Korby's Connections: Finally, the magazine cover dream comes true

As a kid, I often dreamed, looking out the Scanlon grade school windows, of what magazine cover I might someday grace. I thought it was very possible, in fact likely. Kind of cocky for a little kid. Would it be Sports Illustrated after hitting seven telephone poles in a row with a snowball? Or perhaps Cycling, after getting my one-speed Huffy bicycle to 50 mph on the newly paved 14th Street hill?

Of course, after I won my own Scanlon Open, it appeared probable the magazine would be Golf or Golf Digest.

I had a strong imagination. My fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Weiss, often had to snap me back to reality.

With the Scanlon Yankees winning three Cloquet Little League titles in a row with me catching, I thought for sure I'd be on the cover of Baseball Digest with Yogi Berra and Earl Battey. Then, Jerry Erickson, my high school baseball coach, told me I hit the longest homerun he'd seen at Athletic Park's Ed Mettner Field. Back then, there was no fence in right field. A line drive I hit to right rolled all the way to the swing sets on 14th street. After about three relay throws, I slid under a tag safely at home. (I wasn't the swiftest runner.)

The magazine photographers were not lining up.

The years went on and GQ and foldouts seemed too much of a stretch. I reeled in some nice bass and bluegills at Eagle Lake but no calls came from Minnesota Fisherman. Maybe my opportunities for covers were from Labor Relations, work and not just play. I spoke at the National Labor Management Conference in Chicago and yet HR Magazine didn't ask for photo rights. Perhaps, my grade school dreams were going to go awry.

Years continued to build and I set my sights on more achievable covers. I wondered how I could make the AARP magazine. I love to garden and grow flowers but my crops are not noteworthy. No calls from Gardening magazine. I liked to sing in the shower, but, alas, no Rolling Stone.

Finally, fellow 1972 CHS graduate Burton Laine must have felt my angst. He called me up recently and asked for an interview. Suddenly, I was speechless, not sure what I had to offer that was printable or newsworthy. Burt is the editor of The Senior Reporter magazine.

It was a little weird being asked to answer questions rather than asking them. The magazine focuses on people age 50 and older in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin who have made a career or hobby change in "the second half of life." He wanted to talk about how I got started writing articles for the award-

winning Pine Knot newspaper.

I was going to be on the cover of The Senior Reporter magazine.

I'm still not done dreaming, and now I'm thinking of the next cover. Still a cocky little kid.

What's your magazine cover dream? Pick up your free copy of the August edition of The Senior Reporter magazine at Super One and other locations.

Steve Korby's interest in writing goes back to when he was in fourth grade and editor of the Scan-Satellite school newspaper in Scanlon. Steve loves sports, especially golf. He welcomes human interest stories and tales regarding Carlton County residents, projects, history, and plans. He can be reached at [email protected]