It seems a long time since my last proper post – sadly I hit
that whole writers block thing and worried that anything I had to say was quite
simply not very interesting :( I have tried to keep posting with my Thoughtful Thursday picture and quote combo but needed inspiration.....
Luckily my group of blog friends that I found through ‘Blogging From the Heart’ have stepped in with a
group challenge involving choosing prompts for each other.... The lovely Cordula chose this one
for me “What you’re addicted to, and why”
Hmmm, I’m probably addicted to lots of things in small ways.
I can’t sleep at night without having read at least a page from my book (or the
same page several times if I’ve had a drink!) I can’t imagine life without Earl
Grey or new shoes and I am probably more than a little enthusiastic about
checking FaceBook sometimes.
However, there is one thing that I am shamefully addicted to
which I will now lay bare for you. I have hinted at this addiction in previous
posts but now is the time for the full truth. Magazines. I love them, have to
have them, need my fix and I don’t know
why... In my more sensible moments I can list all the reasons why I shouldn’t
buy them. Too expensive, full of adverts, more clutter for my already crammed house,
articles with info that I could easily find in more depth online, etc etc etc. But I still
find myself scanning the displays, being lured in by glossy covers, free gifts,
the promise of delights within. I said out loud to DD recently that I would buy less
magazines this year whilst clutching the latest ‘Homes and Antiques’ to my fevered bosom. She laughed and said I would never stick to it. She was right.
In more insane moments I have been known to buy the same
magazine twice, forgetting that I already have that issue in a pile at home. I
promise myself that I will read, cut out interesting bits then recycle... Ha!
Cut up my beautiful pages, even of the doubles?? Some publications I have every issue of,
neatly filed. Oh the panic that set in when I realised that foolishly I had
missed a copy of The Simple Things – a gap in my set, the anguish! (hooray for
back issues) Some publications just reflect my changing interests. Spring time
is nearly all gardening mags, I go through phases, yoga mags, craft, interiors,
history, Christmas (never trashy celebrity mags I'm proud to admit).
So what is it about magazines? I actually don’t know. Maybe
it’s the fact that each new purchase means I get to treat myself to a cup of tea and a few
precious moments to myself. Maybe I'm scared I’ll miss some piece of life-changing advice (I would never have discovered Susannah Conway if not for a
magazine). Maybe it’s a way to inspire myself in an easy to access way. No
matter how much I love browsing the internet, there is nothing quite the same
as flicking through a magazine. It’s like Pinterest on Paper.
No, I am standing up here and now to declare my addiction
and to make a pledge to address it once and for all. From this day forward I promise to only buy two
magazines a month. Just two. One, two, that is all.
Unless that free gift is something really special! ;)