In February 1922 the very first issue of Reader’s Digest was published by Lila and DeWitt Wallace. I know the little magazine has been one of those familiar and long lasting touchstones of my childhood through today. I believe the format of condensing and reprinting articles from a number of sources, along with the regular monthly features, inspired my life-long love of reading and story telling.

In that first edition a century ago an article highlighted inventor Alexander Graham Bell with this quote, “The first essential of any real education is to observe.” If I knew how to do needlepoint I’d create a sampler with those words.

One of my favorite features has always been Increase Your Word Power, now shortened to Word Power. The vocabulary quiz features a dozen or so words, with spelling and pronunciation, and multiple choice for correct definitions. As a child I was fascinated by not just the beauty of language but the seemingly endless supply of words at our fingertips.

I can credit the Word Power quiz for a 100% grade on one of my elementary school vocabulary tests. The word was vanquish, not a word a little kid used regularly or at all, but thanks to Readers Digest I remembered it from a Word Power quiz.

The Drama in Real Life feature tells stories of everyday heroes, inspirational overcomers with life lessons to be learned. Again, those stories in condensed format laid the foundation for my newspaper career where an economy of words rules the day. Over three decades as a columnist, with over a million words telling stories of people who amuse, inspire or sometimes annoy me, it’s interesting to note that Mr. Bell hit the nail on the head.

At the risk of having the “Okay, Boomer” eye roll aimed in my direction, it makes me sad that younger generations are not likely to ever pick up a copy of this lovely little magazine and be similarly transported, inspired or educated. It’s a slice of Americana that’s not simply nostalgic. The most up-to-date health and environmental news alongside reader-submitted humor and yes, the Word Power Quiz are all right there.

We’ve become a society with so many choices of what to read and how to read and where to read that the simplicity of holding the local newspaper or a Reader’s Digest has great appeal. Full disclosure ... I read two or three books each month and yet have never listened to a book on tape or downloaded a book to a Kindle. I read this newspaper daily, a number of news sites online regularly. I read labels, menus and graffiti.

And for those keeping score at home, on the February 2022 Word Power quiz I missed one of the 15 words. I was this many days old when I learned that licentious, an adjective, means lewd. No wonder I’ve not found many occasions to use it.

Happy birthday today to Stephanie Smith, Tom Thompson, Diana Farquhar, Adam Averill, Morgan Dickinson (sweet 16!), Bruce English, Quinn Kennedy and Jim Wilson. Tomorrow Mike Kennedy, Dorene Russell, Dewey Berndt, Helen Pischner, Lisa Ortize, Steve Mills, Don DuBois, Chuck Ethridge and Leslie Anne Spencer ring the birthday bell. On Friday McKinley Thomson (13!), Jill Monroe, Steve Shepperd, Susie Bingham, Pershia Moser, Abbie Nowland and Diana Raugust take a spin on the birthday-go-round. Amy Boni, Teri Nipp, Kandi Johnson, Brock Bauman, Rebekah Newbry, Samantha Kraack, Helga Wernicke, Julia Jaworski and Rob Colvin share birthday celebrations on Saturday. Sunday celebrations for Ron Ouren, Maycie Goodlander, Barb Eveland, Phil Romans and Jared White. Taking another trip around the sun on Monday are Megan Reagan, Diane Zell, Jerry Moss, Paige Watkins and Donna Pfeiffer. On Feb. 22 Mark Sales, Tami Crawford, Joseph Louck, Billie Jo Campbell, Jim Clark and Jack Lash add a candle to the cake.

Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.