Thanks, all! Getting that story in the magazine is a story in itself. Almost 2 years ago, I asked the editor if he would be interested in it. He said he was so I sent it to him and left it at that. A few months went by and I emailed him to see if he was going to use it and he said he hadn't even looked at it because he was busy. After that, I forgot about the whole deal and went on with life.
At the end of March 2020, Jason, the editor, called me and asked if I was still interested in selling him the story. It took me a minute to figure out what he was talking about because it had been so long. Then the cobwebs cleared in my head and I told him I'd be happy to sell him the publication rights. The best thing about the experience is that he likes looong articles (3500+ words) so I had a chance to tell the tale the way it needed to be told. Most magazines want a maximum of 2000 words and an optimal length of 1500. The way I like to tell a story, I can barely get warmed up by then!
Darren