Newspaper Page Text
♦ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2006
4A
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OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Group Marketing
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Be careful out there
This from one of our Houston County
residents on a doctor’s visit in Macon:
In broad daylight two people busted
her window with a crowbar and attempted
to steal her valuables. Fortunately, a cou-
ple saw them
and called 911
and even more
fortunate, the
police just hap
pened to be in
the parking
lot, gave chase
and later
caught them.
She was told it was the third such incidence
- purportedly by the same two - of the day.
Further, the policeman told her that this
has been the worst year yet in regard to
automobile break-ins, as well as “incidents”
(i.e. assault) occurring in shopping centers
and the like.
This is not a slam against Macon because
as you know, criminals can and do strike
anywhere.
We’re bringing it up as a reminder that,
especially at this time of year, to be on your
guard.
Take that extra bit of precaution - for one
don’t be caught alone in a dark parking lot
- and stay safe out there.
A puppy or a bike
What’s one of the best gifts you could
give this holiday season? A pet.
Absolutely. A cat or a dog or some
other little critter is a wonderful gift. It will
set your child’s heart a flutter like no other
present come Christmas morn.
The problem, however, is the obvious -
words you’ve heard before: A pet is not just
for Christmas.
So while the local animal shelters have
some absolutely fantastic cats and dogs (one
of our reporters visited the facilities this
week, so we’re speaking from witnessing
that firsthand) - we hope and pray will find
a great home with you.
T phat’s just it. We hope they find a
“great” home with you. It’s our hope you
will play this out in your mind. It doesn’t
take much imagination to envision what our
child’s face will look like when they’re given
the animal but what will their face look like
two months down the road when you tell
them to clean up after it or to feed it? If
you’re willing to be the one to provide the
love and care it needs should it come to that,
great, visit them today. If not, we would just
ask you exercise a little bit of restraint. Get
them a bike instead.
Letter to the Editor
Heartfelt thank you
I would like to send a belated but heartfelt thank
you to the citizens in Perry. For the past two years my
daughter has gone trick or treating not for candy but for
spare change for UNICEF. UNICEF is an international
organization dedicated to helping children around the
world, including inside the United States. Our neighbors
around Perry have been very generous. In doing so, they
have aided us in teaching our daughter about giving and
helping others in need. I appreciate the trust and grace
they have shown. When we returned home our daughter
was very excited to count the money and see how much
we had collected. The amount was equal to school sup
plies for four children. My daughter’s only question was,
“What about the other children who don’t have school
supplies?” I hope more families will begin the tradition of
Trick or Treating for UNICEF. I am pleased to live in a
such a giving community. Thank you.
Nanette T. O’Neill, Perry
WORffl REPEATING
“To know how to say what others only know how to
think is what makes men poets or sages; and to dare to
say what others only dare to think makes men martyrs or
reformers - or both.”
Elizabeth Charles, British writer (1828-1896)
Send your Letters to the Editor to:
The Houston Daily Journal
P.O. Box 1910 • Perry, Ga 31069 or
Email: hhj@evansnewspapers.com
Audrey Evans
Vice President
Marketing!Advertising
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
This Is not a slam
against Macon
because as you know,
criminals can and do
strike anywhere.
Making the holiday tun and meaningful
What do you want for your
children this holiday season?
Gifts? OK. Family time? Sure.
Travel to Grandma’s house, sipping
hot chocolate by the fire, decorating
house and tree? All sound like great
ideas. And I hope my kids and I can
enjoy many of them together.
But 1 want to remember to impart
something more to my children through
the holidays. And, if I do it right,
they won’t even know I’m instructing
them.
One thing we can learn together
is the value of giving. Personally, as
someone raised in a family that cel
ebrates Christmas, I regret the current
cultural view of the Christmas season
as simply an excuse to shop uncontrol
lably. It’s clear that the most holy day
of the year in one of the world’s largest
faiths long ago morphed into a massive
marketing opportunity for Playstation,
iPod and The Gap.
Here’s one idea for demonstrating
a spirit of giving at Christmas to help
your kids see the value in focusing on
others, not just on their wants. Within
the next couple of weeks you might
want to have your kids go through
their toys and pull out those things
that they just don’t use anymore, and
prepare to give the items in good condi
tion to someone in need.
Many kids don’t have any toys at all,
much less new ones every year. Tell
them the story of St. Nicholas - the
inspiration for Santa Clause was all
about giving to the needy By giving
some of their toys away, your children
can experience some of the joy embod
ied in the story of St. Nicholas. I’d
encourage you not to just teach your
kids to give away things they don’t
want, but out of their abundance.
*4
"You know, I thought I’d never finish wrapping
all those presents, George... George?"
Go to work, lean back, improve health
Among a long roster of bad habits,
putting my feet on the furniture
and leaning back are near the
top.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve
looked out from behind the newspaper
I was reading at work to see some local,
regional or national figure passing my
desk, the soles of my 9 1/2 Cole Haan
oxfords staring back at them.
That number is perhaps only eclipsed
by the aggregate of admonitions I’ve
received from teachers and parents
(mine and others) for tipping back on
chairs not designed for such comfort.
I recommend neither arithmetic
problem. Finally, however, I know why
I’ve spent a lifetime tilting (yes, at
windmills, too.)
