Whenever Helen flew she took the local paper and so she could leave it on a plane to be found by someone in some distant airport. She especially liked to do it when the local headline was very local. “Tractor runs loose in Sims field; plows too much before stopped,” or "16th Century Re-enactors not getting fair share of recognition,” or “Commission backs Review Board on banning triangle shaped doorknobs.”
She lived in a small town with interesting challenges, but seemed to be away from there more than there, for she traveled a couple weeks a month. Most of her trips were to the Mid-West and Chicago, but many times an extended trip would include Denver, Phoenix and Dallas.
Sometimes she’s leave the paper folded and tucked into the back of the seat in front of her. Other times, if she had an empty seat beside her and the headlines were particularly local, she would leave it open on the seat and watch as those standing in the aisle, waiting to deplane, would look down at the paper and read the headlines. Some would turn their head to get a better read. Others looked, looked away and then back again.