Goodbye to All That

I feel sorry for all the newspapers. Once they were Gods and now they are nothing. My Wall Street Leaflet is lying out there in the drizzle at the end of our driveway, and I'm pretty sure I'm not going out there to get it. It's all old news since I've seen the Internet this morning and so I'm up to speed as of ten minutes ago. As for the "analysis," other people's opinions are rampant online.

Similarly, as far as I'm concerned Europe is over. Our planned flight to Paris next week has been replaced by a far less stressful road trip to Quebec. As the tourist website for that lovely French city proudly proclaims, "It's Europe, only closer." I'm happy because now I can take all my full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner and moisturizers, my nail clippers and even an X-acto blade, which I like to have with me at all times-- a holdover from my days as a newspaper art director. And hopefully we will not encounter any Islamic terrorists or anti-Semitic demonstrations anywhere.

So many things have vanished, it's hard to list them all. Some of my favorites included: Actual humans who speak English answering telephones, having my gas pumped for me even when my husband is not there, no commercials before the movie, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance with feeling, eating pizza with abandon before I ever heard of blood pressure, Times Square when it was seedy and interesting and having parents. Now those were good times.