Newspaper Page Text
4A
♦ WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2008
EDITORIAL
Communicating is hard enough
without trying to do it online
Allow me to state the obvious
- men and women communi
cate differently.
You’ve probably experienced it, espe
cially if you’re married. You know those
times when you think you’re making
yourself clear, but the only thing that
is clear is that your spouse isn’t really
hearing you at all.
Research certainly bears out these
differences. One study observed pairs
of females and pairs of males in four
age groups: second grade, sixth grade,
tenth grade and 25 years old. Each
pair was asked to enter a room with
two chairs and talk with one another
if they wished. What followed was fas
cinating.
Every pair of females, regardless
of age, moved their chairs so that
they could face one another and talk.
However, the males remained seated
side-by-side looking straight ahead and
only glancing occasionally while they
carried on a conversation. Surprisingly
the pairs that were the most open
and transparent were the tenth grade
boys!
This is just one of the many exam
ples of how men and women commu
nicate differently. Women prefer lots
of intimate face-to-face interaction to
feel connected. Men...well sometimes
it’s enough for us to just sit shoulder
to shoulder, sometimes talking, some
times not. Is it any wonder that we
have a hard time communicating with
the opposite sex sometimes?
So why make it harder?
Though they don’t realize it, many of
today’s teenagers and adolescents are
doing just that as they substitute tech
nology for personal conversations.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not
a Luddite. I love the Internet. It is an
extraordinarily useful tool that has
made life a lot easier in many ways. But
it has also spawned new habits that are
Why do folks want to be
/ public officials? They should \
l realize it's the voters that J
have all the power! /
County commission race goif be fun
Hey y’all. How’s your mama
and them?
Looks like all sortsa folks
are runnin’ for county commission, so
we gon’ have some fun watchin’ that.
They gon’ have ‘bout a thousand signs
all over the place. You watch an’ see.
Now I got to fight off three for that
City Council seat, so I’m rewin’ up. I’ll
take donations as long as its cash.
I done ordered some tee shirts that
say RETURN TO PERRYDISE WITH
PORKY, and 1 got some bumper stick
ers cornin’ too. I ain’t puttin’ up no
signs, cause Bo Diddley said any sign
with the letters P-O-R-K on it might
get people to thinkin’ ‘bout barbecue.
I got me some new planks for my
platform.
Aunt Porky Lou says I need to do
sumpn’ for the historical demographic,
so I’m gon’ push (if you elect me) to
have a front porch and a front porch
swing on ever new house that gets
built, plus a icebox on ever front porch,
plus a chinaberry tree in ever front
yard.
Them’s a real historical tree you
hardly see none of anymore, plus you
can string the berries together and sell
necklaces from the side of the road,
Randy
Hicks
Columnist
Georgia Family Council
changing the way people interact.
Even though they are spending time
with peers, more and more young
people are not developing friendships
or working things out interpersonally.
Instead they “connect” by chatting
online, sending text messages or post
ing messages on MySpace or Facebook
(the popular Internet social network
ing sites). So, for example, instead
of solving a dispute with a classmate
in the hallway or calling them on
the phone, the exchange takes place
in brief, sometimes snarky, exchanges
online (often on websites for everyone
to see).
Recently, CNN reported that many
college students do consider a new
relationship official until it’s been
posted on Facebook. One young woman
explained how she got an online request
to be in a relationship from a guy one
night after a date and a kiss. Her
response: “Without discussing it. I was
like ‘Oh, OK, I guess.’” No conversa
tion. No interaction. Just a quick mes
sage to seal the deal.
Oh yeah, this sounds like a healthy
trend! SMHID (that’s the text message
abbreviation for “scratching my head
in disbelief”).
The differences between how men
and women communicate are compli
cated enough. AISB (as I said before),
it certainly doesn’t help things when
meaningful communication is relegat
ed to emails, text messages or online
posts.
Porky’s
Ponderings
porky@evansnewspapers.com
which would help with the jobs.
Plus we gon’ add a 35 percent tax on
pork barbecue an’ use the money to
start the Big Bang Boom up again, an’
to let all them police and firefighters
retire soon as they get to be 55, and we
gon’ give ‘em health insurance ‘til they
gets on Medicare.
Plus we ain’t gon’ put a morry
torrryum on drugstore-buidin’, and
we gon’ make it against the law to say
“win-win situation” or “proactive” or
“at the end of the day” just ‘cause we
tireda hearin’ it.
Me and the boys been goin’ over to
where they buildin' that new grocery
store they gone call Publics, watchin’
how it goes.. We checkin’ it out jus’ in
case somebody wants to move into the
Spec buildin’ and we need a temporary
place.
iMI
v< I
There is a big shift going on here.
Not too long ago, when you couldn’t
speak in person, the best way to com
municate was writing a letter. B/C
(Because) it is substituting for a real
life conversation (and all the nonver
bals and intonations involved), doing
so requires time and consideration to
say things clearly.
But with the instant and widespread
use of the Internet for social interac
tion, the writing is not as careful any
more. Today an electronic message can
be zipped off more easily than walking
to the mailbox. Imagine how easy it
would be to be miscommunicate using
brief, impulsive messages sent with the
click of a button.
Unfortunately, we already know that
young people are less likely to repre
sent themselves honestly online and
are more likely to say things from the
keyboard that they would never say
in person. SOL (sooner or later), this
habit could have a real affect on how
they form relationships.
