Stay At Home Diary: Week 5

I thought we were weren’t too stressed about the lock down, but I think the anxiety of the coronavirus is causing a few somatic symptoms. I used to have panic attacks when I was a teen, so I remember what they’re like. This week, I woke up and felt one coming on again. Luckily, my “Calm” App was there to get me through it. Just a few deep breaths and I was okay. I’m having flashbacks to WWII and later, the polio epidemic that paralyzed so many young people when I was growing up. My husband is a diabetic. Now, he’s having problems controlling his blood sugar. Although he seems outwardly calm, the stress may be raising his sugar. He will have to call his doctor next week.

Tornado in nearby county this week. 70 mph winds here. Blew our mail box down and broke it. The mailman drove right on by without delivering our mail. I called the post office, and the next day, we got a packet of mail tied with a string which said, “box down.” This is not a good time to install a new mailbox.

Venturing out once a week to shop in my coronavirus gear. Cap, glasses, face mask, gloves. Muslim women who wear burkas don’t have to worry about all that. They’re already dressed for the pandemic.

Forgot it was Easter week until too late. Got online to order Easter Crème Eggs from Fannie May for all my grandchildren, and it turns out you can’t have them shipped any more. For the first time in their lives, my children did not receive any Easter candy from me. I sure miss seeing my youngest grandson with a smear of chocolate on his face. He does love those chocolate bunnies.

On Easter morning, my girls arranged a group skype. We had never done that before and it felt very cool. But then, they pointed out that Skype is so outdated that they almost forgot how navigate it. Seems everyone uses apps like Zoom conferencing. They think that’s probably beyond my technological capacity, but I’m going to watch some you tube tutorials and surprise them.

Slim pickings in our daily newspapers on Easter Sunday. No grocery store ads. Reporters have been furloughed, and there are fewer pages to read. We used to spend an hour going over both papers, but this Sunday it took about ten minutes. At least we can still read the funnies

Geese in park don't worryabout coronavirus — Geese in the park aren’t worried about COVID-19. Stay At Home Diary: Week 5

Still walking when weather permits, and trying to get 15 minutes of unfiltered sunlight every day it doesn’t rain. Geese in the park aren’t worried about coronavirus. And a robin is building a nest in the bush beside our porch.

Life goes on.

April 3, 2020April 5, 2020

OUR NEWSPAPER HAD A GREAT FALL

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall/ Humpty Dumpty had a great fall/All the kings horses and all the kings men/Couldn’t put Humpty back together again.” Once upon a time, newspapers had great power. They could sway elections and make or break someone’s career overnight. That was when small town newspapers published all sorts of personal information. If Sears Roebuck took you to court over a $400 unpaid bill, they printed it in the paper. Divorces were announced on the inside page. You were at their mercy. Any misstep was fair game. But suddenly, that’s over. Like Humpty Dumpty, our local newspaper has had a great fall.

Back in 1912, they built a four story building on Main Street. If you walked in the back door to meet with a reporter or editor, you could hear the printing presses thrumming. Everything was there—immediacy, excitement, urgency, and most importantly, power. Being the publisher or editor on the top floor epitomized prestige and social standing. It was still that way a scant 14 years ago, when our local paper built a new, two and a half million dollar building near their old offices.

Newspapers have lost circulation and have had a great fall — Like Humpty Dumpty, our newspaper had a great fall

But then everything went downhill. The best reporters were let go, or left. Quantity, not quality, became the norm. Hard news, defined as news or investigative journalism that deals with serious topics and events, requires more journalists. Soft news is defined as information that is primarily entertaining or personally useful. It’s easier to produce and can be done at a leisurely pace. It also fills more space and is far less interesting. If you want soft news, you can read a magazine. And yet, the newspaper’s front pages began featuring more and more“soft news.”

Consequently, circulation dropped, and the newspaper’s advertising revenues began to dwindle. At the same time, Television and the internet have replaced many of the newspaper’s functions. Younger generations no longer subscribe to newspapers. And so, the big expensive building was no longer sustainable. This year, the entire newspaper staff moved their offices to the basement of a neighborhood mall that’s struggling for occupancy. Today, they announced the paper will only be published five days a week, rather than seven.

Newspapers have lost the ability to influence public opinion. No one cares who they endorse for office or what they think about plans for a new jail. Yes, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. And no one can put Humpty back together again.

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October 4, 2019October 4, 2019

9 REASONS TO TAKE THE NEWSPAPER

I know what it’s like to go without a newspaper. For over 20 years, we went South in the winter to islands where we couldn’t buy a metropolitan newspaper. Yes, we had the internet, and could access the stories in our local paper at home. But it wasn’t the same at all. Each morning, when we had our coffee, we tried to pretend it didn’t matter. We turned on the Today Show, and surfed the net. But there was a great big void at the beginning of our day. Here are 9 reasons to take the newspaper.

Reading a newspaper in print is more leisurely that online — THE BEST WAY TO START THE DAY IS WITH A PRINT EDITION OF YOUR FAVORITE NEWSPAPER.

1. They’re easier on the eyes. Black and white newsprint on paper has no damaging UV light from a computer or cellphone

2. It’s more relaxing to lean back in your recliner and flip through the pages vs. sitting at a computer or holding an i phone.

3.. You’re better informed. Reading a news story of three or four columns gives you an in depth view of what’s really going on with this particular situation. Yes, you could read it all on your computer, but you probably will read only two or three paragraphs before shifting to the next headline.

4. The funnies. There are three or four comic strips I really like. But if I have plenty of time and nothing much to do, I’m apt to find a few others.

5. The advice columns. I find these columnists immensely amusing. Why do people ask advice when the answer is so obvious?f. It’s fun to mentally put in your own two cents. And sometimes, you can clip a column that hits home and send it on to a relative or friend.

6. Sharing. My husband and I discuss the different news stories, and pass them back and forth to point out what one of us may have missed.

7. The Bridge column and the puzzles. These games are a fun way to challenge your brain.

8. Advertisements. Unlike television, you can pick and choose the ones that interest you. Yes, you can go online to find the supermarket ads. But it’s much pleasanter to go through them in the newspaper. And then, on Sundays, there are the coupons! And, if you’re interested, you can peruse the real estate ads and check out home values in your area.

9. More bang for your buck. You can read a $5 issue of People Magazine in 5 minutes. But you can easily find an hour’s worth of reading material in a dollar newspaper.

Believe it or not, we take two newspapers at our house, which gives us a different perspective. Besides, it’s nice to see what’s going on in Indianapolis where my daughter lives with her family. Many local newspapers are going out of business. But we hope ours doesn’t.

Viva La Newspapers!