SAYING GOODBYE TO AN OLD FRIEND

Saying goodbye to friends is hard. We all have to do it in our own way.

There’s no good way to do it, no manual that tells us how to say goodbye.

This particular friend has been in my life for 60 of my almost 65 years. Greeted me everyday, rain or shine. Readily came to my house…………..brought joy and sadness…….and gave reason and pause to think and consider the world. That’s what good friends do.

We humans are creatures of routine. We don’t like our routine messed with, that’s why my friend was so special. And why I’m sad today…

Everyday…………….my friend was there, with few exceptions.

How many of you have ever had a friend like that? Very few I suspect…….

It’s said that one thing is constant, and that’s change……it’s why my friend won’t be back…..ever…..

How we deal with change to a certain extent defines us….we can handle it well, or poorly…….let it overcome us, or help push us on to the future. I’m prepared to do that now….it’s just hard.

But I’ve changed too, and my friend for some time has faced the fact that they are not as necessary, nor needed. Will always be my friend…….but the younger generations have a different set of friends they rely on, and that’s really the big issue.

It’s sad, but time to move on.

I want to show you a picture of my old friend so you’ll understand….

After the 60 years I’ve mentioned, the State Newspaper will no longer deliver a paper, except on Sunday. Their world has changed………younger people just don’t read a ‘paper’……….it’s well documented that the paper business is a dying business.

It’s just sad.

The newspaper was not as much about the news in recent years as it was about the experience. Holding the paper, folding it to make room at the breakfast or lunch table……smelling the ink……….the comics……..crossword that you can work on and come back to later…and all the other games.

News is everywhere now. My friend Rex Nelson mentions that we need the state newspaper to cover government and keep them honest. He’s certainly right……..but it has to be at the right price.

Mr Hussman of the Demozette beat the Gannett owned Gazette back in the great newspaper war of the late 80's……Gannett capitulated in October 1991 after he bled them dry with free want ads and the giving away of papers……..Hiring the sports oracle, Orville Henry, didn’t hurt either. Those were interesting times…..

Now Mr Hussman faces a foe as formidable as himself. In this case, it’s lack of interest in his product/industry………..Their attempt to digitize the paper and give people ipads to read it, is innovative.

At $432 a year, will it be a value people will want?………..we’ll see. They seem to not be willing to offer a lessor price if you don’t want the ipad……you see, I don’t want to indirectly pay for an ipad, so i want a lower price. I’d consider subscribing for something less and the delivery of the Sunday paper……but there is no give in their strategy.

In the end supply and demand will win.

The newspaper experience is now gone forever, and I’ll miss it. But we all move on from things…….you might say…..”well Chuck……just print the crossword and the games……”…….not interested because it’s not the paper, you see. It was always about the experience.

This follows the loss of another old friend, the nightly local TV news………so often the first ten minutes were about crime………and then someone’s opinion on something……’The Weather’………..and sports…..

All of this is generally dated by the time 5:00 rolls around……….who needs the weather anymore since you have it on your phone……..Twitter has replaced ‘sports highlights at 10:00!’ It’s just no longer necessary to camp yourself in front of the TV anymore……….and with all due respect to one of the hardest working news directors in the world, my longtime friend Perry Boxx……….at least it’s still more viable than the newspaper.

This fluff piece in the Demozette from a few weeks back was an attempt to put a good spin on what’s left of the newspaper………should we even call it a newspaper anymore since there is no paper?

Maybe it will work. I wish the paper no ill will……..but I’m not interested in their new digital product…at least not right now……some will be and that’s okay too. Hope they succeed.

For me, it’s kinda like what Red said in the Shawshank Redemption………..after Andy had escaped the prison, Red was sorta depressed………..he remarked…….”…I guess I just miss my friend……….”

Well me too Red, I just miss my friend……