journalism is still an important part of every community. You can scroll through Facebook all you want, but nothing beats flipping the pages of a magazine, picking up a Sunday paper, or the fresh smell of a new book. Tangible publications are still very much alive and well. On the Spaceship Earth ride in Epcot, a journey that takes riders through historical moments in time, there’s an animatronic man standing by a printing press, holding a newspaper. A boy yells in the distance, “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!”. I feel like that little worker every time I post our articles online. I hope that even though it’s been six hundred years since Gutenberg invented the first printing press, newspapers still inform readers and make the world a more connected and happier place.
We had a dream, now it’s a reality. Thank you for being a part of our great, big beautiful tomorrow.
Peace & Love,
Cindy
