What would be our life without the paper boy?

Salute to the classic paperboy in a bicycle servin - Salute to the classic paperboy in a bicycle serving us since forever
@mimpi1911 (25464)
India
September 17, 2008 1:25am CST
I was just wondering what would have happened if there hadn’t been any delivery man for newspapers. Just imagine you do not have anyone to deliver the papers and the nearest stall is far off and to top that you are an addict like my father, who wouldn’t go online and prefer to be not-so-green in this regard. Would you have walked up to the stand to buy one yourself? He is just a regular guy but he carries the state on his shoulder.
3 people like this
17 responses
@alokn99 (5717)
• India
17 Sep 08
Mimpi, Strangely, I had to go through this experience of not having the newspaper delivered a couple of days back. Both my dad and me have this habit of reading the newspaper in the morning with our cup of tea. So here i was with the cup of tea ready to read the paper but alas!, there was none and my dad had this pretty annoyed and frustrated look on his face.He kept pacing about from the living room to the front gate. The reason was evident. No amount of watching the new on the TV would give him the satisfaction of reading the paper. So what did I do ? I had to take a walk down to the stand and get the newspaper for him. Fortunately it is close by. Coming to think of it, the paper boy and his timely delivery of the newspaper in the morning can make such a difference to the calmness and serenity in a homely atmosphere especially with aged parents who have made this habit a part of their lives. No paper boy, difficult situation, but then one has to adjust. It would mean one more task for me in the morning of purchasing it from the stand. But since it means something to my dad, then why not ?
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
17 Sep 08
I really appreciate your love for your father. It indeed gives us immense happiness to see our loved ones happy. My father just gets fidgety on not getting his morning dose of the newspaper. He would suffer from this lack of peace that would make him behave in a strange manner. And guess what that would make us ruin our sanity as well. smiles..
@alokn99 (5717)
• India
17 Sep 08
Yes Mimpi, How seemingly small things like a newspaper can sometimes upset the balance of quietude at home. It's only at times like this , that we bring our attention to those like the newspaper boy, who braving adverse conditions sometimes, make sure the newspaper reaches us everyday in time. Strangely, i have seen him only afew times and don't really remember his face.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
18 Sep 08
Really! Our once paperboy is now a paperman. He has grown with us, now married with a kid. I have been seeing him since childhood and he has become a part and parcel of or lives.
@cupid74 (11388)
• Pakistan
19 Sep 08
Hmmmmmmmm What a discussion and really reasearch to pinpoint it Dear Mou, if u look around Only then u will notice that their are lot of little things happening around u to comfort ur life and many people are involve in it and if they stop working then just imagine how would be ur life u r right if u dont have thios person then u have hassle to go and bring paper, not for myself but for my father as he is addicted to HARD copy only Take care
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
20 Sep 08
Great point you have made there! My father is just the same and even I am bit old school.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
20 Sep 08
That's another great point! Its indeed difficult to carry to laptop to restroom. Newspapers do amazing job is such cases..
@cupid74 (11388)
• Pakistan
20 Sep 08
Thanks for liking it and i do agree, The feeling of hard copr of News Paper is totally differnt And sure u can take it to anywhere u want Just think of bath room readers, LOl
@dpk262006 (58673)
• Delhi, India
17 Sep 08
It will be really a scary and difficult sittuation, if the paper boy does not turn up. I myself get restless (and my spouse too) when we see our newspaper man at the scheduled hour. It has become a habit of sort to read the newspaper, even after watching news at TV. I love to read it and I just do not enjoy TV news. There is a newspaper stall, which is some half a kilometer away from our house, if the newspaper boy does not come, I rush to that stall to fetch my newspaper. The day looks incomplete to me, without a newspaper.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
17 Sep 08
Yes deepak, Its heck of a problem. And only when they go on strike we understand their importance. I still remember how my father used to get irritated when the delivery men went for strike. There are may like him who cannot do without the newspapers, even though the television is doing the same in fact more than that!
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58673)
• Delhi, India
18 Sep 08
I feel that we can replace newspaper news that is print media news with TV news. TV news do show us visuals but you cannot enjoy the news, as you can enjoy it in a newspaper.
