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Memories:

It was after a fashion show in Milan, Italy. My former boss (I was a Senior Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan) and I were standing on the Gucci runway, talking to Tom Ford after the show. Okay — truth is, SHE was talking to Tom and I was having an out-of-body experience. Was this really me?? In Milan?? With Tom Ford?? At that moment, all I could think of was that young girl who would cry herself to sleep every night thinking that it was her lot in life to be disappointed — to be underestimated — to have her dreams unfulfilled while all the other girls at school seemed to get anything they wanted. At that moment in Milan, all I wanted to do was to go back to that little girl and tell her everything would be okay. That she'd finally find her place. That she wouldn't feel like such an outcast forever. If anything, far from it.


That's the moment in my life that I started to think about you. It's like I had no real desire to be a fashion editor anymore. Sure — I loved clothes (and continue to — Big Momma just got a credit card bill to prove it — ugh!). But I wanted to help young women believe in themselves — in a way that I didn't when I was younger. Not so long after that moment in Milan, I created CosmoGIRL! And obviously, that's when I first officially met you. I wanted to give you the strength and inspiration to stay true to who you are because one day it would have great value — I saw it, even if you yourself didn't see it yet. CosmoGIRL! is when it all turned very real for me. We built this relationship and I knew I was at the right place.

That's Atoosa Rubenstein, blogging her Seventeen departure over at her MySpace page. Our sweet, sensitive orchid has a message, though: "I'm not leaving YOU. I'm leaving Seventeen, so I can be in closer touch with you. My mission has always been this: To protect you and help you find, accept and explore your truths because your truth will unlock the door to your dreams."

You hear that, girls? One of the magazine industry's most important narcissists is here for you. So be sure to buy her book and join whatever teen girl-exploiting social networking site she inevitably puts her name on.

So, I have some news... [Atoosa's Space]

Earlier: Gawker EXCLUSIVE: Lots of People Talking About Atoosa Rubenstein's Exit from 'Seventeen'