It came today in the mail; my very last copy of Gourmet Magazine. I held it in my hands for a moment, still in its protective plastic mailer and nodded, sighed, and set it down on my desk. The glistening and golden brown Thanksgiving turkey on the front cover stared back at me. An accidentally ominous subscription card poked out from beneath the magazine: "Last Chance Offer For Gourmet Subscribers", it read.
It was like finding a message on your answering machine left by a friend the day before they suddenly and unexpectedly died. Even they thought they would be here tomorrow, but 'the powers that be' had other plans and snatched them away without warning.
I wanted to leave it there in its austere wrapping, inner subscription cards intact, and never open it, leaving it for someone else to unwrap years from now. But, like that lost friend, I had to read the last words, see the last photos. I had to breathe in that new magazine smell one last time from within its still-stiff and brand new pages.
Once I'm done reading cover to cover, like always, I'll put it away on the same shelf the others are on, but it won't stay there - none of them do. I'll take it down over and over again to reference a recipe or story, and enjoy it each and every time, but maybe a little more than the rest simply because it is ... the last Gourmet.
It was like finding a message on your answering machine left by a friend the day before they suddenly and unexpectedly died. Even they thought they would be here tomorrow, but 'the powers that be' had other plans and snatched them away without warning.
I wanted to leave it there in its austere wrapping, inner subscription cards intact, and never open it, leaving it for someone else to unwrap years from now. But, like that lost friend, I had to read the last words, see the last photos. I had to breathe in that new magazine smell one last time from within its still-stiff and brand new pages.
Once I'm done reading cover to cover, like always, I'll put it away on the same shelf the others are on, but it won't stay there - none of them do. I'll take it down over and over again to reference a recipe or story, and enjoy it each and every time, but maybe a little more than the rest simply because it is ... the last Gourmet.
4 comments:
oh thats a sad day for you sorry
I know, I feel your pain. My Gourmet came and I looked at the cover insert.....asking you to send gift subscriptions to Gourmet for Christmas....what tha?
I too savored it word for word.....and will keep it for posterity, or until I need a recipe out of it.
My Gourmet magazine arrived just the other day. I thought about not unwrapping it and putting it away. I was so bummed. Gourmet has taken me to faraway places and has helped me discover new cultures and fabulous food. I am going to so miss them!
What a shame. Hopefully we do not lose any other cooking publications. I love checking out the new recipes every month!
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