TheGraphicOnline

Anybody who happens to wander into this Internet Connection deserves some sort of explanation as to why it happened. Certainly, there has been no wave of public demand to hear what I have to say. The nearest I can come to an answer is that it is a hobby, something that took hold at a young age and, for better or worse, will not let go. A hobby needs no further justification.

The nearest I can come to providing a “why” for this particular venture is that every once in awhile, somebody (usually nice, little old ladies) will say, “I wish you still put out The Graphic.” Few people now alive still remember The Graphic, a local free weekly newspaper that went out of existence in 1993. All these years I have been content to allow The Graphic to R.I.P. But every once in awhile, I’d think – Gosh, I’d like to say something about this or that subject. Then, sometimes, I’d write something for the local daily paper, and sometimes they’d publish it. But there’s a limit to such an arrangement. Even the local paper has its standards.

So here we are, in what I’m told is a Blog. (For those who are almost as ignorant of computers as I am, a Blog was originally known as a Web Log and then, by contraction, became a Blog — a way to say things publicly without asking anybody). Here you are with someone who hardly knows how to turn a computer on and off writing his first Blog, the operative words being “without asking anybody.” The question still arises: Why? That’s the last time that question will appear here and the last time the answer will be given: It’s a hobby.

Where’d It Come From?

Just a word on how the hobby got started: In the seventh grade I wrote some stuff for the school newspaper and found I liked to write. If truth be told, I probably liked to see my name at the top, because it wasn’t being seen very often on the honor roll. The bug had bitten. It even took over to the point that I began thinking – I’ll bet I can put out my own paper. Which is what I did. Still in the seventh grade, I bought a used mimeograph machine, some stencils and ink and churned out a sometimes-published paper, called The Hi-cup. (I can’t remember why it was called The Hi-cup, or spelled that way, probably an attempt at teenage humor.) Anyway, it consisted almost entirely of grade school gossip and bad jokes. I sold copies to my schoolmates for two cents apiece – the last time I’ve ever been able to charge anything for my papers.

Other stabs at trying to be a journalist followed – papers for church, summer camp and a summer resort (mimeographed again), Shortridge High School Daily Echo, college magazine, on board a U.S. Navy ship, and later, a national trade organization journal. After journalism school, I worked for a news organization in Chicago, then a daily paper in Logansport, and finally for the Richmond daily paper, which undoubtedly came to regret hiring the culprit who created the only competition they have had in the last half century. Along the way, it became evident that it would be a long time before I got to be any kind of editor in Richmond. So the answer was to move, which has been a tradition in the newspaper industry, dating back to itinerant printers who moved from town to town “with a shirt-tail full of type.” The problem was: we liked Richmond; still do. If I ever wanted to be an editor and say anything I wanted “without asking anybody,” I’d have to start a paper and appoint myself editor. (That’s kind of like a Blog, isn’t it?) So it came to pass. Something called The Westside Enterprise was started in 1953 and covered the west side of Richmond. In 1960 it was changed to The Graphic which covered everything in sight and kept going until it reached a total of 47,000 homes. We never did find a way to charge for it, but we kept finding new ways of giving it away. Even though that Blog-like paper was started so I could write anything I wanted, from Day One I found I spent almost all my time hustling ads to keep the paper going. Eventually, we had 75 employees, a lot of presses, a large building, a band of ad salesmen and hundreds of carriers out there delivering the paper. I got to do my writing “without asking anybody” — mostly after midnight. If you want to say anything you want to, Blogs are a heck of a lot easier.

Enough already of the personal stuff.

What Are You Going To Talk About?

The answer is: Whatever I please. Remember, this is a hobby. But what if nobody wants to read it? That’s their problem, not mine.

There may be a few nice little old ladies out there who want to read stuff here.

What form will it take? Well, the nearest comparison is the column I used to write every week called Here ‘N There. Over the years, we printed about 2,000 of the most forgettable columns ever published. I ruined almost every Sunday afternoon writing those things. I even felt guilty watching the pro football games. That’s not going to happen now. Anything that appears in this space will not be on a regular weekly schedule. It will appear when necessary or when I feel like it.

Obviously, I can’t speak with much authority on any subject. What I write will be in a casual vein, something like, “This is the way I see it; what do you think?” Yes, the part about what you think is very important. At the end of every article will be a section where you the readers (if any) can enter your thoughts, if you sign your real name.

How about subject matter? Most of the serious stuff will be about education. Not that I know so much about it, but education is the most important subject in our current life right now and by far the most important factor in our community’s future. Maybe, together, we can stir up enough thinking to help make progress on this critical subject. In regard to education problems – and others – you should know that I do not intend to be diplomatic. I don’t have time. I recall a comment not long ago by Doug Bennett. Doug is president of Earlham College, and in one expansive moment he said, “If we don’t make everybody in Richmond mad at us at least once a year, we’re not doing our job.” He did NOT mean that the college sets out to make people angry. He meant that any college like Earlham with bright, questioning, idealistic and sometimes protesting students is occasionally going to ruffle some feathers of those more staid inhabitants living outside that orbit. Likewise, I may say some things (undiplomatically) that upset people. Sorry.

In this grab bag of opinion, there will even be comments on national and international issues, subject to your rebuttals, of course. I’m not interested in adding to the cacophony of political creeds and dogma, of which there is an over-supply these days. I’m not interested in labeling everything either liberal or conservative. I’d rather talk about what’s right and what works. In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I am a Birthright Republican and a Sometimes Convinced Democrat. This means that neither party wants anything to do with me, which is just fine with me. In the remote and unlikely event that I am not always right, I’m sure my friends, and others, will set the record straight.

And finally…

Lastly, let’s think of this as a conversation between friends. There will be plenty of space for light-hearted articles and comments, even trivial ones, on ‘most anything. I hope you find you like to read them occasionally.

I apologize for going on so long about the reasons of why it all came to pass. Let’s enjoy the privilege of talking about the things that interest us and be glad we’re alive in this community where we live. As long as time allows.

Just remember, as with The Graphic, it’s all Free. And worth it!

–Vic Jose

Vic Jose :: Jun.18.2007 :: Uncategorized ::

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