I love reading the print newspaper in this digital age. Yes, I know, it might be more ecological not to. After all, it’s the last century. Nevertheless, I love it.

In the mornings, when I go to the train station, I fetch the newspaper from the mailbox and begin reading it right on the platform.

With print newspapers often come unwanted paper advertisements that I usually discard immediately into the recycling. This time was no different: a furniture advertising brochure! I don’t need it, don’t want it. As I reach the platform edge, being well-mannered and environmentally conscious, I head to the paper waste bin and toss the advertisement in. It’s gone. But in doing so, I also drop the newspaper from my hand, and it lands on top of the unwanted advertising in the trash. How clumsy of me! I’m distraught, but as a determined person, I’m not about to give up.

I lean into the garbage container, but it’s tall and nearly empty, and I’m short, unable to reach my unread newspaper. My hand stretches but only grasps air; the first sheet is far away. This won’t do, I think to myself. I put on my backpack and stretch further. I’m elegantly dressed in pink—it must be a remarkable sight, an older lady in a trash bin.

It gets worse: since there’s no other way, I stand on my backpack to reach deeper into the trash. Almost a third of my body is inside the container. My badge, hanging at the top of my dress, shifts with my movements and also falls into the trash. I curse! But it won’t bring back either the newspaper or the badge.

I’m ready to step into the container, but it’s too narrow and too deep for that to be promising. I have to stick with the original plan: reaching as deeply as possible into the container. After more attempts, after about 10 minutes, I manage to fish out both the newspaper and the badge. My train has long departed, my dress is crumpled, no elegance in sight. But my badge is back in its place, and I hold my newspaper in hand.

Despite all these drawbacks, I will continue reading my newspaper in paper form tomorrow, as long as it still exists.