The newspaper
of my city is getting smaller and smaller. I am not talking about the number of
pages, though that may be true, too. The cost has remained the same, though
less paper is being used. People are
getting their news from other sources and for good reason. The internet is faster and you can pick and
choose articles from a variety of sources.
Our paper comes
to our home on Thursday through Sunday. When we get our paper, sometimes it
sits on the driveway even for a few days before someone bothers to pick it
up. Is it that we are apathetic about
the world events or too busy to make it a priority?
The newspaper
is not a bad newspaper, but a bad news paper.
The head lines of the days are on the front paper, followed by the most
news worthy articles in the Section A.
None of them are about international trends or news that offers any
hope. The following sections headline
bad news in the city, state, world of sports, world or business and world of
entertainment. Very little focus is on
anything is productive or positive. It
is best to skim and scan, for sanity’s sake.
The local city
news section focuses on every perverted event that people in our general
vicinity have participated in. It talks
about abuse of children, heinous murders, tortures and every sick, sick
activity possible. I can barely stomach
the headlines, let alone want to read the detailed articles. It is the same for the parts of the arts and
entertainment section, specializing in sordid details about lives of our
depraved celebrities. I used to love
both of those sections.
The section that
tells us what our television has in store for its followers for the week is
another adventure in depression.
Researchers say that avid television watchers are more depressed than
others. Is it any wonder? We now have a
hundred or more channel instead of 3 or 4 and there is still nothing of value
to watch.
The Sunday paper
is a little thicker and includes the travel section. This has become my favorite, because you have
“got to have a dream”. The arts and
entertainment on Sunday includes articles about upcoming cultural events in
town, movies and new books, so I usually look at those parts, and only those
parts. I love the idea of going places and
doing interesting things, even if it does not happen as often as I would like. It
is always great to hear about new reads, too.
I always look
for jobs and property auctions in the paper.
I always know someone who needs a job and I think about finding some
great property for nothing. Looking in these sections may be sheer habit at
this point in my life.
Then, there are
the advertisements and coupons.
Honestly, I would be a lot more content and a lot wealthier, if I did
not look to see what other people are buying “on sale” that I did not
have. The best thing for me to with
these ads, as well as the most of the newspaper, is to take it straight to the
recycle bin without passing “Go!”
There is one
part of the newspaper that is truly the best for joy-seekers, however. It is a reflection of modern life that
wallows in humor, sarcasm and subtlety.
You cannot skim it as you do with other parts of the newspaper. You have to give it your full attention and
take a hearty bite, not a nibble. This
part is not for tasters, sippers or cautious partakers. Joy-seekers, this is your only consistent
hope for the modern “hard copy” newspaper.
It is the only part where you are sure to find a belly full of joy and
laughter, or, at least, smiles and a clearing of the brain. There’s sure to be something that helps you
laugh at yourself or remind you of a situation you can relate to. As a joy-seeker, I applaud and appreciate
the cartoonists of America,
who brighten the days of so many with their cleverness and creativity.
Years ago,
someone, who only read the comics in the newspaper, was considered low brow and
uneducated. It was something that was mocked!
Someone who only read the comics was scorned and found himself the
subject of jokes! When I was a young
person, I did not read comics too often,
because I did not think the comics were that worthwhile. Now, I see how balancing the comics are! Part of finding joy is learning to laugh at
oneself. Sometimes that is the best we
can do!
