The Little Things

There are some things about living in Wrangell that are cause for notice. While I do write the news for this town, it’s the smaller things that make me sit tall in my desk chair (which faces the windows that look out into Front Street, Wrangell’s busiest street, the street that runs through town).

For instance, my favorite old man in town – this elder Japanese man who squishes his face and walks all over town all day with his cane – just walked by the office windows wearing a different outer layer. For as long as I’ve known him, roughly six months through the winter and spring, he’s worn this blue and black heavy flannel, plaid jacket type layer. And just now, he was wearing a black snap-button windbreaker type layer. I almost didn’t recognize him.

Jordan, the paperboy, also threw me off. Not only did he come around 10 a.m. instead of 3 p.m. (school just got out last Thursday), he also came by bike instead of his normal mode of transport which was his own two feet. He didn’t have his huge backpack with him, nor was he wearing his winter coat, just a fleece pullover. Plus, as a responsible biker should, he was wearing a helmet instead of his usual earflap hat or baseball cap.

The bike proved its purpose as he delivered all thirty papers (which he never does; his usual average is around nineteen) in less than an hour. He profited well, I think, making around $10. As the paperboy, Jordan gets $.25 for every paper he sells (each one costs $1) and gets to keep the tips. Having a little kid paperboy is one of those small town features I love about Wrangell.