We’re all well aware that newspapers are under seige as they see both advertisers and readers abandon ship in droves and the age of the average print newspaper reader continues to creep up.

Increasingly, people under the age of 30 just don’t read print. And that includes well-read, intelligent, and savvy people. In this age of instant web-based news and commentary it’s a practice that seems odd and unecessary to them.

But people of a certain age, including me, find that peeling open an old-fashioned newspaper and settling down with a cup of coffee to start the day remains one of the simple, daily pleasures in life. It’s a ritual that we continue cherish.

That’s why I’m puzzled by the fact that in the town of Natick, Mass., where I live, I don’t receive my newspapers (The Boston Globe and The New York Times – which owns The Globe) on my doorstep until 8 a.m. on Sundays, long after middle-aged suburban zombies like myself usually wake up.

I called the company to complain, but it turns out that it’s their official policy — as long as the paper is delivered by 8 a.m., everything is OK in their book.

The New York Times Company should get with the program and realize that 1) middle-aged and older people get up early and 2) middle-aged and older people are the only people who read the print newspaper anymore.

Perhaps the folks at The Times Co. are trying to throw a bone to their delivery people — who have a grueling job to begin with — and let them sleep in a little bit.

But tough times call for tough measures.

6 a.m. should be the cut-off — no later — or I might just have to go web-only and find another morning ritual to take the place of reading the print paper.

In the end, maybe I’ll go really Old School, After all, Yoga and T’ai Chi have been around even longer than the newspaper.

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