When daters visit a webpage to see
where they stand with their SO (sig
nificant other) and friends reserve
personal conversation for the com
puter, that’s a sign of trouble. AAMOF
(as a matter of fact), the Internet is
replacing the interpersonal communi
cation vital to building trust and close
ness, and working through problems.
Interacting in an online world can
weaken or prevent meaningful connec
tion between two people.
That leads us to the fundamental
question: what does all this mean for
the next generation of husbands and
wives? It can already be a challenge to
connect while sitting right in front of
each other (or side by side depending
on who arranged the chairs).
When we talk with our older kids
ABT (about) using the Internet
See HICKS, page $A
Not that we ‘spectin’ that, but it
don’t hurt to have a back up plan.
We been thinkin’ ‘bout the Muse pic
ture show buildin’ as a back up place to
hang out, but now Piggette’s moved in
there, so that’s out.
Bes’ news of the week is that they
gon’ start the farmers market again
on Sattidy. They gon’ move the whole
shebang over to where the ol’ armory
is that they callin’ the arts center now.
Me and the boys love ,that farm
ers market cause they always got
stuff outa the gardens and we can
go runnin’ ‘round grabbin’ us some
fresh squash or some of them zucch
nis or maybe some pole beans, and
some peaches when the time comes
‘roun.
It’s whatchu call a Hog Heaven, and
I heard they gon’ fix it up real nice, too.
If everbody’d eat they veggies instead
of eatin’ Danny Evans’barbecue, it’d
be a safer world for all us hogs.
Cousin Ima got onto me ‘bout put
ting her in the paper the way I did
last week, ‘cause she says she grew up
hearin’ “Fool’s names and fool’s faces
always seen in public places,” but I tol’
her if newspapers went by that rule
they wouldn’t be no news.
“One voice can make a difference”
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Feeling treated like a trouble-maker
I moved to Dixie Trail in Warner Robins in 1986. My
house is located on a cul de sac. I had no problems
there until 2004. A neighbor then decided to put a small
building into the cul de sac right on top of the crush and run
and on the county right of way. I complained to our county
officials and they forced him to remove the building.
At the same time, the neighbor also paved multiple
parking places in the cul de sace and in the process piled
dirt in front of my property also in the cul de sac. I again
complained about the loss of county right of way in the cul
de sac but was told that there was no problem with what
he had done. He had to move the building but the other
encroachment into county-owned right of way was OK?
About 10 weeks ago, another neighbor who also lives on
the cul de sac constructed a brick mailbox 14 feet into the
cul de sac. I complained to county officials but was told that
this was not a problem.
Four years ago, another neighbor was forced to move
a building placed in the cul de sac but this is OK? Two
neighbors, because of Houston County inaction, have been
effectively ceded county owned right of way.
Now, because of Houston County disregard for the rule of
law, I live at the end of a dead end street. There no longer
is a cul de sac to turn around in. People now have to pull
into my driveway to turn around and leave this street. My
requests have not been unreasonable. I just ask that the
rule of law be followed. The treatment that I have received
suggests that Houston County has a government of men,
not of laws.
Would I have received this treatment had I lived in an
exclusive high dollar community?
I believe that the law should be followed regardless of
address. If I had plenty of money, I’d move or hire a lawyer
and go to court and win.
Unfortunately, I don’t and consequently, I can’t. I am
a veteran who receives a disability pension because of
wounds I suffered in Vietnam. That should make me worthy
of receiving, at least, fair treatment.
The treatment I have received thus far has been conde
scending like I was some trouble-making imbecile.
- Dan Laßar, Warner Robins
A story that brings hope, light
In 1951 there was a teenager from Perry name Hentz
Houser who while swimming at Houston Lake dived
into a shallow part of the water and broke his neck. That
paralyzed him for the rest of his life.
His mother, Harriett Houser, wrote a book about him
called Hentz: Of things not seen. I was only 8 years old at
the time but over the last 57 years I have thought of Hentz
and I have wanted to read that book.
Only God knows why I never forgot him. Thanks to Perry
IT manager Deborah Hamlin, Mayor Jim Worrall, the staff
at the Perry library and my brother Bobby, who got his first
library card and checked the book out for me to read.
Because of these people I had the opportunity to read
the most amazing true story that I have ever read, it is a
story of faith, love and courage in the ultimate. The family
had the support of the community, medical staff, friends
See LETTER, page
An endorsement for Payne
Now that Chad Payne has entered the race for county
sheriff to replace the incumbent Cullen Talton many
residents are excited about the likelihood of a younger,
more progressive, up-to-date, sheriff. The huge drug infes
tation of Houston County does not appear to be receiving
adequate, effective actions and resources.
Our sheriff has done a respectful job for 40 years but a
younger replacement is in order. Chad Payne is 41 and has
17 years of law enforcement experience.
Chad is qualified to clear up the overcrowding mess at
our county jail that our sheriff and district attorney, Kelly
Burke, have created. It’s disgraceful that we have to pay
Pulaski County $35-45 per day to board our inmates. This
is blatant bad management and it’s time for new blood.
- Frank W. Gadbois, Warner Robins
pUmsfam Journal
Reader information
1210 Washington St
P.O. Box 1910
Parry, GA 31069
478-987-1823
See us online at
www.hhjnaws.com
m Foy S. Evans 1919-2008
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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL.