Slow death of a simple pleasure

There was a bit of time when my life was so structured and I was somewhat isolated, so much so that my access to daily newspapers was very limited. It was then I realized how I had turned something once so basic in people's life into a comfort. And now I confront that comfort is slowly dying. Likely even committing suicide.

I'm not much of a morning person. My best transition into functionality is actually the processing of basic information, like that in a daily newspaper. Before anything else, I like to head back into a bed with the room now illuminated with morning light. Usually a cup of coffee before anything to eat. It is ritualistic, a review of the front page, followed by sports, then local, then national, completed by the comics. In about 30 minutes, the fog is shaken from my mind and I 'm in a relaxed state ready to face a day.

This doesn't come from a social journalism user either. I realized I'd be involved in newspapers when I was in the seventh grade, which would be about four decades ago. I've received paychecks from six different newspapers over time. Still, instead of seeing it completely as a business, it has remained a pleasure. A fading pleasure

Quickly, some reader is thinking, "ah, another Luddite (another generation's showing off instead of using old fogey) who just won't accept the world online."

It's not the same thing. An opened spread sheet takes you places a computer screen doesn't. Graphics catch you, headlines slip into your subconscious and give you some sense of subjects you'd otherwise miss and fact boxes may sneak information into your mind. Online forces you to click again and again to garner page views for sales purposes, while an open newspaper is like a gentle wave of information reaching you.

But I can tell I'll soon have no choice. In fact, I'm a good way there now. My hometown daily newspaper is simply mediocre. It always seems behind the times on developing issues and its breaking news is superficial. In totality, it only fills about 10 minutes to be done. I've long tried to augment my newspaper addiction with another from a major Texas city. But as the economy slips and business especially becomes more critical than social obligation, that paper too has cut back its efforts. Both papers have also greatly increased their cost, percentage-wise.

It's become a simple equation of cost versus return. Will I be foolish enough to pay more for less, even when the less is mediocre, in order to deal again with a semi-fulfilling experience?

I hope all those years of reading have helped me be more informed than that.