Get Back to Reading
It has been nearly 18 years since I started writing a monthly article for Decline Magazine. Remember that piece of history? It’s been years since the magazine, along with many others, closed their doors. Something left us when our favorite forms of reading left our mailboxes.
Confab is defined as a casual conversation, which is the style of writing I most enjoy, and also the namesake of my former Decline Magazine article. Every month I would sit down and type out what my ignorant 18 year old mind was stewing on; I had free reign to call out whomever and expose whatever. It was essentially my monthly state-of-the-industry, and sport I had already dedicated my life to. I would love to claim that I had the forethought to be resurrecting it well over a decade in the future, but it still seems so serendipitous. What I got to do then helped inform readers of a different perspective, one I was privy to own. Looking back, I was surprised as to how many people complimented me on the articles each month.
Led and inspired by Scott Hart, the esteemed editor in chief of the eclectic publication, Decline offered me my own look into the future. It is rare that an adolescent professional athlete with nobody telling him what to do (or at least not anyone he would listen to) is able to start typing and actually figure as much about what is going on in the world as in his own head. I am a bit of a spun out individual, even at 36; do as much epic shit each day, and cram as much as possible until your parents, the law, or your spouse has had enough. Taking my mandatory time to write down my thoughts, all while figuring them out, was a privilege in forms of therapy, perspective, roadmapping my future and creating a time stamp to look back upon. So in a sense, the article was inadvertently selfish, as it was benefiting the reader just as much as myself. Or was it actually refreshing to the reader because there was nobody else besides an 18 “shit bastard”, as my Dad said, that would say such audacities within their sport? Candor is arguably the most important aspect of a successful business. Jack Walsh, former CEO of GE when they were the largest company on the planet, says it is thee most important aspect. So when we read articles pertinent to our sport, why are they lacking candor? Fear of the hand that feeds them? How about we don’t feed the hand that bites us and speak freely, while feeding ourselves. The most candor online lies in the comments, but instead of keyboard warriors, they are keyboard cowards, hiding behind anonymity. regardless, I am excited to start to write more and see what comments come up! I would love to hear what you love and hate about your Sensus grips. Maybe you are waiting for our tailgate pads to get back in stock, or hoping to get the Crue pedal when the less expensive chromoly spindle version comes out; I want to hear it all! take a minute to write some confab, or brutally honest candor, in the comments and i’ll do my best to bring you my thoughts as much as possible.
thank you for supporting a rider owned and operated company!
Cam
Long after writing I stopped writing the confab article, but on my second cover of decline.