When I was 12, I was an avid reader of the local newspaper where I grew up, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Only issue was, my mother couldn't afford a yearly subscription.
On the days Mom couldn't or wouldn't drop change on me for the daily paper, I would rise before the sun came up. I often walked the north St. Louis neighborhood we lived in near James Cool Papa Bell Street in search of a freshly-delivered morning print edition sitting on an unsuspecting neighbor's front yard.
Sometimes it would take a few minutes, other times up to an hour. On several occasions, I came up empty. And without my morning read, my day would not be quite right.
Well, I swiped more than my fair share of newspapers over the course of my seventh-grade school year. I also established a clear love for reading and writing that would later lead me to a career in journalism.
If I could, I would reimburse every single person that I wronged by swiping the papers they used their hard-earned money to purchase. But that was well over 30 years ago, so I highly doubt that I could.
Instead, I have decided to donate to the Kansas City Star's Givebutter campaign to raise funds to continue its award-winning investigative reporting. In 1988, the estimated cost of a yearly subscription to the Post-Dispatch was $135. As a way to pay it forward and make amends, that is the amount I have donated.
If you want to support quality journalism, and hold the powerful accountable, please consider a donation by following this link: https://givebutter.com/TheKansasCityStar.
Also, the next 25 people that subscribe to my personal blog, will be entered into a contest for a 1-year digital subscription to the Kansas City Star. Just enter a valid email address below to subscribe to the blog.
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#mentor #journalist #opinion #writer #porchpirate #payitforward
