Still dark and frozen when I padded in my slippers down the driveway to retrieve my New York Times this morning. I haven’t opened it yet. I’ve watched the Australian Open. I’ve read about my lowly Buffalo Sabres. But the real news is getting me upset. I can’t read it. I don’t want to see it.
I wish the Times wasn’t delivered in a plastic bag. I had a paper route, in the 1970s in Buffalo, when there were no individual bags. We delivered to a sheltered spot on the porch or inside a storm door or milk box. I don’t remember looking much at the headlines.
A Short While Later . . .
Of course, I looked at the Times. I told myself it was my duty to be informed and to understand the state of my country and the world. The current state sucks.
The first front-page item I focus on is a photo of Mitch McConnell. The awful corruption of his Merrick Garland block makes me sick. I turn the page, already anxious and angry, but I pull back from the cliff. In the “Here to Help” section, the Times offers ways to make smart donations to combat climate change. I can really use these suggestions. Here’s the online version.
In the paper version, the mini-crossword puzzle is right next to the climate change tip. I zip through the puzzle, daring to use a pen. The first clue is so easy, about maple syrup. Reminds me that soon I’ll be tapping my tree. Could be something sweet in my future.