All The News

In the newsworthy quotidian habit of 

parsing the news from front to back

we read the most recent of the

country's intersection in time and

space with the concerns of a

civil society.  Moving on to

international news and world events.

Focus generally narrows to social 

failures of one magnitude or

another, natural disasters of great

consequence, or turbulent relations

between nations - not excluding

reactions and hoped-for solutions

to social declines, war and

oppression, earthquakes and

volcanic eruptions; celebrity antics

and Sweepstakes winnings, along with

local events, the sporting life and

finally the Lifestyles Section.

Where culture, art and society meet.

Where (hush!) on several crowded

pages a summation of the

vitality (and futility) of human

existence is placed in ordered

perspective.  Within the 'events'

pages divided into "welcoming", 

"celebrating", and finally "remembering".

Polite nomenclature for birth notices

(hatching), then self-congratulatory

newsprint hugs for graduations,

engagements and marriage photos.

And the last communal message 

announcing end-of-life events, 

'dispatches' for the dearly departed.

We know our society is in climax mode

when more news space is consumed 

by the departed notices, when dispatch

has successfully elbowed hatch and

celebrate to minor musings.