दक्षिणी मराठी खजाना

We were in USA visiting our son for a few months. Most of the people there do not have the habit of reading news papers. They get all information and news through their mobile phones. Our son was not an exemption. But personally, I just do not know how to handle a Smart-phone. with any degree of comfort. I am accustomed to reading the daily newspaper while sipping my morning cup of coffee. Can't help it. It has become my habit. Deprived of this ritual, I was really out of sorts in the first days of our visit. When I could no longer put up with  this, I mentioned it to my son. "Oh, Bapa, why didn’t  you tell this to me earlier ? I will arrange for your daily paper right away. It is no big deal" was his response. Then and there he contacted "Sacramento Bee", and arranged for a six month subscription. The "Bee" is one of the oldest newspapers in the US, having been established more than 150 years back. 

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Early next morning at 6, there was a thudding noise at the front door. My newspaper had arrived !

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Had a glance at the Headlines in the first page. "Three Cheers ! George Is Back !!!" Curious, I read the full report. George was a homeless beggar in Down-town Sacramento. He was not to be seen for four months, it seems. But now he was back. Really, a small matter. Did it deserve to be in the Headlines ?. Let me tell you. 

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It was quite a problem to get a parking slot in Down-town, For parking your car for 10 minutes you need to insert ten dollars in the parking-meter. George made it his habit to hang around the parking meter. He knew that those who had inserted ten dollars invariably turned up a few minutes late. But if you inserted another 25 cents you could extend your time by another five minutes. But if you didn't do it, you will have to pay double penalty ; ie, you would end up paying 20 dollars more. George would insert his own 25 cents into the parking meter, so that when the car owner came huffing and puffing, he would see to his relief that the time has been extended by 5 minutes ! The grateful chap would tip George half a dollar or one dollar. It was a win-win situation for both ! George made a nice pile this way. 

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All of a sudden he disappeared one day. But yesterday he come back after a four month gap and that certainly called for a banner Headline !!!    

 

 

P.S. 

 

A couple of days before our return to India I asked our daughter-in-law to phone up the Newspaper office and cancel the subscription. When she rang them up, the Newspaper office wanted to know the reason for the cancellation and note it in their system. She asked me what she should tell them. I said, tell them "the newspaper was being bought for my father-in-law and that he was returning to India in a day or two".

 

After about a year or so she got a call from the Sacramento Bee, enquiring whether her father-in-law has returned from India and if so, whether they can re-start the subscription ! Talk of Marketing !!