Letter From the Editor: March, 2011

Time doesn't fly. It vanishes.

It's been roughly six months since I assumed stewardship of Bmore Media. In that time we've welcomed several new voices to the team and wished well to those who moved on to other projects. We've published over 40 original feature stories plus too many news and buzz items to count.

More importantly, we've seen Baltimore continue to emerge from the Great Recession and plant signposts on the road to a new economy.

Part of that is what some of us half-jokingly refer to as "Verb Baltimore" � the flourishing scene of events here in town that take action words as their title. We have Ignite (which, full disclosure, I co-organize). We have Amplify. We have Refresh. We have Create. We have Innovate.

Add in the events that don't follow the Verb City pattern and the truth is that in any given week there's probably one event or more designed to bring people together and get them talking about how to best forge Baltimore's future.

These gatherings serve notice of an impressive energy. If we're being honest, though, the whole of it can become a bit wearying. There's a lot to keep up with and, at times, it's hard to see the direct path from great conversations to tangible results.

No fixed line separates thought from action. The latter always needs the former to varying degrees. In that sense the value of the "Verb" events (and others) is manifest. But we should be careful not to stretch the thread too far. Getting together is not an end in itself. Quite the opposite � it is literally only the beginning.

Time doesn't fly. It vanishes.

So let's continue not only having great conversations but also turning those conversations into things people can hold, use, watch, read, consider, and purchase. Let's keep the verbs active. Let's keep in mind that progress, by definition, should never stop.

To be clear, a hell of a lot of folks are already out there doing just that. But there's room for more. Always.

You are the new economy, whether you realize it or not. You are what's next.

Own it. Every chance you get.


Neal Shaffer is, among other things, the managing editor of Bmore Media.


Comments? Questions? Find us on Twitter, Facebook, or send us an email.

Learn more about Bmore and sign up to receive a new issue every week via email.