The fleur de lis, French for the “flower of life,” has been a symbol that represents the rich French culture of Louisiana ever since La Salle claimed a large part of the central continent for King Louis XIV in 1682. But in these post-Katrina, post-Rita days, the fleur de lis is worn and displayed by Louisiana residents with particular pride. We see so keenly now just how valuable and unique our culture and lifestyle are.
Part of the wonderful peculiarity of that culture is how entrenched hunting and fishing are in the hearts of Bayou State residents. For many of us, hunting and fishing aren’t mere hobbies; they’re lifestyles.
In other parts of the country, business deals are closed on the golf course; in Louisiana, they’re closed in the duck blind.
Last summer, before Katrina and Rita were even droplets of water vapor, Louisiana Sportsman introduced its new logo. We were proud of it, since it melded together those two key ingredients of Louisiana’s culture — the fleur de lis and the passion for outdoor sports.
We had no way of knowing then just how valuable and meaningful our logo would become to so many residents, who had their entire way of life threatened by ferocious winds, sweeping storm surges and pitiful civic planning.
That logo, it is clear now, means as much to our readers as it does our staff.
And because of that, we want to share it with you.
Next month, Louisiana Sportsman will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. Hard to believe as it is, we’ve spent the last quarter century gathering outdoor tips and techniques, news and forecasts and passing them along to our readers.
We’ve got a few surprises planned for that anniversary issue, but we’re going to spill the beans on one.
All subscribers next month will receive with their magazines a special decal of our logo to be placed on the windshields of their boats or the rear windshields of their vehicles.
It’s our way of thanking you for our 25-year happy marriage.
All we ask in return is that you drop us a line letting us know what Louisiana Sportsman means to you. If you have one particular story that you remember or that really impacted your success in the outdoors, that’s even better; we’d love to hear about it. Email the info to toddm@lasmag.com, and we’ll include selected comments in the 25th anniversary December issue.
And if you’re not a subscriber yet, be sure to sign up before Nov. 8 so that you’ll receive the December issue — and free sticker — in the mail. The sticker won’t be available in newsstand copies.
You can subscribe at www.lasmag.com, or by calling us at (800) 538-4355.
