Newspaper Page Text
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Approaching the idea of approachability
The other day I was in an out-of
town grocery store when I passed
a guy in fresh vegetables, smiled,
said “hello” and kept going.
A few minutes later, he pushed
his buggy (a strictly Southern
term, you know) around the cor
ner, wheeled up beside me and
said “You have the most beautiful
smile.”
“Oh, you’re so sweet!” I said in
that drawling Southern way of our
women. “Thank you so much!”
Without missing a beat, he said,
“Can I take you to lunch?”
Now, please don’t think for one
minute that I’m going out with a
guy I had seen first only three min
utes before, who dares to ask me
out in front of the canned green
beans. Still, there is a point to this
story. This kind of thing happens
to me all the time so when women
write me and say, “I’m attractive,
outgoing and smart. Still, guys
APPROACH
From page 4A
the terms are not explained.
Richardson, and his minions,
find it easy to argue the prom
ise of no property taxes; how
can opponents of the mea
sure respond when there are
no terms being set forth?
How can anyone identify
shortcomings of the plan when
no description of how the pro
posal will work exists?
Should Georgia get rid
of property taxes? How will
Georgia fund its county, city
and educational governments
if they do? What will a high
PAUL
From page 4A
been forced to hold my nose and pull the lever for
a candidate that turns my stomach, only because
the other choice is even worse.
This year, I can vote for a candidate that can
return America to the ideals that made her a great
country to start with. This year I can smile, hold
my head high, and vote for Ron Paul!
For more information about Ron Paul, log on to
RonPaul2ooß.com, or call 1- 703-248-9115.
Brian Thomson, Warner Robins
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never ask me
out. Why?”
I always reply,
“You have to
have approach
ability.” See,
guys need to
feel that they
can come up to
a woman, put
themselves on
the line and
not be shot dead. Approachability
is the ‘it’ factor of dating. Some
women, without realizing it, rope
themselves off with a sign that
is invisible to them but visible to
men that says, “Watch it, Buster!”
My favorite story about this has
to do with my dear friend, Virginia,
who works for my New York pub
lisher. We were in Dallas for an
enormous book show. I was at my
publisher’s booth, signing books
while Virginia was off doing busi-
growth county like ours do to
facilitate additional teachers
and services when our legis
lators promise “equal shares”
to high growth and low growth
counties alike? Already the
state is two and one-half
years behind in funding the
actual number of students
being served by the Houston
County Board of Education.
The additional 2,000 stu
dents are funded each year
through local property taxes. It
is imperative for the taxpayers
to know how their children will
be treated under this new law..
Unfortunately this is a “detail”
that has not been described
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Ronda Rich
Columnist
by our legislative leaders.
The tax plan unabashedly
removes the vehicle for fund
ing all county, city and board
authority budgets. Citizens of
Georgia have received public
services, roads, utilities and
recreational services through
the property system being
attacked.
It is irresponsible for the
state legislators to promote a
plan with no substance within
a timely manner to allow com
prehension of the changes
that they are demanding.
Pamela Green way,
Houston County Board
of Education
EVANS
From page 4A
■ The United Kingdom is getting
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A new law could send violators
to jail for two years. The Brits are
serious about reducing the num
ber of accidents caused by drivers’
inattention to driving while talking
or sending messages on their cell
phones.
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OPINION
ness elsewhere. A nice looking man
walked up and introduced himself.
During conversation, he explained
he owns a restaurant so he invited
me and any guests I wished to
bring, to dinner that night.
While we were talking, Virginia
comes storming back into the
booth, for she walks like a war
rior on a constant mission. She’s
hilarious.
“This is Greg,” I said. “He owns
a restaurant and has invited us for
tonight.”
Instantly, red rushed into her
cheeks as she grabbed a director’s
chair and slammed it down in
front of her - for protection, I
presume - and glowered. “What
do you want?” she demanded in a
fighting tone. She steadied herself
into battle mode by spreading her
feet a foot apart. She was ready to
go to war.
