Simple Plan on the cover of Faze Magazine!
I CAN’T GO ON!
I know the old advice: one step at a time, but sometimes each step can be so agonizing that it only brings you closer to quitting. That was me at the Chicago marathon. It was my first attempt at 42 GRUELING kilometres and after the first hour or so I was ready to make a left off of the course and take the short cut to the runner’s rest area. I had had ENOUGH. My legs hurt and I suddenly didn’t see the point of putting myself through this.
“Life’s hard,” says Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, “but you gotta keep going.” (See Living Proof, pg.20). This obviously sounds like good advice but I know when you’re in the thick of things…it’s not that easy.
So, maybe it’s not, but who says it’s supposed to be? Chuck Comeau of Simple Plan says, “Most people we meet are not happy.” (See The World Gone Crazy, pg.26) But really, anyone who thinks life is supposed to be problem free, with NO hard choices, NO pain, NO tears and NO bad days is living in denial. I don’t mean to sound cynical, but how can you appreciate a warm spring day without living through a blizzard?
I’m slowly starting to learn that it’s those really tough moments that offer you the opportunity to define who you are. What do you do when the going gets tough? Do you pack up and give in? Or do you dig in and move forward?
Star designer and head stylist for mega-celebs Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Judy Swartz says if you persist and work really hard you’ll naturally progress, (see pg.56). And for the Trews guitarist John Angus Macdonald and the rest of the band, “Try, try and try a few hundred times more,” seems to have worked (see pg. 32).
Turns out running the marathon wasn’t just a race for me, but a chance to see what I was made of. I FINISHED. I don’t know exactly what it said about me but I know how I felt when I crossed the finish line — and honestly I don’t think it would have felt so good if I hadn’t gone through hell to get there.
Don’t give up.
Good Reading!
Lorraine is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Faze Magazine
Thanks again to Nike and Mike Beleza for your support, and to Alana, Scott and Z for being the best curb crew in Chicago!
Faze Editorial Assistant, Maya, enjoys some down-time with a couple of the guys from Simple Plan, Sebastien (left) and Jeff.
Get involved! FAZE is always looking for creative minds! If you’ve got great article ideas, photos or illustrations we want to see them! All submissions become the property of FAZE Publications and will not be returned to the sender.
Letters To The Editor
I was appalled and outraged when I read “Speak for Those Who Can’t” [Issue 17]. The “facts” are untrue and are presented in a misleading fashion. Some animals may be treated inhumanely, but putting a blanket clause over the entire fur and animal industry is unjust. Most animals are kept humanely and euthanized before being slaughtered.
Kyle, Rural Ontario
Your article “Speak for Those Who Can’t” brought tears to my eyes. I love animals, and reading that article made me realize how little just saying, “I care,” actually did. I realized I had to do more, and went immediately to the PETA website for more info. Thanks for such an eye-opening article.
Emma Hunter, 15, Hamilton, Ontario, ON
I would just like to say that your mag is the best (and I do have a bit of experience here) I have ever read. I was on holiday in Canada with my family and picked up your Summer 2004 issue. I am from Glasgow, Scotland and there is nothing like this where I live. I really think it’s great that a magazine can take into account that not all teenagers care about whether Britney Spears has a new haircut, and instead writes about things that are actually important.
Nina, 13, Scotland
Hi. Usually I agree with your “Rant on Whatever” but not with some of the stuff in your Back-to-School [2004] issue. Sara said we should listen to our friends if they tell us we’re being a jerk when we spend too much time with a new boyfriend. Well, I think our friends should be a little more understanding and supportive instead of acting selfish and spoiled.
Theresa, 16, Delta, BC
Hey. I was flippin’ through your magazine and I came up with a pretty cool idea. I think that your magazine should feature local talents. Maybe have readers nominate a band, singer, comedian, entertainer, etc. from their town who they believe deserves recognition for their pure, raw talent. It’s not everyday that smalltown superstars get their face published in magazines, so I think a lot of teens would be interested in this concept; especially if it features someone who’s from their town. Keep up the awesome work Faze. You guys definitely have “pure, raw talent.”
Megan, Cyberspace
Ed is the best. You should give him a lot more space to set people straight. He knows what he’s talking about.
Kevin, 15, Cyberspace
Editor’s note: Hey Kevin, you can find lots of Ed’s wit and wisdom (and that of his sidekick Red) , right here in his own section: Ask Ed & Red.
Get involved! FAZE is always looking for creative minds!
If you’ve got great article ideas, photos or illustrations we want to see them!
Faze welcomes letters to the editor.
Please send (with age and where you’re from) to editor@faze.ca
Faze reserves the right to edit for length and clarity.
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