Newspapers

Like many high school students 1989, I had a paper route.  I was a carrier for the Washington Times for two weeks .  My first day was the day after Super Bowl XXIV.   It was also the first time I got a warning.  One of the customers on my route was wearing a Denver Broncos ski cap, which made me snicker.  (This was the day after the Broncos lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl 55-10.)

The weather during my two weeks as a paperboy was horrible.  Every day was either snowy, rainy, windy, or all of the above.  The second warning I received was because of snow.  I did not know at the time that newspapers were supposed to go in bags to keep them dry.  I just plopped the newspapers on the snow-covered doorsteps.  In my defense, I did not get the bags for the papers and I did not know I was supposed to call the office if i didn’t receive bags.

The final straw came the day of the big ice storm.  I slipped on an icy sidewalk, landing hard on my knees.  I cussed rather loudly; it was loud enough for a couple of people to rat me out.  There were no papers for me to deliver the next day.  The Times had “relieved me of my duties.”

I have not bought a newspaper since.  Actually I bought the edition that had me mentioned in the “Police Blotter’ section.  It was the first time I had seen my name in print.

[This is part of the A-Z of Life series. Check out the other posts!]