It was so extreme that I started
523 14
laughing and shrugged. “Don’t pay
any attention to her,” I said to the
stunned Greg. “She’s from Long
Island.”
The short version of the story
- though the long one is beyond
funny - is that I convinced the
highly reluctant Virginia that we
should accept his invitation. All
the way over in the cab that night,
Miss Cynic clutched her big pocket
book to her chest, hunched over
it and worried. “I’m telling you
that he forgot us as soon as he left.
We won’t even have a reservation
when we get there. He’s playing
us. And it’s probably a dump of a
restaurant.”
“If it is, we’ll leave,” I replied
soothingly. A few minutes later,
the cab pulled up to a stunningly
beautiful, elegant restaurant. That
was the first in a series of times
that Virginia’s jaw would drop.
The maitre d’ greeted us. “We
HICKS
From page 4A
never been more resources
directed to this cause than
are currently being utilized
in our country.
The faith community also
offers hope. There are many
opportunities and a strong
mandate to address fam
ily breakdown. Fortunately,
there is an increasing num
ber of ministries being
offered to help congrega
tions and the community.
One of the things Popenoe
cites as a way to reverse
the decline is “a significant
expansion in influence and
authority of today’s ortho
dox, anti-individualist reli
gions.” Churches and syna
gogues have the local pres
ence and moral authority
to offer premarital counsel
ing, to help married couples
maintain a strong marriage
relationship and to assist
those in trouble.
Businesses can also get in
on this. Offering free or low
cost relationship and mar
riage education to employ
ees and flexibility for family
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 ♦
needs are just a few of the
ways companies can pro
mote stronger marriages.
After all, employees with
healthier marriages are
more productive and thus
more profitable than those
in unhappy marriages.
And, of course, there’s
you. What are you doing to
promote healthy marriages?
It’s likely that you can
make an impact in your own
sphere of influence. Become
informed about the many
benefits of marriage (bet
ter health and well-being,
more wealth, children who
do better academically and
emotionally, etc.) and talk
about them when opportu
nities present themselves
(www.healthymarriageinfo.
org is a useful source of
information). Come along
side couples who are consid
ering marriage or are just
entering married life and
share your experience and
insight with them.
Even if you have experi
enced divorce, that does not
disqualify you from help
ing someone. Often it is out
of brokenness that we can
speak more genuinely about
Call or visit one of our offices
for more information.
987-9600
www.plantersfirst.com
Member T—r
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rDIV len’Slr
have a 7:30 reservation, please,”
I said.
He smiled. “You must be Ronda
and Virginia.”
Another jaw drop. And so it con
tinued all night as Greg saw that
we had the finest dinner and best
service possible. It finaUy got to
the point that when a bottle of
very expensive champagne arrived,
unannounced, that, with dropped
jaw, she looked at me and shook
her head.
On the way back to the hotel, she
said quietly, “Ronda? Could you
teach me to do that Southern thing
you do? It really works.”
It’s caUed approachability. And,
it works in Dallas or the canned
green bean section at the grocery
store.
Ronda Rich is the best-selling
of What Southern Women Know
(That Every Woman Should) and
The Town That Came A-Courtin’.
these things.
And most of all - culti
vate your own marriage! Do
whatever it takes to make
sure you and your spouse
have the skills to commu
nicate, resolve conflict and
share romance. If you are
struggling - get help!
Turning the tide of fam
ily breakdown in America
, is a colossal task, but vital.
The future of family health,
child well-being and com
munity stability starts in
each home. Husbands and
wives have the power and
the responsibility to take
control of our marriages and
make them thrive.
We can read the data and
forecast what may be, but
when it all comes down to it,
the future depends on us.
Georgia Family Council
is a non-profit organization
that works to strengthen
and defend the family in
Georgia by equipping mar
riage advocates, shaping
laws, preparing the next
generation and influencing
culture. For more informa
tion, go to www.georgia
family.org, 770-242-0001,
stephen@gafam.org.
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