For my health.
As reported by Scripps Howard, a
Canadian doctor has determined that
the 90 degrees we achieve when we
sit up straight (teacher’s pet!) is more
harmful to the body than the 135
degrees realized by us slanted slack
ers. Right on, recliners! Power to the
pitched!
Dr. Waseem Bashir told his fellow
radiologists during a Chicago conven
tion Monday that the best way to sit is
with a lean. He determined this after
studying 22 volunteers with healthy
spines and no history of back pain.
Bashir, using a positional MRI that
allowed subjects a complete range of
motion, took images of volunteers in
three different positions, all of which
are familiar to us: the slouch, to recre-
OPINION
A friend of mine used to take his son
every year to deliver new winter socks
and gloves to a local rescue mission
during the holidays. In doing so, the
boy saw the gratitude on the faces of
the mission staff when they delivered
the items, and he also felt the joy of
giving to those who had a whole lot
less than he did. My friend said, “I
felt like I was broadening his perspec
tive on the world and helping him to
think outside of himself - particularly
between Thanksgiving and Christmas,
the season of giving.”
When your family meets another’s
need, it’s a great opportunity to help
them understand how much they have
to be grateful for. I think gratefulness
is a trait that is in short supply in most
of our lives. We are so busy comparing
ourselves and our possessions with
others, not only in our cul de sac, but
also the perfect families with the per
fect things we see on TV
We have forgotten how truly blessed
we are. Perhaps at Christmas we
should practice a new kind of compar
ing - comparing ourselves with those
who are less fortunate and being grate
ful for all we have. Cultivating an atti
tude of gratefulness is a life-long gift
you can give to your kids, and a great
antidote to whining and selfishness.
Another gift that can help define
your family is that of meaningful tra-
Randy
Hicks
Columnist
Georgia Family Council
George
Ayoub
Columnist
Morris News Service
ate a long, stressful day at work or the
moment after we realize we took the
Hare and gave the points; the straight
up, a posture suited for charm school
and boot camp; and the lean, the luxu
rious list for loungers such as myself.
OK, so Bashir, in an obvious display
of scientific shortsightedness, never
mentions leaning and putting your feet
up. Go figure.
What the sawbones did find - my
predilection for assuming the loafing
position notwithstanding - was that
those who reclined to 135 degrees,
with their feet on the floor, placed less
strain on their backs and its attendant
helpers (disks, muscles, etc.) than the
straight or the slouch.
So “Sit up young man,” while surely
used to build my character or at the
very least rouse me from a slouch, was
working against my spinal health.
Who knew?
Nobody in the classrooms or kitch
ens of my youth.
But then smoking was glamorous
in those days, movies and television
often shot amid a haze of Camels and
Chesterfields. And yellow teeth, bad
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
ditions. If you’re like me, some of
your fondest memories of the holi
days revolve around traditions prac
ticed by your family. It might be the
tattered stocking you always hung on
Christmas Eve, or watching Miracle
on 34th Street while enjoying mom’s
once-a-year chocolate cookies.
I love the atmosphere of excitement,
anticipation and wonder that surrounds
the holidays. And years from now, I
want my kids to look back on their
growing up years with the same kinds
of warm memories I have. Traditions
and celebrations enrich our lives and
give our children and our families a
sense of identity. If this was not a part
of your upbringing, you might have to
learn how to celebrate.
Start with watching your favorite
Christmas movies together, both old
and new: Miracle on 34th Street and
the Santa Clause movies with Tim
Allen, White Christmas and How the
Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon
is much better than the newer movie).
Go Christmas caroling, trim the tree to
the sounds of your best seasonal music
and make all sorts of ridiculous sweets
that provide the reason for New Year’s
resolutions.
So, once again, what do you want
for your kids this holiday season?
Together, let’s seek a spirit of giving,
cultivate attitudes of gratefulness, and
celebrate the traditions - new or old
- that have the power to bind families
together across generations.
Georgia Family Council is a non-prof
it organization that works to strength
en and defend the family in Georgia by
equipping marriage advocates, shaping
laws, preparing the next generation
and influencing culture.
breath and cancer were never a con
cern.
Nor did we wear seat belts or helmets
except in organized football. Later I
hitchhiked. Bottled water was used
only after floods.
For the record, although my age
qualifies me as a member of the club, I
am not one of those fogies who disses
contemporary advances in safety, medi
cine and respect. You know the type:
An “and we turned out OK” always on
their lips, discounting, of course, that,
as we make progress in hardware and
education, unintentional death and
injury rates for kids continues to fall.
But, I digress.
While I doubt Bashir’s findings will
keep scolds and others from rousing us
from dreamy slouches or perfect leans,
their implications in the workplace are
significant.
Note to self: Invent chair that allows
workers a 135-degree recline while
still being able to reach keyboards,
telephones and coffee cups. Try on, for
example, a tilted workstation, where
“kicking” in the office takes on a whole
new meaning. Large paper weights may
become a cottage industry. (Investment
opportunity?)
There are plenty of ways to go with
Bashir’s report, none of which include
me tilted to a full 135, the newspaper
two broadsheets across, my feet up on
my desk.
Still, the next time you decide to
straighten up literally, remember your
poor bones.