Reader’s Digest Magazine has been around much longer than I have and plays a part in my earliest memories. First published in 1922 by husband and wife team DeWitt and Lila Wallace, only five thousand copies were made in that first run. But only a decade later, Reader’s Digest became the most popular magazine in the United States. Soon the magazine reached worldwide status as well. Today it is read by an estimated 95 million readers around the globe.
We had a subscription to Reader’s Digest at my house, and we never let it lapse. I remember delivery days –when it arrived, my mom got it first, and she sat down to read it cover to cover. I got it next, my favorite part being the jokes. Contributors from all over sent in anecdotes that were published under such headings as “Life in These United States,” “Humor in Uniform,” “All in a Day’s Work,” and “Laughter, the Best Medicine.” I read every one of them, although I confess I didn’t (and still don’t) get all the military jokes, because I’m not fluent in military-speak.
Another favorite of mine was the word power page, where you were given a list of vocabulary words and you had to guess which multiple choice answer was the correct definition. I always felt so proud of myself when I got one right!
Other features were true-life stories of everyday men and women who had become heroes or survived an incurable disease. Recipes, interviews with celebrities, reviews, and more lined the pages. I admit, I didn’t read all of them – but I did read every word of the jokes. And that was the beauty of it – even though I was just ten years old, my mother never needed to worry that I would come across a ribald joke. Because it was Reader’s Digest, she knew it would be appropriate for me.
Today Reader’s Digest is as much of our culture as formica countertops. You can subscribe to it the old-fashioned way, or you can read it online. Regardless of the method you choose, you’ll find tips, hints, information, entertainment, humor, and inspiration, all in one place.
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