Looking through what #Holiday’s is happening this month brought me toInternational Newspaper Carrier Day and that brought me back to my childhood and some of the retro tv shows we used to watch and the kids having newspaper routes like on Leave to Beaver and Father Knows Best.

Back hen I was younger I remember when you would see newspaper carriers riding their bicycles, with newspapers stacked in their baskets, throwing papers as they rode down the street. It seemed like everywhere you turned, somebody was delivering newspapers.

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, having a newspaper route was something a teenager could do to earn a little spending money. You didn’t have to wait for somebody to hire you at a store or restaurant. You could get up early, deliver newspapers, and earn your own money. David even rolled newspapers with my best friend and delivered them on Sunday mornings. Can you imagine doing that today?

Newspapers used to be a big part of everyday life. You could find newspaper stands on what seemed like every corner, and you could buy a paper for a quarter. The newspapers had so many pages, and there was something special about sitting down and reading the news in your hands. My favorite part of the paper was not only the Comics but the Mini Page for kids.

Now, newspapers are sold in fewer places, there are fewer pages, and those newspaper stands aren’t something you see everywhere anymore. I worry that one day we’ll wake up and printed newspapers won’t exist at all. Don’t get me wrong. I know computers, phones, and electronics are wonderful. We use them every day, and they give us access to information we never could have imagined years ago.

But what happens when the power goes out, the internet stops working, or our electronics aren’t available? Having another way to get information isn’t such a bad thing. I also think about the opportunities today’s teenagers have lost. Charlie could have had a newspaper route when he was younger.

He could have gotten up on Sunday mornings, delivered papers, and earned extra money instead of always asking me for it. It would have given him a little responsibility and a way to learn the value of working for what he wanted. But times have changed, and that particular opportunity isn’t what it used to be.

That’s one of the things I think about when I look back at the way life used to be. We didn’t have all the technology kids have today, but we had other ways to learn responsibility, earn money, and become a little more independent. So, in honor of International Newspaper Carrier Day, I want to ask you something.

What job do you remember from back in the day that a teenager could have done to earn extra money, but that job doesn’t really exist anymore? Was it delivering newspapers, shining shoes, working at a neighborhood store, or something else entirely? I’d love to hear your memories. Sometimes looking back helps us appreciate what we had and recognize what today’s young people are missing.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

GreatfulMoments.com

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates