Thanks Salt Lake Magazine For The Beautiful Edition, But...

It arrived in the mail last week--it was one of the more surprising things to show up in our mailbox in some time. Was it junk mail? Hardly. This thing was beautiful and full of information.

But was it needed?

That's a much tougher question to answer.

Growing up we had no internet or even computers. Our substitutes to obtain information was newspapers, TV, and radio for "up to date" information, and we checked out magazines to get our specialized and in depth fix on various topics. I'm reminded of scenes showing a crusty old store owner yelling at kids to not hang out by the magazines. And, though my memory is a little fuzzy, at the local drug store in my hometown, there were signs by the magazines that discouraged--if not all out banned--kids from loitering around the magazines.

That was over forty years ago. The drugstore, including the lunch counter, ice cream bar with barstools, and the magazine rack are long gone.

And so, I thought, were magazines.

I know they're still there. At Barnes and Noble and at our local grocery store, there's still magazines you can buy. Since I haven't been around the magazine stands lately, I wonder if any signs discouraging loitering anymore. I wouldn't know because I no longer hang out there. That's why receiving the Salt Lake magazine in our mail was interesting to me.

Just thumbing through the pages, I felt the magazine wasn't something for me. I'm not planning on visiting St. Petersburg anytime soon. I don't find myself in Park City either to sample some of the best food and drinks in the state. Sure, I suppose doing either of those things sounds fun (in moderation, of course...), but it's just not me. It surprised me that they'd send this to me.

I admit, I have not read through the entire thing. But as I snapped these pictures I found myself on the last page, a commentary penned by John Shuff called Miracles at Work. The author didn't write about miracles we experience while working, but how miracles work in our l ives. It's a short article, a heart-felt collection of thoughts about how the hand of God affects us, changes us, makes us who we are.

After reading John's thoughts I looked at the collection of beautiful pictures and glossy ads differently. And I'm glad they sent it. I still won't be booking my plane ticket to St. Petersburg (either Florida or Russia...) and we probably won't be heading up to Park City, either. But I will take take the time and check out the whole magazine--something I used to do decades ago.