Celebrate your Paper girl or boy!

These days, I don't think there are very many paper boys or girls.

Most of the people entrusted now to deliver the paper are adults.

Justified primarily by the demise of evening newspapers and the concern parents have for their kids getting up early to deliver the news - it's become a relic of an earlier day and time.

I spent my first three jobs related to newspapers.  The first was when I "helped" my Grandfather as he delivered bundles of paper to carriers for the Tazwell Publishing Company.

Lifting bundles into his van, placing them in precise order, and delivering to waiting carriers or drop-off points was the name of Grandpa's retirement job.  The second job was unloading a truck of "shoppers" so carriers could pick up the Jotter to deliver around Janesville.  I loved it, it was a great way to spend a couple weeks with Grandpa and Grandma.

You may have been a carrier as one of your first jobs.

My delivery route was for the Sunday edition of the Milwaukee Journal.  Dad woke me up by 5:30, and I put the papers together and managed to load half my route into the bag.

Just keeping my three speed bike balanced while carrying so many papers was a trick.  But, the Sunday paper isn't one you can grab from the bag and toss onto the porch.

It would come apart even if you could get a firm enough grip to toss.  Too heavy to try meant getting off the bike and placing where the customer wanted it if I wanted a tip.

Look out for the flowers - homeowners didn't like big ol' Sunday papers crushing their plants, and the newspaper reader didn't care for the wet spots flowers left on the newsprint.

Year one as a carrier was enough for me.  I filled in for my friend after that occasionally as he delivered the Janesville Gazette every night after school and on Saturdays.  Way back then, they didn't publish on Sunday.

Today honors those who are now or once were, paper carriers.

Papers are trying to re-invent themselves in the 21st Century with online editions, and it doesn't take a psychic to figure out that two generations from now (if it takes that long), no one will see papers delivered in person.

Still, there is something about sitting down with a paper.  A story catches your eye and you learn about something you didn't know about previously.  News online is tailored to what we want, so we can't learn about things about which we are unaware.

Progress marches on, I suppose, but today - buy a paper or give your carrier (whatever their age) a tip and thank you for their service.  They deserve it.