Communicate Good

These days, reading a hard copy of the New York Times is a rare thing for me. In general, I get my news over the Internet. So when I have an early flight — like yesterday morning — the traditionalist in me jumps at the opportunity to pick up a fresh issue of the Times and read it section by section … old school!

During those cherished moments, when all electronic devices must be turned off, and just prior to our reaching an acceptable altitude for turning them back on, I revel in the simplicity of scanning the news, page by page, section by section. Despite the convenience and ease of surfing online for news, I still find that I am able to absorb a broader swath of information in a quicker period of time with wonderful, smudgy newsprint in hand.

As we approached cruising altitude, I stumbled upon a story on page A12, the front of the National section. The title was catchy enough: “Good Will to All, With a Side of Soft-Serve.” What followed was one of the more engaging human interest news stories that I’ve read in a while. A heart-warming fish-out-water story about one man, Hamid Chaudhry, who has turned his Dairy Queen in rural Kenhorst, PA into the philanthropic epicenter of his community.

In and of itself, it’s a great read. But for anyone who has ever wished they could get a human interest story in a major newspaper like the Times, I would also recommend that you observe the composite elements of the story: Read the rest of this entry »