30. New Subscription Magazine!

Most people get excited over a new “toy” or some major purchase of clothing, shoes, technology, and other items of daily use or something for a special occasion. I get excited over new books and magazines. I know. Not many people out there will share the feeling of pure and utter delight at a shiny new pocket book cover, or the clean pure smell of a brand new hard bound book, or the shiny, clean, smooth pages of a brand new magazine in the mail. You’re probably wondering what could generate all this brouhaha? I just received my first issue of Writers’ Digest magazine and I am so excited!!!!

I first encountered this magazine way back when I was still a college student–I found some back issues on sale in a book store. Because brand-new copies were relatively expensive, I couldn’t really afford them, so I took in everything I could from the back issues I had. It was a rare magazine to stumble on in the Philippines and I was disappointed that I couldn’t subscribe myself–I had never considered subscribing to anything from abroad because I needed a credit card to do that, and I didn’t own a credit card!

When I finally did own a credit card, I still couldn’t get a subscription because there was no shipping to the Philippines at the time, or some other inane reason. Even our bookstores didn’t carry the magazine on a regular basis.

Finally, here in Canada, I suddenly found that I could get almost any US or Canadian magazine subscription that I wanted, and they were such bargains at the subscription rates that, as soon as I was earning a little extra from substitute teaching, I put in for a handful of magazines. Unfortunately, WD was not among the available ones.

It eventually dawned on my slow mind that WD would have to be online, and there it was, sure as the sun rises! Could I get a subscription? No. They would only take subscribers with a US postal code. Plus, they only took credit card payments to be settled as the order was placed. Aargh! Once again, I have no credit cards, and I do not intend to get one at all, unless I have sufficient funds to back one up. I couldn’t even subscribe to the online version, because, again, of lack of a credit card.

But was I determined to get that magazine. I still prefer print copies because they will sit there staring at you in the face until you pick them up and read them and put them away. Online versions can be set aside and forgotten and some will become inaccessible. Not things you can easily pick up and browse through anytime you want. Unless you have an electronic tablet. Which I don’t. Which will require a credit card transaction to activate a subscription. Which I can’t do.

Thankfully, I have a very lovely daughter who lives in the US, and I mentioned it to her without letting her know my desperation. Or at least I tried my best to mask it. (A very sheepish grin at this point.) I knew the magazine would be a great resource to have as I move forward to establish my writing career in Canada and internationally. And just like her, she graciously and generously agreed to get the subscription for me without asking me for the money to pay for it. Of course, as all subscriptions go, it’s much cheaper than getting individual copies on the stands, so it really wouldn’t have cost her much. But I was so grateful and happy—elated, even, and overwhelmingly so…and I have finally received my first issue with my name on it and wonderfully helpful topics that I know I can use right away!

I don’t know if my daughter reads my blog, but if she does, now she knows just how thankful and happy I am about my new magazine.