A postcard recently arrived in the mail. Not the good kind from a pal on vacation. This was a plain note from a publisher letting me know that a magazine I subscribe to is about to cease publication. It’s called Country and is about unique places to visit and things to do around the nation.
Would I like to replace my beautiful travel magazine with the cooking publication A Taste of Home?
Indeed, I would not. So now I need to call to let them know that the pescatarian trying to avoid gluten and sugar would prefer to not receive a monthly missive that’s mostly filled with meat and baked goods.
Meanwhile, I’m out a publication that I truly enjoy. It is picture heavy with short articles and teasers on interesting things to see and do across the country. I always end up with a list of new places to investigate and dream about seeing someday. It’s a great collection of bucket list items that otherwise aren’t as well known as they probably should be.
I had noticed the advertising was becoming increasingly sparse.
Sadly, readers have moved online. Why pay for a paper magazine that you have to wait to receive when you can rely on the internet to show you stuff for free right now?
Personally, I think that there’s still a market for this kind of publication but that could just be my inner traditionalist talking.
Americans today are overwhelmed by information. The next time you pump gas, entertain yourself by counting the number of marketing messages within range. I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of messaging I see via social media, email, traditional media sources and my own friends trying to sell me stuff. There’s so much fake information out there that sifting through it all and finding what’s real sometimes feels like a full time job.
People today are starved for the truth. We are starved for something real. We are starved for authenticity.
They did all the work, sifting through the crap and finding the real America – the unique and special places in small towns and rural areas across the nation.
It sounds silly, but this delightful little slice of Americana was just what I needed. It will be sadly missed.
Make the Journey Fun 