@dpk262006 (58673)
• Delhi, India
17 Sep 08
You know many months ago these newspaper hawkers went on strike and no body could receive his newspaper. The Newpaper owners and companies were in deep trouble, because no body could receive their paper, with the result they had to increase the commission amount (which they get on each newspapers) for hawkers to make them work.
@mayka123 (16555)
• India
17 Sep 08
I have managed to live without the paperboy because he comes to my building only after I leave for office. I was a paper addict but now manage to live without the paperman in my life because he is not punctual. Though once upon a time he was a very important person in my life. I could never start the day without a visit from him in the mornings! On holidays I make my daughter walk to the stand (I am too lazy to do that!).
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
17 Sep 08
Yes thing are changing and so is the role of paper boys who used to come in a bicycle and throw that on the balcony. Those were the days....
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
18 Sep 08
Yeah, that's problem for the high risers but four 4-5 storeys they just throw it up and they are quite dexterous in it!
@mayka123 (16555)
• India
18 Sep 08
Most of the newspaper boys in Mumbai have given up using bicycles for delivery because the minute they went up a building to deliver the papers whe cycle would disappear down.
@sweetie1026 (1718)
• Philippines
17 Sep 08
I do walk up to the stand to buy one everyday on my way to the store to buy bread for breakfast. Here in our place, we do not have paper deliveries like in nice subdivisions. But on days that i do not buy bread then, i just surf the net or watch news on tv.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
17 Sep 08
Sweetie, thanks for this. I get that it has gotten into a habit now. Continue doing it... Thanks.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
18 Sep 08
You have a great day, sweetie!
• Philippines
17 Sep 08
Yes, i think it has and i am glad. You bet i will.......thanks to you too!
18 Sep 08
thats nothing if we have a internet connection we have noo use of paper we will get all news in the internet thanks to internet
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
18 Sep 08
Hi smily, internet is just amazing but its hard to convince my father who is old school. Thanks for responding and have a great day.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
20 Sep 08
Hi rocket.. my father would be happy to read this and what you have said is in a way right. The Internet is no authentic source of news and anyone can publish anything. its large personal whim! Thanks.
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
18 Sep 08
You also need to be aware on the internet,that everyone who brings you the news is not always telling you the truth. The internet is notorious for rumor and out and out lies. Stories are not as easily traced. The ethical standards of journalism don't seem to apply to those who spread stories on it.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
17 Sep 08
oh yes... i can really relate to that as we also use paper boy when i was still very little... the paper boy used to deliver the paper in the afternoon in my place and my father will read it after his work when he is resting and having his tea break... he still use that back in my home country as he is not into technology people... it is very hard to get him to read the news online as he doesn't like to stay in front of the monitor... he preferred to read his newspapers on the bed... take care and have a nice day...
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
18 Sep 08
My father is exactly the same and it's hard to convince him. And guess what, eEven I get nostalgic with newspapers in hand! Thanks lingli for always responding to mine. Have a great day.
@SViswan (12051)
• India
17 Sep 08
Even with the internet, I prefer reading the newspaper. You've given me a scary scenario..lol I really can't go on without the newspaper. If I can, I'd walk up to the stand to buy myself one...I like to feel the newspaper..and not just read the news online.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
18 Sep 08
Same here dear. Even though I do not read much but the days when we do not get it I understand how much I am into it. It's like a nostalgia more than anything else. Happy reading newspapers.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
17 Sep 08
i was a paper girl for about a year i made some serious money i had one section i worked that paid me 900.00 dollars a month and i had another that paid me about 650.00 i paid my morgage out of this money. and bought food.so i know how much people love there paper in the morning and especially the sunday paper. and my clients was good to me on holidays they gave me as much as i was paid doing this time of year i miss it sometimes because i enjoyed doing something for people.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
18 Sep 08
Hi annjilena deep down in my heart I wanted to hear it from horse's mouth and your response gave me so much pleasure. I am glad that you came across this. It must have been very challenging and the sense of discipline as in regularity must have been incorporated in you even without knowing. The bond with people is a bonus,I am sure. Thanks dear.
