"Post-literacy" by R.D. Taylor

After placing my order with the girl at the counter of McDonald's I asked, "Could I get a Sun as well?"

"A what?" she replied.

"A Sun newspaper, do you have any?"

She left her post and went to the girl pouring the coffees behind her and said, "I don't know what this man is asking, I've already placed his order in the system."

The other girl came over. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Yes, I asked if there were any Suns available."

She looked under the counter "Nope. They're all gone or haven't arrived yet." She turned to the other girl and explained, “He was asking for a Sun newspaper."

"A what?"

"Paper with news, like MSM but on paper. We give them out for free. They haven't arrived yet, just give him his receipt."

I took my receipt and waited for my order but had to wonder, Am I being left behind? An endangered species?  Should I be looking at screens or just proceed in ignorance of what's going on in the world?

Either way I decided on eating my Egg McMuffin before it got cold, which was more pressing than issues of post-literacy. For now the medium is not the message; my stomach rules.  

***

R.D. (Dave) Taylor lives in Mississauga and after retirement has had the opportunity to participate in a number of local writing groups including Brian’s writing and memoir classes. He has been lucky enough to get a few poems, stories and essays published in a few local magazines, literary journals and magazines.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here,  including Saturday writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.