The Newspaper

Remember the thing that was delivered to your front door every morning your entire life?

Here's a riddle for you:

What's black, white and red all over?

The newspaper.

Of course, it's "read" all over, but when you tell the riddle, you don't know that.

I don't ever remember not reading the newspaper.  I was fascinated.  Every inch of the paper.  My favorite section:  The Op/Ed.  Opinion/Editorial.  This is the section of the paper that is supposed to be biased.  Supposedly, the rest of the paper is there to deliver facts.  Second?  The business section.  Then Social/Living.  (Dear Abby).  Comics.

A certain order to reading my paper.  Although, Op/Ed is the best.  I save it for last.  I start with the funnies.  Then the business section. Then Living.  Everything else in between.  The Op/Ed last.

Every single column.  Reading in their entirety.  Completely fascinated by the way people think.  Proud we live in a country where we can say what we want - and not be killed for thinking the way we think.  I might not agree with you.  What I support is that you are free to say you DON'T support something.  There are LOTS of angry people out there.  

Maybe I'm a bit more of a romantic than I confess.  The newspaper and the post office.  A woman from a different time.

I'm evolving though.  Two years ago, when we switched houses for the first time - the people there subscribed to the newspaper.  So, did I.  We were both so excited we all still received the paper delivered.

Day One, I read the newspaper.  Day Three? I remembered it was at the end of the drive and I went to get it.  Day 5,  I received an e-mail from the people living in my house.  "We put the paper on hold until you get back".  Funny, I'm doing that today too.

I put their newspaper on hold.  I never renewed my subscription.  A habit was broken just like that.  Yes, we missed it.  For a bit.  The boys used to argue over the sports section.  Once we got home, we did receive it for a bit.  It didn't last long.  We never renewed our subscription.

Occasionally, I buy the Sunday paper.  Love the leisurely reading.  Love looking through it.  Enjoying the paper.  Clipping coupons.  The paper.  Love it all.

This week, for the first time in bit, I bought a Sunday paper.  Read still in my same order.

The coupons and the Op/Ed set aside to saviour the moment - read at the end of the day.  To wrap up a Sunday evening with relaxation and provoking thought.  On Tuesday, I threw the coupons and Op/Ed away.  Without opening.  For the first time ever.

Guess I won't be buying the paper again.