If you’re not a newspaper reader, you may not know what I’m talking about. Sometime about the end of March, I noticed Target stopped inserting their weekly flyer into the Sunday newspaper. Honestly, it was a highlight of my Sunday reading experience. Among the bevy of flyers that come with the paper each week, there was just something about the Target insert that stood out. Maybe it was the paper, the size, the graphic design, the way they didn’t cram the space like grocery stores do so you can easily see what’s on display for the week.
Reading the Target flyer, saving it for last, was like prolonging that yummy dessert while you consumed the nutritious protein and veggies first. I’d pull it from the large stack of flyers, it was usually nestled into the front of the comics and I’d give it a place away from the general muck of the other sections so it didn’t get lost. I’d scan headlines, read stories that didn’t require a jump (continue on another page) and kept to the lighter stories of the day. Hey, it’s Sunday, a day of rest and good news, right?
But then it was time to devote some time to Target. What was on sale this week? Would there be anything we needed to stock up on or think about for a future purchase? Page by page I’d note what were the electronics specials, what new books and movies on DVD were coming out on Tuesday, what season of life it was – summer, back to school, holiday. I’d scan for the specials on clothing and fitness gear.
Those days are gone along with living our public lives without masks. It doesn’t keep me from hoping there will be a flyer in the current week’s Sunday edition, especially with back to school right around the corner, whatever that may mean. My trips to Target have dwindled whether it’s due to the missing flyers or the pandemic’s lack of needs, I’m not sure. I hope someday it will be back, it just won’t be today.
MC
I Am Writing 