Newspaper

When we first moved to town as you know by now I didn't know anyone. I whined to my mother one day about trying to figure out who everyone is and what is going on in a town that had a newspaper that only came out once a week and all the time I am thinking now that is country. My towns, Marquez and Jewett, share a newspaper called The Jewett Messenger and it comes out once a week on Wednesday.

Mom suggested I get the paper and read it backwards and forwards everyday. She told me to read the articles to see who the movers and shakers are in the town, read the sports section to get an idea of who Thomas needed to be friends with and who to encourage him to choose as his girlfriends. She suggested I should skim the AB honor roll and keep an eye out for names that Landon and Payce should cheat off of and also be friends with. Mom told me to look at the ads to see who has businesses in the town that are the foundation of the community and then shop there. Finally, she told me to read the obituaries to get an idea how everyone is connected and most importantly read the police reports, for obvious reasons.

I took this advice to heart. Every Wednesday I would read the paper frontwards and backwards and sometimes again on another day of the week. It became my community Bible. Soon I became obsessed. I found out the places the paper was delivered to first on Tuesdays and would pick up the kids from school and grab the paper on the way home a whole day early. It was the highlight of my week to think I got the paper a day before everyone else.

When my family would make the paper I would be beaming with pride from ear to ear. One week they all made the paper. BEST WEEK EVER!! Since I wasn't working at the time and knew I would be needing a job soon the paper really helped me get connected with the right people. Rereading the first part of the this blog made me realize it was almost like I was stalking my prey until I was ready to join civilization again.

One thing I recognized right away was how the paper never reported anything negative. They would tell both sides of the story but with a positive spin. Maybe that is why I only see the good in these towns and never look for negative. Maybe it is because the way the paper wrote about these two towns that I only look and see the good in both towns even still.

Being busy this week I didn't get the paper till today. I as read it I recognised lots of faces. I knew them ALL because they were ALL ME. Someone had taken out an ad. It wasn't just any ad but a colored ad. It was BEAUTIFUL. It was the most amazing gift to receive on my 40th birthday. I was overcome with emotion. I was in The Jewett Messenger. My Community Bible that I lived by for so many years and there I was, not in black in white, but in color. I felt like a celebrity. I HAD FINALLY MADE THE BIG TIME. It was the best birthday gift ever. It truly made my 40th birthday perfect. I can't thank everyone enough. I LOVED IT!! I truly couldn't ask for more out of my 40 years but with four more days of blogging you know we are just getting warmed up for the birthday festivity. I think 40 may be looking better and better everyday. Thanks again for the birthday wishes in the newspaper and if you want a copy signed by this celebrity just let me know!