Back in the good old days we used to read these things called newspapers. They were like magazines except the pages were very large, the paper was kind of rough and the ink would rub off on your hands. They were messy, but we loved reading them.
Millions of people read newspapers every day because we knew there was always something inside worth reading about, even if it was just the comics for a quick laugh. We read the parts we liked and skipped the rest.
We knew going in we weren’t going to like or agree with everything we found inside a newspaper, so sometimes there was nothing worth reading and it became an exercise in page turning. No hard feelings, Mr. Newspaper.
If we did read something that turned us sideways, we didn’t linger over it. It was just a newspaper – everything in it happened yesterday – we just turned the page. Such is life. There will be another paper on the porch in the morning.
When you think about it, each of us is kind of like a newspaper. We’re filled with pages and pages of information, opinions and even comics that define who we are.
As we skim through each other’s newspaper let’s look for those things that pique our interests and just skip the rest. There’s no value in lingering on those areas where we differ.
“I disagree with you,” is not synonymous with “I challenge you to a duel!”
“I think you’re wrong,” is not an invitation to a debate.
“Who I am, what I think and how I feel are not invalid by default pending validation by your court of approval. There are no cross-examinations, no rules of the court. I am my own jurisdiction and I alone preside over me. Case closed.”
~ Paul Rubino, just now
I am the sole editor of my newspaper.
If either of us becomes too unhappy with the other’s newspaper we can either skip straight to the comics section or unsubscribe and all future deliveries will be stopped.
Life is a newspaper.