Words on the Wing

Speaking of ink on paper, today we upload  the files of the magazine I've been working on these last few months. I've been thinking about the way it used to be, other magazines I've worked on and how those files were delivered — on boards via Fed Ex or (when we were too late for that) via a package delivery system called "Delta Dash." I used to send articles to magazines in hard copy, too.

It's much easier now, of course — write the article in a Word file, attach it and send it off with the click of a mouse or the touch of a finger. Upload whole magazines that way, too.

But the other way — the "old-fashioned" way — had a certain drama. There was the last-minute rush to the post office or Fed Ex, often with a child or two in tow. There might be minutes left before the place closed down. I would scribble my editor's name and address as quickly as possible, then stuff the manuscript in an envelope and send it off. This was always the day before the deadline, of course.

Now I push some keys and it's gone. I don't want to go back. Don't get me wrong. I'm just remembering.