What an unfortunate tragedy and shocking news to read last week that the Anchorage Daily News is abandoning all of us faithful readers of the hard copy version of the newspaper for an online version. Sad, disappointing ... even heartbreaking does not accurately describe the level of emotional experience and frustration knowing one of the highlights of my day for more than 45 years has been to read the news in hand along with my morning coffee.
In talking with others, I know I am not alone in feeling discounted and abandoned. Who on the planet in my generation wants more screen time, and who else needs it? Research demonstrates that it is not healthy to be staring at a screen all day. I won’t go into all of the unhealthy side effects and negative outcomes here. I will simply say I feel cheated out of the pleasure of touching, holding, rumpling and even caressing the newspaper.
I still clip out and save my favorite articles, recipes and editorials. No more of that ... except on Wednesdays and Sundays. It has taken me more than four years to adjust to no Saturday paper, and still sometimes I race to the paper delivery box forgetting what day of the week it is ... exception Saturday. Now I will be forced to recall exception Monday and Tuesday, as well as exception Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
This past Thursday, I felt a deep sadness on my way to the paper box, realizing this would be my last trip to recover a paper in hand on a Thursday. The physical paper provides connection with the community and the world among humanity in a way no electronic version ever will. And life goes on ... yet I simply wonder why evolution takes away some of our most cherished pleasures.
— Marianne Roland
Anchorage
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