Meet a True Professional: My Newspaper Carrier
Do you get a newspaper? No? Perhaps if you had my newspaper carrier, you would. Because, you see, my newspaper carrier exactly fits the description of a professional. We could all learn something from a guy we never even see.
An off schedule post
This is an off-schedule post. That means something different or interesting is going on that warrants paying attention to. So, my friends, read on to find out more!
Introduction
As you know, I write these blog posts and tell stories because I want to motivate you, or hopefully, someone you know and care about whom you forward these posts to, so you can learn, if you need to, the formula for getting all you want out of life. Living life to the fullest, constantly learning, doing your best in everything you do, and giving back as others have given to you, as you can. Why? So you can achieve your dreams and live your best life! But you already know that, don’t you?
Today, I’d like to introduce you to a true professional in every sense of the word, and let’s see what we can learn from the guy who delivers my newspaper. A guy I never see and have never met. Before we do, let’s review my definition of a professional, which is somewhat different than many definitions:
A professional is one who utilizes their skill and expertise to accomplish their assigned tasks in a noteworthy manner, going above and beyond what is normally expected to provide a high level of service or quality of work in an effort to delight their customers.
As you read today’s post, continue to think about this definition of a professional. I’m sure you’ll agree with my assessment of what a professional is. Do you meet the definition? Would your customers, your boss, and your coworkers agree with your self-assessment of a professional and professionalism? Do this for me, will you?
Here is a little exercise that may help you. On a piece of paper, write out what a professional in your chosen endeavor (field of work) would look like. Speak to your mentor about it. Is everyone on the same page about what a professional in your position looks like and that you meet the criteria? Why or why not? While it’s true that we are often our own worst critics, sometimes we can be blind to facts we don’t agree with or even notice. Your mentor can help you see things you cannot see. If you have some work to do, then get after it! I want you to be the best you can be!
A paper boy story
Back in the day…(I love that term), I used to deliver newspapers. You see, I’ve been working for pay since I was 14. Well, technically, I started earning money much earlier than that. How, you ask? The answer is I started picking up cans and bottles that people threw from their cars along the side of the road and in the ditches. The soda bottles were worth a two-cent deposit each when returned to the grocery store, and scrap aluminum was worth ten cents a pound at the recycling center. Oh, we also collected used newspapers and cardboard on trash night, and I think we got around a penny or two a pound for them. People used to bundle their old newspapers and cardboard for people like me. So, yeah, I guess I’ve been earning money since about age 11 or 12. At about 14, as I mentioned, I started by mowing lawns, and then I got a newspaper route. Then I got two, then three. And then more lawns.
Today, I’d like to tell you a story about a young paper boy.
In the early 1970s, boys aged 14 or older were allowed to deliver newspapers. A paper route was a good thing to have, as you only worked a short time every day, and the pay was pretty good. But paper routes were a little hard to get because other boys wanted them too, and the ones who had them did not give them up. Routes were determined by criteria I’m not sure about. I guess it was by how many people subscribed in a given area. Back then, almost every family subscribed to at least one paper, and many received two or even three papers a day.
My first route was an afternoon paper, the Alexandria (Virginia) Gazette. The Gazette was a local newspaper that claimed to be America’s oldest daily newspaper, with its roots going back to 1784 (Note 1). Of the three daily papers in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia, the Gazette was the least desirable for a boy because it paid the least. The Gazette was a small paper that came out Monday through Friday in the afternoon.
Everyone wanted a Washington Post route because they were the biggest and paid the most, and I was no different. Soon, a route became available. I was able to get it, but it was a few neighborhoods over. The route for our neighborhood, the one I really wanted, belonged to my friend, and he was not going to give it up. The Post was and is a morning paper that is published seven days a week. You are probably familiar with The Washington Post.
I later obtained my third route, the Washington Star (Note 2), an afternoon paper that was published in the morning on weekends, as I recall. The Washington Star was Washington, D.C.’s paper of record for many years; it began publication in 1852 and went bankrupt in 1981. Their facilities were subsequently acquired by the Post. As you probably know, there are few afternoon papers left and fewer and fewer people even read a newspaper at all. I know this as when I walk in the early morning, there are very few papers in driveways.
I set very high expectations for myself regarding excellent service. Many customers asked me to deliver the paper to their front step rather than throwing it in the driveway. Some even asked me to put it behind their storm door, and I think one or two had me slip it through the mail slot in their front door. Have you ever seen those? Yeah, their day is definitely long gone. I just did this because that was what was expected, and I never thought otherwise. And, oh, no riding the bikes on the lawn! For these people, I had to dismount the bike and walk up to the door.
At that time, customers would pay their paperboy directly, and in turn, I would pay my newspaper. We literally were in business for ourselves. We were entrepreneurs and did not even know what the word meant! Each month, we would go to each customer, knock on their door, and collect. “Collecting for the Post,” I would say. Some people gave me a tip; some did not. Some, and these were the ones that I could not believe, would ask me to come back later because they did not have the money or would not write me a check. As I recollect, the Post was $8.25 a month. Grrr…But I always tried to give a high level of service because that’s what I was taught. The Post would be delivered to my home by 4:00 am by a route manager named Andrew Jackson. How interesting. I would get out of bed, load my papers on my bicycle, deliver 66 papers, and be back in bed by 5:00 AM. Some people received the paper only on Sunday, and I think I had 85 customers on Sunday.
