Rina Risper, President & Publisher of The New Citizens Press (Pandemic photo 2022)
Dear Readers,
Let’s talk about the newspaper. I recently received some feedback about the newspaper and our decision to use staples instead of the tape circles. As you know, the price of supplies and food are rising and those little tape tabs have always been expensive and recently, I realized that the price had gone up once again. The cost of printing is also rising. I know that a lot of you love to the physical copy of the newspaper but digital works as well. You get it sooner and it is in full color. However, I love the feel of paper in my hands and do not think I would like to read a book that I could not turn the corner to save the page.
It sounds very strange to say but I think about things like that. I also love to write letters and forget that my nieces and nephew may not know how to read my script. I wonder how we are faring with one foot in one type of written communication and the most recent technical communication. Are we saving emails now? Are we collecting and printing out text messages or posts? Are we taking our photos with our cell phones and not printing them out?
The official verdict is that I feel old as I look at a letter that I have written to my new brother’s family. I feel such a sense of love when I write letters. There is too little thought about finding a letter written in 1982 with little mushrooms in the corner. Stationary would come with a blank sheet of the same color for the second page. Keeping in touch was very important to me as a child. I loved waiting to receive a reply.
During the pandemic, I have had time to write more. I even had a local pen pal for a while. It was a lovely gesture until I could not remember what I had written in my previous letters. We learn how to adapt. I guess that is not as bad as forgetting if you received an email, replied to a text or received a message on What’s App or Messenger.
When life was simpler, there was a note by the phone or someone would yell that someone called up the stairs. My mother would always have a the “don’t call anyone before night time hours start, it’s cheaper” face.
In the 80’s we were tethered to the phone and only experienced cell phone type communication by watching Star Trek unless you had a walkie talkie…
I am really dating myself here. But so what. At least I did not mention the shoe phone in “Get Smart.”
It is an interesting time. I am having fun looking up old television shows, revisiting memories and creating new ones. If you do not know what i am talking about…remember now we have Google.
Love people,
Rina Risper
