The Grinch Who Stole the Hamlin Herald

I'm sitting down again to write a new edition of the Hamlin Herald for our upcoming boat shows.  The Hamlin Herald is our newsletter that I started writing about 6 years ago.  A few years ago, my newsletter was pretty hip.  Now, I feel like I might as well be writing on papyrus and stuffing it into tubes in a cave somewhere to be discovered by future archaeologists.  Does my newsletter belong on the same shelf as the Dead Sea Scrolls?  What I mean is...will people really read a ten-page, black & white newsletter in 2011?

I really don't know.  I don't know because some freckled-faced twenty-six year old kid named Zuckerberg changed everything I know about the way people communicate.  You know him..."Time Man of the Year" and CEO of this little Ma & Pop called Facebook.  Zuckerberg is the human form of the Grinch who Stole Christmas.  If you take the Town of Whoville and consider it the entire world, I can draw a lot of similarities between what happened in the make-believe town and what is happening all around us today. 

Whoville was a joyous town because it was a winter wonderland with cute little cartoon creatures who trusted everyone while spreading unconditional love.  They also did a heck of a job decorating the town for Santa's arrival.  They were naive little creatures, and they were ripe for some villain to come take advantage of them.

I liken the overall atmosphere of Whoville to our world prior to social networking.  Prior to social networking we could pretend our friends and family were perfect, moral citizens of the earth doing their best to spread joy and love just like the folks of Whoville.  Now, through our ability to see the day to day activites of those all around us, we can no longer live blind. 

Now for that green furry Grinch guy.  That guy busted into town and made everyone feel that no one was safe anymore by stealing all those presents.  When Zuckerberg created Facebook...he didn't give a flying squirrel about my Hamlin Herald.  My once loved piece of literary genius began sitting in stacks on the counter collecting dust.  Did my writing now stink...had I run out of things to say?  Maybe, but I also think that people stopped reading anything printed on 8 1/2" x 11" inch paper, neatly stapled in the upper left-hand corner. 

So, I've got a bit of personal beef with Zuckerberg...I'm sure he is soooo worried.  But then again, I don't have to suffer from papercuts while stacking and labeling a few thousand newsletters anymore.  And I can save a bundle on postage.  My ego is a little bruised though, because I see those poor Hamlin Heralds from years past still hanging around in our stores.

So, there will only be one Hamlin Herald this year, and it will probably be more condensed and "to the point".  No time anymore for literary tangents.  I may splurge on a color edition with all the money I will be saving on postage.  If you still are from the Stone Age and find comfort in tangible reading material, please let me know.  I will make sure you get one of the rare copies.  It is so nice and cozy to snuggle up by the fire with a real live newsletter. 

So, Zuckerberg...thank you.   Thank you for showing all of us the way of the future.  Like the Grinch, we know that you will turn out to be a benevolent creature in the end.