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Friday, September 15,2017 Lake Oconee News Page A5 Letters to the Editor Letters must be signed and include your full address and phone number for verification; only name and town are printed. Submissions may be edited for content and length. The deadline is 1 p.m. Monday. Send to news@lakeoconeenews.us Missing the sore thumb Moral XXII - The Dentist Dear Editor: I speak of the Moral of a very highly trained and experienced dentist whose office is in a remote village once called Anatevka- who when asked what motivat ed him to study and per severe over many years to become a very knowledge able and trusted “family dentist” replied: “Because I wanted to be proficient in the latest techniques and procedures in the field of dental science and be capable of making a real difference to those who need such services and to alleviate potential physical suffering. I try with all my pro fessional abilities also to provide compassionate responses for those men, women and children who need my assistance, advice and counseling regarding their dental problems.” And so the Moral of the skilled and compassionate dentist who helped those who needed his profession al assistance was recount ed among all those resi dents who live in another remote village named.... The Elder Sage aka Bob Landau Eatonton Notre Dame a gracious host NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The allure of the campus experience endures, bringing about a bonding that perpetuates academic excellence which stimulates achievement in fields across the board often leading to landmark breakthroughs which do good for the world. Through the years, I have noticed that the rest of the world, particularly Europe, truly marvels at the American college system, which, in part, explains why so many nationalities give priority to earning degrees from institutions across our great country. Yet, within our borders provincialism and apathy remain. Campuses flourish amid head turning accomplish ment which is why those who become flush with dollars give back to alma maters. I thought about that when I saw that former Coca-Cola president Don Keogh, who cheered for old Notre Dame as an un dergraduate, and his wife, Marilyn, donated $50 million dollars to fund the Donald R. Keough School of Global Affairs. The more ambitious in stitutions fund raise, the more opportunities exalted researchers and scientists are able to overachieve in their fields. This also was a reminder of the comments from a former college pres ident who once said some thing akin to this: “Be nice to your A+ student. He will earn a PhD and bright great recognition to your institution as a scientist and researcher, but also be nice to your B+ student. He will succeed in business and build a lab for that A+ student to do his research.” College football, even with all its excesses (What President in his right mind would agree to pay a football coach $10 million dollars a year?) and short comings, helps rally alumni and make friends through out the year(s). A football game here last weekend involving Notre Dame and the University of Georgia allowed one exalted university to host another, more than half a century its senior—the Catholic in stitution getting its start in 1842, fifty seven years after UGA was chartered in 1785. Nowhere, with the possible exception of Missouri in 2012, has a visiting team been the ben eficiary of the jaw-dropping hospitality that Georgia experienced on Saturday. Red and Black aficionados were greeted with cordi ality and accommodation that had no bounds. You felt that a leprechaun was behind every bush, waiting to smile at you, offer good tidings, directions and “can I help you” overtures, cloaked in the most wel coming fashion football fans could experience. It is easy to admire the Irish Catholics. They are classy, hospitable, upbeat and generous. Not only were there no insults, pro fanity (how nice to spend the better part of two days Loran Smith Columnist on a college campus and never hear a four-letter word) or language with an edge, there was never a hint of anything inhospita ble. What’s more I did not hear that any visitor had a negative experience. Of course, Georgia won the game which means that it was easy for the victors to underscore decorum. Notre Dame aficiona dos are passionate about their team. What strikes a nerve is that the Irish never are sore losers. Losing the game had to be a downer since their coach is trying his hardest to reverse the forgettable record of 4-8 last season. In 1988, you remember the “Catholics vs. Convicts” game, when the Irish hosted the Miami Hurricanes, I was sitting in the stands with my son, Kent, when a Miami fan came into the stadium with a T-shirt that reflected foul and improper language. The fans rose up with vocal contempt but without physical threat. “We are not having any of that,” the home team fans said, and the Hurricane supporter soon realized it was best that he move on. Tailgating at Notre Dame is as signature as it is anywhere in the country. The Irish have an advantage including, in addition to acres of space, flat acreage which enables game day of ficials to efficiently organize parking to accommodate tailgating. Research for a book on college tailgating brought about, with the help of former Georgia as sistant, Bill Lewis, an in troduction to several Notre Dame tailgaters including Jeff Kohler, Tom O’Donnell and Tom Haig, who was there to introduce us to Earl the Pearl, the chef. Food and drink are free to the insiders, regulars and unin vited guests. “Our tailgate is entirely sponsored by six generous and gregarious Notre Dame families who welcome all to join us in our celebra tion of the Notre Dame spirit. We see ourselves as Notre Dame’s front door on football Saturdays, where first-time visitors to the uni versity will form lasting im pressions. We hope that our hospitality will contribute to making that impression a rousing welcome to Notre Dame,” Tom O’Donnel says. Georgia fans are in agree ment that Notre Dame suc ceeded in doing just that. In 2019 Bulldog fans will have an opportunity to showcase its version of Southern hos pitality. I hope UGA advo cates will succeed as well as the Notre Dame fans. Segars Continued from A4 led this student to receiving honor roll grades this past year and, ultimately, to earning a 4-H scholarship to summer camp along with other awards and rec ognitions.” “It has been an eye-open ing tenure, to say the least,” says Babs Johnson, a retired educator who, for 20 years, served as mentor for a large number of Morgan County children. “Mentoring has given me an immense ap preciation for the teachers in our schools who work with children who come from homes where early language acquisition and reading are virtually non-existent.” “It