Monday, September 7, 2015

Happy Birthday, See You in the Funny Papers

When I was a kid, it was quite normal for my Dad to roll up the window on our old Model A Ford and tell my Aunts, “See you in the Funny Papers” as we were leaving the Grandparents place. I hadn’t thought of that comment for years till the Comics in the Lincoln Journal Star also included the Celebrate section yesterday. For some years the Celebrate section was a several page supplement to the Sunday paper and included pictures and stories of people celebrating special birthdays, graduations, engagements, weddings, military achievements, etc. It was seldom that we didn’t know someone who was being recognized. However, the rates for inclusion continued to rise and the size shrunk to only a few pages and wasn’t even published some weeks. Yesterday is when it came out with the three entries included with the Comics. I strongly suspect the lady celebrating her 90th birthday is familiar with the “See you in the Funny Papers” comment. The one with her 80th and the couple celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary may or may not. I hope none of them are offended by the placement but if my kids would have paid the “big bucks” to honor me on my birthday, I would have considered it pretty snarky on the part of the paper. 

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