Where Have You Gone Carrie Tuhy?

Paul Simon was on Charlie Rose this week --I know, I'm officially 200 years old. Not only am I watching Charlie Rose, but my other media go-to shows are on NPR. Oldsville-- and he said that our society is too focussed on the "empty calories" of celebrity culture. I am certainly guilty of consuming the empty calories of Pop Sugar, People, Hello!, etc., and of enjoying every cotton-candy bite. My challenge lately has been finding things that aren't empty calories.

My legal ethics professor used to say that all human beings are mimetic. I was dismissive of that idea at first. I'm an original, right? I don't imitate people. But, when it comes down to it, I'm always looking for role models, professional mentors, people who are living positive lives and balancing responsibilities. I'm watching this play out with my daughter right now as she is picking and choosing what things she wants to emulate from the various influences in her life. I'm starting to think that our obsession with celebrities is more of that pursuit: for role models of success.

As a type A personality, semi-OCD, compulsive organizer who loves magazines, the launch of Real Simple Magazine was very exciting to me. I was a charter subscriber and read every issue cover to cover. Those were the days when they ran articles on actual families who had found ways to live simpler, quieter, less chaotic, organized lives! It was the I Ching of organizing and time management filled with ideas for creating zen in your home and office. For me, there were role models in the articles. People who were living life in a positive, simple way. Where can I find that now? Now, Real Simple is filled with 3 page comparisons on different kinds of ketchup. Boo! What is this, Consumer Reports? A Pepsi Challenge? I've tried to find comfort in the pages of others: Domino? Blueprint? Martha? In the words of George Costanza, NO. NO. NO. They are lovely, but Pixie Sticks nonetheless.

I'm thrilled that Victoria is coming back in December, but that's not going to fill my need for somebody to give me tips on how to (absent amphetamines) find time to organize my day planner, car, office and kitchen drawer while packing a nutritious creative lunch, planning a relaxing family outing/neighborhood picnic with time to spare to evaluate storage solutions for my imaginary farmhouse.

In those golden years when Real Simple began, Carrie Tuhy was Managing Editor and her essays at the beginning of each issue were always worthy of tearing out and keeping in a journal. Her piece after 9/11 was more poignant than anything else I've read on the topic. The magazine ran stories then about large families and how to keep schedules for them, streamlining at work, groups of girlfriends re-uniting for simple dinner or getaway, finding ways to bring a neighborhood together, adding time to your day by organizing obligations, running a restaurant with friends, coping with loss in a proactive way. Stick-to-your-bones journalism. Now, there is Heinz v. Hunts. Seriously.

A New York Times article said Ms. Tuhy was replaced as editor because she had "management problems." Whatever these alleged problems were, I don't care. She's human. What was inspiring to me was that she had vision and could find stories of people who are trying to make it work and who were willing to share what was working for them. I don't need my role models to be perfect, just willing to share in a meaningful conversation.