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♦ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2006 4A jMousfam ©mly .Ijratrrctl 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.