The only thing left to say is "Goodbye." - editor resignation

Engineered Systems, Oct, 1999 by Mark Skaer

There are just some things in life you do not plan for.

For instance, you never plan on winning the lottery, do you? And if you do, please wake up to reality--and soon. (Or, give me your phone number so when you collect those millions, I can reach you.)

When I went into that bar-restaurant more than 18 years ago, I did not plan on meeting my future wife. But, guess what happened?

By the way, were all of your children planned? C'mon. Tell the truth.

No one plans to live to the age of 100, do they? No one plans for the air conditioning system to shut down on those 90[degrees]F-plus (with unbearable humidity) days. No one plans for a hurricane to destroy their home. No one plans for school to close because no one plans for 12 inches of overnight snowfall. Before leaving for work, no one plans on getting hit by a semi-tractor trailer truck.

When brought in on a project, of course you expect all ductwork and equipment to be constructed as you designed and all to run smoothly. You do not plan on the contractor to make decisions to cut costs to get the job and then make decisions to cut costs further to maximize his/her profit. That is not in your plans, at least.

Taking this one step further, had someone told me I was going to leave Engineered Systems, I would have laughed.

"Yeah, right," would have been my reply. "And Bruce Springsteen will reunite with his E Street Band, too."

Why would I leave the No. 1 magazine of hvacr engineers? Why would I leave a great staff and publisher? Why would this be in my plans?

Well, here it is a month later and I am writing my last editorial for Engineered Systems. (And, if you did not know, Springsteen is now touring with his infamous E Street Band.)

What happened?

AN OFFER ONE COULD NOT REFUSE

Just as Dad was not expecting his oldest daughter to bring home a stray cat (and now there are four wandering around the house), I did not envision the editor's position at The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration News, a sister publication of Engineered Systems, to open up. But, it did.

For those unfamiliar with The News, it is a weekly paid newspaper, which reaches hvacr contractors, wholesalers, manufacturers, and other industry participants, providing accurate and helpful business information. Given the opportunity to be a part of a weekly newspaper, plus help improve a publication which has been in existence for 73 years, well, it got the best of me.

(OK. Yeah, money was involved here, too. I confess.)

This is not to say the decision was easy. It definitely was not. I actually agonized over this.

I don't consider myself a risk taker, yet after reading the September 6 cover story in Time magazine, maybe I am. Granted, I did not score in the 16-20 range in the publication's "We Dare You to Take This Quiz" quiz on page 36 (which would have meant I would have no problem hang gliding in the Himalayas -- and that's far from the truth), I did finish in the 10-15 range, which means I'm "a sushi eater who'd skip the trip to Japan." Translation: I will take some risks, but I know my limits.

Since cloning was out of the question, I had to make a decision, and I opted to move over to The News. However, this does not mean I'm turning my back on the best magazine for the hvacr engineer. You shouldn't, either.

EXPECT THE BEST

In truth, Engineered Systems will not be out of my sight. The News is produced in the same office building as ES. Like ES, The News is a Business News Publishing publication. I will be keeping my eye on ES' progress, as you should, too.

With great contributors and a dedicated staff, Engineered Systems will continue to provide practical applications, quality stories, and interesting features for innovative hvacr mechanical systems engineers. Like anything else, though, don't plan on it. Instead, expect and demand it.

For instance, if you agree or disagree with what Howard McKew, Rebecca Ellis, Joanna Turpin, or any other Engineered Systems contributor pens, by all means let that author know. Feedback is important not only to editors, but authors, too. For an editor, it helps guide the publication. If you don't think your opinions or insights count, you are wrong. In my opinion, an editor has to have his/her ears open to everything.

In closing for the last time, someone once said, "Leaving is always a strange time, full of hope but with a measure of sadness." Now I know what she meant.

Goodbye.