Throwing Papers and Making Memories: Wambui's Childhood Adventures
Wambui takes listeners on a delightful stroll down memory lane, sharing her cherished experiences of helping her brother with his newspaper route during the golden days of daily newspaper deliveries. Back in the '50s and '60s, when getting your news was as easy as stepping onto your porch, Wambui recalls the thrill of being part of something so integral to their community. She reminisces about the skills needed for the job—like mastering the perfect paper throw and knowing which houses to deliver to (and which to skip!). With a sprinkle of humor, she brings to life the joy of cycling around town and the camaraderie shared between her and her brother. It's a heartwarming reflection on simpler times, where the morning paper was a daily ritual, and the connection to neighbors was palpable, reminding everyone how those days shaped the fabric of their lives.
Show Notes:
Wambui takes a delightful stroll down memory lane as she reminisces about helping her younger brother with his newspaper route back in the golden days of the 1950s and 60s. For her, this was not just a chore—it was an adventure filled with the sweet scent of fresh ink and the thrill of zipping around on bicycles, flinging newspapers with finesse. She paints a vivid picture of a time when newspapers were a staple of daily life, delivered right to the doorstep, and the excitement of receiving the morning news was palpable. Back then, the world was a bit slower, and the ritual of reading the newspaper was something families looked forward to. Wambui fondly remembers the two local newspapers that kept the community informed, one arriving bright and early and the other in the afternoon, a rhythm that gave structure to the day.
As she shares her experiences, Wambui highlights the skills that went into being a successful paper delivery person. It wasn’t just about pedaling down the street; it required a knack for precision when throwing the papers. She chuckles as she recalls the challenges—like ensuring that each paper landed neatly on the porch and didn’t end up in a bush or too far from the door. With a playful tone, she illustrates the joy of those simple moments spent with her brother, the laughter they shared, and the pride she felt in helping him. After all, what could be better than being a part of a team, even if it was just delivering news? Wambui’s stories evoke nostalgia and warmth, reminding listeners of a time when life felt a little more personal and connected, all while emphasizing the importance of family and shared experiences.
The conversation takes a reflective turn as Wambui compares the past to the present. With the rise of technology, the quaint tradition of newspaper delivery has faded into history, making way for instant news at our fingertips. She muses over how, nowadays, one can simply roll over in bed and scroll through the latest headlines, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of her childhood newspaper route. Yet, she cherishes those days and the memories they hold, seeing them as a vital part of her history that shaped who she is today. Wambui’s heartfelt storytelling not only entertains but also encourages listeners to appreciate the little things in life and to remember the joy of simple moments spent with loved ones.
Takeaways:
- Wambui fondly recalls helping her brother on his newspaper route, cherishing those memories.
- Back in the '50s and '60s, having daily newspapers delivered was a common practice.
- Delivering newspapers required skills like folding papers and accurately throwing them to porches.
- Wambui's joy in delivering papers with her brother ranks just below receiving a new bike.
- The experience of delivering newspapers created a unique bond between Wambui and her brother.
- Wambui reflects on how modern technology has changed the way we receive news today.
Hello, everybody.
Speaker AMy name is wambui.
Speaker AWelcome to 70 Years and Beyond.
Speaker AOne of my younger brothers had a newspaper route for a while, and I was never so honored as when he allowed me to help him on his newspaper route.
Speaker ANow, back in the 1950s and 1960s, when we were growing up, it was common to have your newspaper delivered right to your door on a daily basis.
Speaker ANow, in the town where we lived, Greensboro, North Carolina, we had two newspapers at that time.
Speaker ASo one newspaper was delivered early in the morning before school, and the other newspaper was delivered in the afternoon after school.
Speaker AI cherish those memories of the newspapers being delivered to the door.
Speaker AAnd I'm happy that I was able to live through that period of time because I see that as a period of time that is just etched in history now, because those times are never going to come back when you have a newspaper delivered to your home on a daily basis by somebody just going by delivering to house after house after house.
Speaker AFirst of all, with the technology that we have today, there is no need to to have newspapers delivered on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day, right to your front door.
Speaker ABecause with the technology we have today, you don't even have to get out of bed.
Speaker AYou can just roll over, pick up a device, and you have the up to the minute news right in the palm of your hand.
Speaker AIn those days, TV was still relatively new too.
Speaker ASo we weren't trusting the TV for the news as much as we would in decades later.
Speaker ASo we trusted.
Speaker AOur main source of trust for the news was the daily newspaper.
Speaker ASo the person who usually brought the paper, by most of the time, they were boys.
Speaker AThere were girls who were many girls who were newspaper girls.
Speaker ABut most of the time in the common language was newspaper boy.
Speaker ASo if you went to your door and you looked around and you didn't see your paper in the morning or even in the afternoon, you're looking at the clock and you're saying, well, where's my paper?
Speaker AI'd like to read my paper.
Speaker ABecause usually the boys or the people who delivered the paper came at a certain time.
Speaker AAnd so if you didn't see a paper, it was very common to hear somebody say, have you seen the newspaper boy today?
Speaker ADid the newspaper boy go along already?
Speaker AAnd so that is how we refer to the person who delivered the newspapers.
Speaker ANow, when I tell you there was joy in helping my brother, I felt, well, there were two things that were more joyful.
Speaker AOne of the things that was more joyful was the Christmas I got my big new bicycle and the Christmas that I got my black bride doll that I'd been wanting.
Speaker ABut other than those two times, I never felt the joy that I felt just being out in the open air with my brother.
Speaker AWe'd come home from school, put on our play clothes, he'd go get his papers, and then he'd let me help him on the paper route.
Speaker ANow, these paper people had to have skills for one thing.
Speaker AUsually they came around on a bicycle.
Speaker ASo you had all these papers folded up in a basket or in a big bag.
Speaker AAnd now you're on a bike and you have to throw that paper at the house and try to hit it on the porch so that the person can find it.
Speaker AAnd at the same time, you have to remember which house you're delivering to, because not everybody had paid up their subscription and not everybody wanted a paper.
Speaker ASo you're juggling your bike and you're throwing papers, trying to get them on the porch.
Speaker AAnd at the same time, you have to know which house to skip and which house to, of course, deliver the paper to.
Speaker AThe second skill that I was impressed with was the skill of folding the paper.
Speaker ABecause the papers had to be folded in such a way that you could throw them with a lot of force, but they wouldn't become unfolded, okay?
Speaker ASo you had to fold them in a way that was tight.
Speaker ABut at the same time, you had to make sure that when the person receiving the paper opened up their paper, that it was smooth and that it wasn't all wrinkly and looked all balled up, that it was a nice looking, clean looking paper.
Speaker AThe second or the third skill was the skill of actually throwing it.
Speaker ASo the idea was to get it right in front of the front door.
Speaker AMaybe you could go to the a little to the left or a little to the right, but you wanted it right in front of the door, ideally, so that when the person looking for their paper opened the door, they could just look down, see their paper and pick it up right there.
Speaker ANow, that didn't always happen.
Speaker AAnd that's where I came in.
Speaker ASometimes it would go in the bushes, sometimes it would land too far out in the yard.
Speaker AAnd so it became my job to go get the paper and place it on the porch so that the person receiving the paper wouldn't have any complaints about I couldn't find my paper or I had to dig through the bushes to get my paper.
Speaker AWhy can't you just put my paper on the porch?
Speaker AAnd so that was how I assisted my brother.
Speaker ABut I tell you, those were some wonderful days, wonderful memories.
Speaker AAnd I'm just happy that I was there to experience the days in the 1950s and the 1960s that I remember of having the newspapers delivered daily right to our front door.