Like most people nowadays, the subject of money for Slim and I can tend to be a problem. Especially in the sense that it creates a great deal of stress we could live without. It seems there is never enough and plans are constantly being readjusted and revised due to its availability.
The problem is compounded by the fact that I really have no interest in money other than to take care of immediate needs. I mean, I have no real desire or drive to become wealthy or even financially comfortable. Unless I am struck by lightening, take a serious bump on the head, or am injected with some sort of amnesia drug, I don’t think things are going to change any time soon.
I grew up in an era where people didn’t focus on money. They were content to make a living, take care of their family’s needs and maybe make just a little extra so they could take the kids to the drive-in for burgers and fries on Friday night.
It was a simpler time.
Everything today has a price tag. Services once provided by businesses as a gesture of good will and community service no longer exist. A simple example would be the purchase of a bicycle at the local hardware store. There was a time when the bike would have been assembled cheerfully by the store’s manager. Today it’s anywhere from ten to twenty dollars added to the cost. Service and goodwill no longer exist except at a price.
My boss called the other day a bit distraught over the fact that she is very likely going to have to charge people for placing obituaries in the newspaper. It is the current trend, and her papers (she owns four of them) are the only ones around that are not already exacting a small fee for the service. She didn’t like the idea and I agreed with her. Newspapers are a great source of information regarding current happenings. But more importantly, those current events ultimately become history. I believe newspapers have a responsibility to continue to provide a rich historical resource. This is especially true for obituaries because they are a few lines of copy that record the whole life of the person concerned. Throwing a fee into the works seems to prostitute a noble community service.
Maybe I am a dinosaur; things like this seem to confuse and bother me now much more than in the past. Maybe they just didn’t exist in my past. Whatever the case, I think it is about time for me to pack up my rod and tackle box and head to the lake. Or at least some place where none of this really matters.
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3 comments:
Seems that charging for the obits is just wrong, but as a business owner I understand that if you don't charge for them some other cost will go up such as advertising prices. Seems to me that the obits are a part of the news, and isn't that what the paper does, report the news?
On a lighter note..ha ha, both Hillary and Obama where in Grand Forks last night. I didn't go but watched it live (on channel 8.)
Hillary's speech was much longer and issue driven in my book, started out soft, she seemed tired but I thought finished strong. She seemed to put alot of information into the speech, as for Obama, I don't know what he said but I had an overwhelming urge to throw my panties on the stage! My god he is charismatic.
If you listen to both speeches it really comes down to the same issues but who sells them the best.
If you have noticed with Obama his speech pattern is almost sing-songy, he never really stumbles over words and delivers with the conviction of a smooth talking preacher. And worse yet when all is said and done I still don't know who I'm voting for but at least I know where my underwear went!
He's not getting my underwear until I hear him sing!
Carolyn – now I know why I love you so much! That is exactly the idea that I was trying to convey a couple of blogs back. As I struggle to find the right words, you can put the exact same thought in its perfect place using a pair of panties.
Ohhh, Dan! Thanks for using the Dylan lyric. Sweet!
I do understand what you are saying about charging for obituaries. I also agree that it is a shame to have to charge for them. However, many newspapers disseminate a lot of information for free. For example, I go to the Grand Forks Herald on-line quite a bit to keep up on the news from up north. I can get a lot of information for free from their website. I guess that they have to pay for it somehow.
As an aside, I also subscribe to the North Star News so I can read my aunt, Myrtle Vagle’s column – most of the time ‘Wow!’ comes to mind.
I listen to KFAN radio most days, which is a sports talk radio station, and they were talking about many of the free services that a person used to get on an airline that now have to be purchased. I guess that Northwest Airlines is now going to charge $100 extra dollars for the third piece of luggage a person has, following suit of other airlines. I can understand that added luggage adds more weight, adding the need for more fuel, adding to the overall cost. And, as shit rolls downhill, the passenger has to pay the added costs.
They also mentioned that you have to pay $25 extra to get a window or an isle seat. If you are squished between the window and isle seat, you don’t have to pay extra. Jeeze! What is next? Pretty soon we’ll have to start bringing our own toilet paper on our flights or we can purchase 5 squares for $5.
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