The Washington Post Sunday paper was quite big with all the sale papers and additional content. One time at Christmas, we weighed a newspaper; it was 5.5 pounds and about 2 inches thick. 85 papers times 5.5 pounds each equaled 467.5 pounds of newspapers to carry and deliver. On a bicycle. When I delivered the Post and the Star, my brother, who was 10 or 11 years old at the time, would help me on weekends because there were so many papers and they were so big. I delivered the paper rain or shine, but if it was raining hard or snowing, my parents would sometimes drive me.
My bicycle had a front basket and two saddlebag-style baskets in the back. Check out the picture in Note 3. I also had a bag I would sling over one shoulder and an apron-style bag with pockets on the front and back. I often had to use one of these in addition to the baskets. Check them out at the link in Note 4. But even with three baskets and an apron-style bag, I could not carry all the papers on Sunday, or any other day, when they were large. Remember, my route was several neighborhoods over, so returning home to get a second load was not really a good option. So, my dad built me a trailer for my bike like the one in Note 5. Except that mine was bigger, about 5ft by 5ft. Yes, it was big, but it did double duty around the house, hauling branches and other yard stuff.
Picture a 14 or 15-year-old boy and his 11-year-old brother on bicycles with over 450 pounds of newspapers at 4:00 on Sunday morning. While my brother helped me with the Post and the Star, the routes were in different locations, so we did double the work on Sundays. The Star was never as big as the Post, but I’m guessing we delivered over 700 pounds of papers on Sunday mornings between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. A 14 or 15-year-old boy and his 10 or 11-year-old brother, in the early morning, in the dark, hot or cold, rain, snow, or clear, every day. As they say, those were the days!
Meet my paper carrier
We’ve been living in our current home for about 5 years, and Danny, until the end of last year, delivered my newspaper, the Wall Street Journal. He also delivers the Tulsa World, The New York Times, and USA Today.
Let me tell you what makes Danny a professional. My paper is in my yard or on my sidewalk by 3:30 AM. Yes, can you believe it, 3:30 AM? Every day. Unless there is an issue with him getting the WSJ delivered from Dallas (I think), and then I get an email explaining the issue from them. Because I get up early, I really appreciate it, especially after years of just hoping my paper would show up by 6:30 when I left for work.
Danny places the paper in a plastic bag and secures it with a rubber band to keep it dry. Every day. If it’s raining or forecast to rain, he puts it in two bags and alternates the openings so the paper will not get wet. Unless, of course, for the rare occasions we get a downpour, what in Oklahoma they call a “toad strangler,” then my paper may get wet around the edges a bit.
He gives us his phone number to call if we ever have questions or issues. He sends notes periodically to let us know what is going on. When I’m on vacation, he stops delivery right on time, collects my papers, and delivers them all on the exact day I return. He proactively asks us to let him know if there is anything he can do to improve his service (there is not, Danny!) and expresses his concern about doing a good job.
He sends us a Christmas card, and, besides enjoying it, I am prompted to send him a card with a Christmas gift in recognition of a year of superb service. And here’s the deal: I’ve never met or even seen Danny.
Unfortunately, Danny retired at the end of 2025, and I think he deserves it, because, you know, he just turned 80! So think about this: he served me from age 75 to 80, and he gave his best service right up until the day he retired. Talk about amazing. This, mind you, after completing and retiring from his primary career, which included service in the US Air Force and leadership positions. Thank you, Danny, for your years of service to your country and your excellent service in your secondary career as a newspaper carrier!
As sad as I am to see Danny go, there’s good news. Danny trained his replacement very well, and he is continuing the same excellent service we came to expect from Danny.
That, my friends, is what a true professional looks like.
Summary
I’ve mentioned before that a professional is not a title or position but a mindset. I previously wrote that I was a professional janitor, cleaning toilets, sinks, and floors to keep them looking excellent. At that time, I had never defined a professional, but yes, I think I was a professional janitor. You know a professional when you see one or experience the results of their work. Who do you know who is a professional? Are you a professional?
That’s all for today!
Let’s help our friends and loved ones, shall we?
If you find the information in this post useful or enjoyable, please forward it to those you care about.
Then, simply say, “Search the internet for Afterburner Success Partners
to learn how to achieve your dreams and live your best life!”
My Newspaper Carrier: A True Professional
Afterburner Success Partners
What’s in it for Me
If we want to get what we want from life, we need to accumulate as much knowledge and experience as we can. Then we must take that knowledge and experience and act with determination. Doing so will ensure we get what we want, and that’s what’s in it for me.
Call to Action
Honestly consider if you need to make some changes. Or, perhaps you must want to learn a few things. Purchase any of the books noted below. Take the Afterburner Success Partners course. Tell a friend.
Recommended Resources
Buy and read any of the books mentioned in the notes below.
Up Next
Back to regular posting schedule.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
The Alexandria Gazette, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria_Gazette
The Washington Star, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Star
Workman Cycles: https://www.worksmancycles.com/fr-b.html
Vintage newspaper bags, Heddels: https://www.heddels.com/2023/11/moments-in-time-vintage-newspaper-bags/
Bicycle trailer, Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ktaxon-Unmatched-Pneumatic-Universal-Reflectors/dp/B0CD2VG9QQ
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us, by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy