Letter from Editor: Should I stay, or should I go?

We ask ourselves in small ways, like, “Should I go to the grocery store?” and in significant ways, like, “Should I stay or move to Florida?”

**The Clash recorded Should I Stay or Should I Go in 1981.**

By 1982, the band was losing members, and in 1986 they parted ways. They were a popular Punk band in the U.K. and U.S. but missed out on the single hitting #1 in the U.K. charts in 1991. Since then, it’s become a classic, featured in commercials, T.V. shows, and movies. It’s catchy, it’s got a good strong beat, and it asks the real-life question: Should I stay or should I go?

It’s a question we ask ourselves in small ways, like, “Should I stay in my pajamas or go to the grocery store?” and in significant ways, like, “Should I stay in Alaska or move to Florida?”

We asked the question of our contributors and here’s what we have for you to read this month:

Frank Baker didn’t ask himself if he should stay or go in his article. He just wanted to disappear. He shares some of his most embarrassing moments in a most endearing way.

Kaylene makes a case for staying put in Alaska all year round, while a new contributor, Monica Devine, has a different point of view. Jaci shares her thoughts about letting the season take you where you need to go.

There are other ways to think about “staying and going.”

We have an interesting article about why you and your kids should really stick with your musical pursuits.

We pulled one of Lee Jordan’s articles out of the archives hoping to lend some perspective to the question of Chugiak-Eagle River separating from Anchorage. Should we stay, or should we go? Well, that’s not a question I can answer, but as always, Lee leaves us a little richer with a history lesson.

Lastly, this story just needed to be shared. It’s beautiful, and it’s scary, and it’s very, very real. It’s about a deliberate choice, the most important choice, the choice to stay. The choice to walk away from a thing that feels so heavy and powerful enough to change everyone you love, yet so small.

The story is called “The Bullet.”

Kaleigh Wotring
Publishing Editor, ECHO Magazine

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