A Love Affair With Newsprint

One of the most fun stories I did was the circus. They gave us the behind the scenes tour of everything.

I can’t resist a newspaper.

If I’m not careful I can easily turn into a hoarder with piles of them stashed on my desk waiting to be read.  My cat loves them too.  Apparently a small stack of newspapers makes a fine bed.  She likes to lay there and try to sneak sips of my sweet tea if I get too immersed in what I’m doing.

Back when I worked as a stringer for The Community News (Browns Mills, NJ) the most exciting day was print day.  I always woke up so excited and I’d rush out of the house to get my copies, often still wearing pajamas under my overcoat.

I knew what would be imprinted on the dove colored newsprint but I still couldn’t wait to hold it in my hands.  There would be my byline printed in soy based ink.  I’d let myself have a minute of private grinning  before I’d have to act all casual like I didn’t notice.

Every time was the same – I thrilled to see my words sifted from my constantly churning mind to be distilled and made made real on the soft paper.  I loved the way the newsprint smudged on my fingers as if the thoughts captured there were literally rubbing off on the readers.  I adored seeing our little town caught in a weekly time capsule.  Each edition was a snapshot of life for us.

Now I’m trying to get back to that.  There is the perfect newspaper here in the Panhandle and the editor has contacted me for potential hire.  I couldn’t believe the rush of nostalgic excitement that came over me when I read the email.  Working for The Community News was probably my favorite job ever… the one place where I felt like what I did made a difference for the better.

Hopefully I’ll be announcing a new job soon… and have a valid excuse for my paper hoard.