MAGAZINE MANIA

I have ever attended "Magazine University". Most editors insist their writers research a subject and know of what they speak. Shoot, I learned the ABC's of writing, and how to flush a boyfriend down the toilet when I was younger.I learned how to decorate my bathroom, train the dog, to deal with car salesmen, produce a video, buy the best washing machine...the list is endless.  I've thrown thousands of them away, everybody has.  Some I can't part with. Its unreasonable at my age to still be enamored of any story about the tragic Diana, or those velvety movie stars of yesteryear. I like to look back and remember old Olympic triumphs, the wonderful golfer, Ashley who died too young, or the heady times when Corazon Aquino took over in the Philippines.  And remember Michael Jackson when he was beautiful, brown and healthy rather than that pasty-white phony with a silly thin nose? Yes, I've saved hundreds of old magazines. I'm fessing up because I had my son, Doug build me another rack. This is number five. Its mounted from floor to ceiling and made of solid oak. Magazines are heavy.

He installed it yesterday, and I started filling it this morning. Now, I save magazines about a world  in chaos, and how to protect myself in case of Nuclear Winter. I know the Sicilians are fighting the Mafia and winning.The Shriners and other Fraternal Organizations are dwindling as the young find other pursuits. Who will fill their shoes? Traditional management techniques are out, and wikileaks are helpful. Optimists look at dirt and alarm us to a new resource literally going down the drain. In a struggling economy, thrift store shopping is for everybody. And, Oprah is Quitting?  Oh, no! I save mags about  political slug fests with the hope that the next crop of mags has better news for the people in this insane political climate. To keep my sanity I can always read about the best hikes in our National Forests and continually learn from the panoply of human experience which is all on paper. I keep as much as I can close by so I can take a cruise through the past once in awhile.