About a year ago I abandoned my local Sunday newspaper and took comfort in the arms of the grand old lady, The New York Times. I pay a small fortune for the privilege of receiving this beefy two-part Sunday paper, double bagged and waiting for me at the end of my driveway each weekend morning, but it is worth every penny. Much like getting the mail each afternoon, seeing the The Times lying there, just waiting for me to slip it out of it’s slightly transparent blue baggie, makes me as happy as schoolboy. To pile up the pillows and climb back into bed with the paper can often be the highlight of my day. It is a powerful feeling, knowing that the entire world sits in front of you in the form of articles, editorials, and pictorials – several pounds of hard-hitting investigative journalism dropped off at our door. Becoming educated, to learn something brand new or to expand on my prior knowledge, is so incredibly exciting and invigorating for me. I dearly hope that I am able to pass this joy on to my children. One way that I try to do so in a subtle, fun and light manner is to read the paper aloud to my girl. From a very early age, we would snuggle under a blanket and I would read her entire articles. She was still a baby and would marvel at the words coming out of my mouth, I could read her anything! It was awesome. In many ways, things have not changed a whole lot. She will still sit with me and listen to a story, often at the breakfast table and while I she may not stick it out from start to finish for a long piece she still enjoys listening to Daddy read The Sunday Times. In addition to reading to her, I occasionally leave a section or two in the bathroom for her to look at while she uses the potty. I supply her with pages containing pictures of animals or funny looking ads (she was enamored once with a picture of boots for an entire weekend).
I feel as if I am cultivating a little learner and helping to spawn a future generation of newspaper readers, one child at a time.
In newspapers, the diversity of thought and of story is unparalleled, especially in this fragmented world too often sliced and diced into factions. In the modern world, folks are frequently only getting the opportunity to read, see and listen to things pertaining only to their already adopted beliefs and values. There is little or no expansion of thought in that kind of environment, but in reading a widely circulated newspaper you will read about towns, countries, people and things that are completely different from your day-to-day life and hometown. Yet, at the same time, you will begin to pick-up on how we all share some common human emotions and experiences, wants and desires. Reading the paper is fun and cultivates a worldview that is a tremendous asset growing up in a multi-cultural world.
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