Magazines taking over the world

Magazines. They've taken over my home. I get them for free, thanks to an abundance of credit card reward points. They come in the mail (except Bloomberg News, which is plopped in my driveway every week). Sometimes they come to me weekly, sometimes monthly. Sometimes every 2 months.

I get some for work, some for home, some because my hubby might like them (golf, travel, cooking). Others because I think they might be inspiring (Architectural Digest -- not!). My favorite magazine, National Wildlife, I get solely because they have a photo contest every year. It's amazing and I clip out pictures every January that reflect my mood at the time. The picture that tops the list: The yellow-bellied marmot sunning itself on a rock. I feel warm and relaxed every time I look at it. First runner up are the 2 crows who are goofing off by sliding down a snowy bank (no kidding), then getting up and doing it all over again. Like silly little children.

I learn something new every time I read a magazine article. Google is using it's mastery of big data to teach cars to drive themselves. You can take a pill to help you forget, thanks to the latest brain science. People want to teach online and give it away for free (shhhh, don't tell Stanford or Harvard). Creative people start interesting businesses. People misuse our natural resources and ruin our country.

So, what's my problem? I have no time to read. Not magazines, not anything. Reading opportunities appear when I travel. Then, I can sit in one place, relax, and take in the ideas of others.

For now, I'm too busy working, commuting, parenting, wifing, cleaning, organizing, talking on the phone with my parents, trying to relax, going places, seeing friends. Going, doing, talking, working. That's me. Not reading. When I'm tired, I enjoy watching fiction on tv. Maybe a reality show or two. But I don't want to learn about How Social Media Fuels Social Unrest (Wired, Jan 2012), or An Intimate Portrait of the World's Most Famous CEO (Fast Company, April 2012).  I'm not even concerned about Allergy-Friendly Pizza (Living Without, Feb/Mar 2012). I'd rather focus on whether or not the America's Got Talent singer is on key, what will happen next on The Closer, and where I can find the latest season of Mad Men online for free.