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
18 Sep 08
Holy cow, annjilena! How big a route was that! My son makes 8cents a copy for the daily and 5cents a copy for his weekly "sampler". He has a very small walking route (getting smaller all the time as homes here are selling very slowly and many are empty on his route). You obviously had a driving route. Didn't your car take a HUGE beating? I'm impressed:)
• Australia
20 Sep 08
We don't get the paper all the time. Just another thing to not get around to reading, and then have to pick up all the shredded pages our girls leave every where! lol. I think they should also bring back the milkman and the bread man. Our society has forgotten the simple pleasures of saying hello to someone who brings them the milk/paper/bread. I think societies lack of manners comes from the depersonalisation of contact.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
20 Sep 08
Yeah. We still have bread man or milk man in some places but certainly they are getting scarce in number. societies lack of manners comes from the depersonalisation of contact. That's a great point you have made. It requires serious thinking , may be another thought for a discussion thread.. Thanks dear.
1 person likes this
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
17 Sep 08
The state of American newspapers is in question right now. My husband is the editor of our local daily paper. The internet and television has nationally taken a HUGE chunk out of the market. Many big cities are laying off or firing up to half of their employees. My husband would be thrilled to know that there are still die-hard newspaper readers out there. There is a fear that only the very small papers (with communities who would get their news no other way) will survive unless innovations are not made soon with existing papers.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
18 Sep 08
That's a great point made actually. Even though I find a series of renovations and innovations in modern newspapers but still a lot has to be done to catch up with the competition, if at all there is one. But given the huge change from readers to watchers the newspaper companies are having offshoots. Like in India most Newspaper agencies have their own news channels. Thanks for enriching this discussion and pls pass on my huggles to the sweetest paper boy on the planet.
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
17 Sep 08
Forgot to mention my favorite paper boy on the planet.......my 14 year old son!:)
@mhrmasum (678)
• Bangladesh
17 Sep 08
Once i cant think without a paper boy bcz he z the supplier of daily paper, magazine. But when i connected with the internet i dont think that paper boy is necessary.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
18 Sep 08
Thanks for your response.
• United States
17 Sep 08
when i was growing up it was conventional to have the typical paperboy delivering a paper My Dad worked with the newspaper and we kids adored receiving a paper from some classmate that did delivery i have great memories of chatting with him so on so forth
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
19 Sep 08
great to hear this! It brought back my fond memories..
17 Sep 08
I think I am in between where this discussion is concerned. If you don't want to have a newspaper delivered-but you still want the news-then what about the radio.At listening to the radio allows you to do many other things that reading a newspaper won't.For instance you could turn the volume up and do house-hold chores,have a bath,put on your makeup to go out or go to work. Just think you could multi-task instead of fighting your father for the newspaper or going out and buying one. If you are so desperate to get your fix of the news that is all lies anyway buy yourself a portable radio listen to all the drivel hourly.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
20 Sep 08
That's great! Actually my father starts his day with his newspapers and then moves on to TV and radio intermittently..
@dpk262006 (58673)
• Delhi, India
17 Sep 08
Newspaper have become life line for some of us.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
17 Sep 08
Sometimes we have gone every day to buy a paper, but usually we like to get it delivered. When they throw the paper short and it lands in the neighbor's flowers or on the middle of the stairs, sometimes we get annoyed, but then we think how convenient it is even so. Delivery has been very reliable over the years. Where we live now they have never missed a paper. Remarkable. At our last place they missed once or twice a year.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
17 Sep 08
Yeah, that's what I am trying to say. These are an amazing bunch, invariably punctual with their duty, getting little appreciation but classical case on duty and punctuality.
@SaintAnne (5453)
• United States
17 Sep 08
If not for access to newspapers online or having newspapers delivered to work, I probably would walk to the stall and buy one myself. So does your father recycle the old newspapers too? "He is just a regular guy but he carries the state on his shoulder." I like this quote.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
17 Sep 08
Oh yes he does! that's good thing about it. having said this I have trying to convert him to online not only for news reading but for other transactions as well.