This year for my birthday I asked for, and received, a second year's subscription to my beloved yellow magazine. Last year was the first year I had my own subscription. But I remember being young and we had a cabinet packed full of NGs in our den; they were double stacked on the shelves with more recent issues stacked on top. I used to pour through them learning about whatever I was interested in (at that time it was mainly whales and other sorts of marine biology and Saturn).
Sadly, we got rid of them when selling the house. Who really needs National Geographic from the late 1970s and early 1980s? Most of that information is probably obsolete now, like an issue on the solar system since we know now that those issues would have one planet too many.
On my lower shelf right now I have about 14 issues; one I bought before my subscription started and then 2007's January issue. On my coffee table I have February and March. That's quite a bit of yellow. And I can be quite the packrat, something I'm trying to overcome. So I wonder, is it necessary to keep all these issues? How often am I going to go back and look at the article on "Hawaii's Unearthly Worms?" But if I only keep the issues I'll probably go back and read...well...then I'll have an incomplete set. Are my issues doomed for the trash whenever I move?
As a certified nerd, I love seeing those yellow spines all lined up. I have maybe only gone back to look through one or two issues, but the year's still young.
On a side note: I just read an article that says the Year of the Pig will bring violence, disease and epidemics. Because last year wasn't bad enough. Oh, but children born in this year will be lucky. Personally, I'd rather have a fortuitous year for those of us already in existence.
2 comments:
You must keep the National Geographics. If only so that if a friend asks "What are the mating habits of Bonobo chimps?" or "Is there water on Saturn?" you can confidently answer yes or no and then pull out the appropriate issue to prove your point.
Oh yeah, because the mating habits of Bonobo chimps comes into conversation so often. If one more person asks me about that...
I'll probably keep them. At least until I move and then I'll just have to sit there and debate the merits of keeping all the issues of my lifetime love.
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