DaddyFactory

For all I know there won’t be newspapers when my children are grown. But there’s printer’s ink in my blood and hot lead-type in my belly, so I’m always trying to find a good story to share with them and discuss. And I prefer to do it away from a screen. But since we’re here…

The problem, of course, is that most newspaper articles are so grim you want to shut your eyes and aim for the recycling bin.

Nevertheless, staying informed is part of being a good citizen and keeping an active mind. And there are truly good, interesting stories out there. You just have to get below “The Fold” and beyond Page One.

I used to assign those kinds of stories for a living, as a newspaper editor and as the associate publisher of the American News Service. You can see examples of what’s possible in that archive.

So what was today’s pick?

The look on the face of the brilliant astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking, paralyzed by ALS (Lou Gehrig’s) for decades, floating in midair on a zero-gravity flight.

Hawking can only move his facial muscles, something Sam just couldn’t comprehend. But he appreciated what weightlessness must mean to someone who can’t otherwise move, and we got to talk about science, disabilities, outer space, and realizing your dreams. All from one little blurb in the National section.

Now that’s news.