Skipping over newspapers

Averting the deleterious effects of global warming and climate change is an arduous task. A little less arduous task is disposing of dusty and musty old newspapers that have piled up over weeks and months. I dare not dump the whole lot of it when the junk dealer comes with his large sack to take away all that accumulated burden. I could do it if only I can keep my mind and eyes tightly shut.

Even as sheaves of outdated newspapers are being salvaged and stacked together, I espy a broadsheet carrying a story headlined “Dry eyes on the increase; doctors blame exposure to visual media.” It is an eye-opener of sorts. It is about how long-time exposure of the eyes to computer and mobile screens causes a medical condition called Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD). It causes redness, dryness, dullness, irritation and fatigue in the eyes. Persons looking at computer screens, smartphones, iPads are particularly vulnerable. Of late, instances of the abominable MGD have risen from 35% to 58%, caution eye-specialists. I sit up and start perusing the writing. Why did I fail to spot it? This story needs to be forwarded on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.

And now, here is one more that clearly and confidently spells out: “No final phobia, says Sindhu.” It is about Indian ace shuttler P V Sindhu. The badminton champ, having recently lost to Carolina Marin in the world championships final in Nanjing, China, says: “Who knows, I might win the gold next year!” Bravo Sindhu! What exemplary self-confidence and sportswomaship! There is a bonus: the write-up features a colour photograph of the sports diva flashing her silver medals and her golden smile. How did I bypass reading this article?

Here is yet another feature I have missed out: “A bridge to the past.” It’s a beautiful piece of travel writing about Angkor Wat. It gives graphic, illustrated descriptions of the 12th century magnificent temples of Cambodia. I would love to read it, and cherish the article. How did I skip such an all-too-clearly displayed article like this? Now, this is a case of me not being able to trust myself anymore!

Well, when I am done with reading the newspaper for the day, I usually mark it on top of the front page, near the masthead. If a particular story in the paper is found to be of interest, I note down the page number where the writing appears. So, it is better I scour through the heap of these newspaper sheets to see for myself how many such hidden gems of unread articles there are.

Now, with my mind and eyes wide open, I cannot readily trash these old newspapers. The scraggy scrap dealer tidily folds up his large sack and goes away.