Growing up, Sunday was always a family day. And these family days all started the same. A big breakfast: Mom would cook the pancakes while Dad tended to the eggs, sausage and bacon. A big part of this breakfast was the Sunday paper. The paper would be all over the place. Mom would hoard the coupons, we kids fought over the comics and Dad had the rest of the paper.

Now that I am older with a family of my own, I am proud to say that this is one tradition I have carried forward. While my kids may not be old enough to fight for the comics, and we don’t really have coupons, my wife and I have enjoyed breakfast and the Sunday paper during our first year here at Misawa Air Base, Japan.

Recently, the circulation dates of Stars and Stripes’ Pacific editions changed. Before, we would get the next day’s paper the night before. This worked well for my family and me, as we are morning-paper readers.

The change means that the day’s paper is now delivered that evening. So instead of the Monday paper coming Sunday night, it is now coming Monday night. The content of the paper has not changed most days; and my wife and I are still able to enjoy our mornings. However, Sunday mornings have now become a drag. Instead of the Sunday paper coming Saturday evening for us to enjoy Sunday morning, it comes Sunday night after the day is over.

My wife and I both looked forward to our Sunday morning breakfast with our big paper, complete with the comics in color, extended editorials and other articles not included during the week. This change has put a big damper on my decades-old tradition. The biggest reason I subscribe to this paper is for the Sunday edition.

Tradition is very important to my wife and me. While neither of our fathers are still with us, we feel they live on through us and some of the things they taught us growing up. I hope others feel as I do and that Stars and Stripes will change its circulation back to the way it used to be [in the Pacific]. Sunday mornings will not be the same if we do not have the Sunday edition to enjoy on Sunday mornings.

Matt Airhart

Misawa Air Base, Japan

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