has also engendered a deep appreciation for the families who live day- to-day providing for their children ‘as best they know how,’ and who accepted a complete stranger, from another culture, into their homes and hearts. I have many small and large success stories about my mentees that have enriched my life beyond descrip tion. Four of my last five mentees will graduate this year and, Lord willing, my last one will finish in 2020.” Tony Dungy, a success ful professional football coach, writes in his prison ministry book entitled The Mentor Leader: “Far too often I see the results of a lack of mentoring. It is clearly a pattern in the early lives of the men and women who end up in carcerated. As I listen to their stories, it becomes clear that a mentor could have made a difference — just someone who cared enough to guide them, to be a positive influence, at their most vulnerable time. Not extraordinary people; just ordinary, everyday people -S> HARMONY CROSSING M ANIMAL HOSPITAL Scott Richter, DVM Scott Gibson, DVM Practice Limited To Small Animals 1013 Lake Oconee Pkwy. Suite 102 • Eatonton, GA31024 706-923-1456 who care enough to invest themselves — their time, attention and wisdom — in the lives of others. We need people like that to stem the tide of wasted lives and wasted potential that is increasing at an alarming rate across our nation.” “The beauty of MlM is it doesn’t cost a cent to make a difference - just one hour a week of your time - that’s all,” adds Dearing. “This is a rewarding experience and there is a continued and growing need for more adults to become involved with local students.” How does one get involved in Morgan County’s mento ring program? First, deter mine what type of student and age group you feel most comfortable working with. An application and background check will be needed, but at no cost to those applying. Mentors will receive guidance from the school and the mentor’s input and experience helps to guide the process. Mentors are so valuable - whether we are young or old, at any stage of life. We all need mentoring. And if you think you would like to serve as a mentor to Morgan County students or have questions about the program, please contact Stacy Dearing on her direct line at (706) 752-4714 or email stacy.dearing@ morgan.kl2.ga.us. m Mm f s is Pets of the Week UMANE I0OIETY SASSY is only 10 wks., female, terrier/pit mix. She is grey/white. Really sweet pup to will be a loyal family member is raised with love & respect. SHIRLEY & her sister, Laverne are both eager to have a forever home. Two great, loving, 1.5 yr. old cats. Will adopt together for a very special fee or separately to the right home. Shirley is a gold spotty/stripe Tabby. DID YOU SURVIVE THE STORM? Our wonderful volunteers worked together & secured the shelter. We hope you did the same for your outside pets. Please stop by & help us out by adopting one of our great adult cats. Some have been here for much longer than they should be. Forever homes are always the best, but if you would offer to foster for a few weeks, that sure would help us out. 706-454-1508 In the summers of late, summers where I and not Mama tell myself what to do, it is the sore thumb I miss the most. Just the other day, I rubbed my pointer finger over the edge of my thumb and I missed the tenderness that attached itself to that appendage and stayed there from July until mid-August. Oh, I had a couple of pricks and ouches on that thumb. I had picked up a splinter from the boarded fence at the barn when I was feeding the horses. Then, the next day, as I trimmed the rose bushes - with gloves on - I had stuck a thorn in and ripped a bit of flesh away. I’m a farm girl, though, who pays little attention to any such. That’s how I was raised. I’d see Mama with a cut on her hand and ask, “How’d you get that?” She’d shrug and say, “I don’t know how I did that.” Or I’d see Daddy come in from a day of bush hogging, his forearms scratched and bubbled up with tiny droplets of blood. “Are you okay?” I asked, concerned. He barely glanced at all the damage. “Yeeaaahhh,” he drawled out. “I just got caught up in some briar bushes.” Now, it’s Tink’s turn to ask me about the bumps, bruises, scratches and torn skin. Like Mama and Daddy, I usually shrug it off and, just like them, I usually say, “I don’t know how I did that.” It seemed odd to me when I was a child and was asked that but now I realize that you get so caught up in the work that you don’t feel the pain of the injury. Or, if you do, you brush it off and go back to work. But that sore thumb of my childhood years? I miss it and it never occurred to me I would. It was so tender. “Like a risin’,” Mama would say about something that was particularly painful on the skin. I realized I missed it when I was telling a friend about keeping every scrap of paper that Mama had written on. “On the fridge, I put a little piece of paper that I found in some crowder peas that Mama had put up the summer before she died. It says, “Wash before cooking.’” Ronda Rich Dixie Divas We laughed about it but, in a moment, in the way that a memory has of tagging itself onto another, I remembered the sore thumb. When the field peas came in to our summer garden, Mama would pick them then hand over the baskets to me to shell. I wish I had a day back with Mama for every hour I shelled peas. We’d still have a lifetime. As you may know, you break the top, pull the string, then use your thumb to clear the pod of the peas. It’s that part that will eventually make the healthiest thumb as sore as a “rising.” Oh, I’ve spent many a summer evening in the porch glider, pushing through the un-comfort ableness to keep a steady supply of peas going to the kitchen where Mama was blanching and piling them into plastic baggies to freeze. Sometimes, she would join me on the porch as the quietness of the summer evening settled around us and the lightning bugs lit the dusk. The other night, we stopped for dinner in a little rural town. A farmer, evidenced by his boots and clothes, brought in two strapping boys. They sat in the booth across from us. All three pulled out phones and immersed themselves in texting while waiting for their food. No stories were shared, no memories were built. I shook my head and thought about it. I’d rather have a sore thumb from shelling peas with my Mama on the front porch than texting with my parent in a restaurant. Here’s a salute to the right kind of sore thumb. Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of What Southern Women Know. Visit www.rond- arich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter. Find us on Facebook! Just search for Lake Oconee News Stylish and Affordable lift recliners in a variety of fabrics that complement every home and decorative style. 9 Buildings of Furniture • Downtown Eatonton 706-485-2261
