Ah, Reader's Digest!

The earliest of memories of taking up books to read come with picking up those Reader's Digest monthly magazines. At first I used to read the humour sections and feel myself doubling up with ripples of laughter. And then I started turning to the other pages and became an addicted fan of the magazine. Once you get into the habit of reading them they become irresistible! You request the hawker to deliver it to you every month or else run to the nearest bookstall in the first days of the month for your copy. Your mind is restless until you can open the new copy and delve inside those rich and memorable writings.
The varieties of topics included in the magazines are truly amazing. Science, health, medicine, true life stories and hundreds of other topics come each with its own relishing deliverance. The first thing I open up is "Laughter the best medicine". The short but deeply funny stories seem to quieten the heart and pull it away from the daily hassles of the day. Next go on to the jokes about kids or life in the office scenario. You feel as if someone is tickling you to accept life as it is. You remember that beyond the harsher world of reality so many funny incidents can take place. You cannot miss reading the Nury Vittachi column " Unbelievable", for every word the guy writes carries mirth and wit beyond and between the lines. There are famous quotes for you to read and remind yourself of the lessons left by our ancestors. You have social or family problems? Go ahead and write to "Ask Aunty" for advice from the heart. Financial troubles? Again there is Reader's Digest to give financial advice from "Money Savvy". Want a good recipe to bake or cook something you open up to "What's Cooking". "Health Equations", some simple additions and subtractions about a healthier life inform you that long hours at work may raise the risk of heart disease for you. Peppermint contains an ingredient that quietens pain-sensing nerves in the colon and may help you out of an irritable bowel syndrome. You learn that men who drink plenty of coffee may have a substantial lower risk of lethal prostate cancer. All these and still awaiting more information for you to read! You can be certain that there are substantial amounts of up to date health tips from the coming new additions!"Health is wealth" and so you can hardly wait for the next edition! You get insights into enjoyable pet stories too and the hazardous on-line dating scams!
In real stories you learn of amazing survival cases after two days of being adrift in the sea or of being lost on a mountain for a whole week. There are personal stories beyond the call of daily life, headed under "My Story" from which you learn of the rich experiences of life. There are amazing accounts of neighborly kindness that have helped people in distress pass through difficult times. To make you smile and relish your reading through each and every nook and corner of the magazine manages to put in jokes or other useful life tips. For instance, after reading about the humorous incidents of life at the office a newcomer asks, "How do you make a lawyer smile for a photo? A: Say "Fees". You treat yourself to an additional wise smile.
The learning curve in life is supposed to go higher and higher and build your vocabulary with solving the "Word Power" quiz, but don't look up the given answers before you even try! Tips on saving your marriage or want some good advice on sleep? Maybe the very next issue of Reader's Digest may be coming with just what you want to learn. And in addition, the magazine welcomes contributors for its various sections with handsome payments but does not acknowledge or return contributions. And so get Reader's Digest, read and enhance your knowledge about the world around you. And you might even try your hand at sending in an article or two! The widely covered subject matter puts into you the courage to write and even practise the heroic deeds or take some acts of kindness you read about. A truly life giving magazine to read regularly!

Tulip Chowdhury writes fiction and is a poet.