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The Golden Rule And The Rules Of The Road (By Mary Elizabeth Crabtree) There is no better time than Christmas to ask ourselves this question: Do I behave like a Christian behind the wheel of my car? Am I courteous, consid erate, patient? Am I mindful of Our Lord’s admonition: "Love your neighbor"—if that neigh bor happens to be in the car ahead of me, preventirig me from passing? Or a pedestrian -slowly crossing after the light has changed? With the holiday season here again bringing the usual wave of excitement, parties and last minute shopping—the accident rate goes up! Many innocent people are injured and killed during a season when we should be most mindful of our obliga tions toward others. Instead, many of us rush about—driving here and there with little thought to Our Lord’s words in His sermon on the Mount, "All that you wish men to do to you, even so do you also to them." During this holy season drivers should be particularly mindful of this because they have it in their power to reduce accidents dramatically by following the golden rule behind the wheel. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS The driver should keep in mind the excitement in the air and try to be especially alert. He should be aware of the dis traction of Christmas lights swinging across downtown streets and not confuse them with the red and green traffic lights. He should be especially mindful of the elderly and of children playing near the stream of traffic during their gats ants ■. roaohcs mice silverfish vacation from school. Above all he should keep the Christmas ’*joy" (the kind that comes out of a bottle) to a minimum. The drinking driver may feel like a good driver when in reality he is taking chances and risking lives—including his own. WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD DRIVER 1) Complete familiarity with the rules of the road. 2) Adequate knowledge of the mechanics of the car. 3) Physical fitness. 4) Self-discipline and self- control. NEW DIMENSION No matter how well trained a driver may be, or how much knowledge he possesses about the car, the road and the rules, he may still be a killer behind the wheel. Why? The answer opens up the latest theory about safe driving, the new dimension in driver education (now being used in New York and explored elsewhere) which points up the high percentage of accidents caused by unsafe attitudes while diriving. The new approach came to the foreground when it was discov ered that accident repeaters of ten show these tendencies: 1) They are apt to be aggres sive and intolerant of others. 2) They resent authority. 3) They have an exaggerated opinion of their own impor tance. 4) They seem unable to re spect the rights of others. » . 5) They act impulsively—take chances. Experts in safety education are now realizing the tremen dous part personality and cha racter play in the making of a good or bad driver. "We drive as we are," Dr. Richard Bishop, associate pro fessor at the Florida Institute for Continuing Studies and spe cialist in the field, commented at the Traffic Court Conference in Miami. "Egotistical, over- aggressive, impolite, irration al, non-conforming, impulsive, domineering, combative or in tolerant persons will act that way behind the wheel." We remember with awe the mean ing of this season. May it be an inspiration to your family. CHURCHWELL’S HE. 2-6281 ALBANY, GA. CHANGING POPULATION PROPORTIONS The population of the United States has passed the 187 mil lion mark, an increase of about 7 million since 1960. With re gistered births in 1961 estimat ed at 4,282,000 and deaths at 1,702,000, the population shifts are apparent. Modern medical science is increasing the life span to a point where we have a much lar ger proportion of elderly per sons than previously. At the same time there is a steady increase in the birth rate. This adds up to a larger number of "both the very young and the very old. It is among these groups that we find a high proportion of pedestrian accidents. Non drivers are notorious for care lessness in street crossing. Nine out of ten pedestrians kill ed in accidents are non-drivers. This alarming statistic points up two great needs: 1) An even greater safety edu cation program for pedestrians. 2) A strong campaign for safe, sane driving. The first of these needs is being met by school, home and effective national organizations and civic groups. Much pro gress has been made. It is difficult to reach the pre-school child and the elderly. New ap proaches are constantly being sought. The second is one which hits hard at every single driver of a car in the country. Even those among us who are usually care ful drivers are often guilty of un-Christian attitudes when un der stress. MATTER OF DISCIPLINE The problem is that too many people have not disciplined themselves to do what their conscience tells them is right. The Golden Rule is by-passed for more urgent and often pure ly selfish demands. It is not until we read in the paper of a little child killed by a car while playing in front of his own home, or an old man being knocked down while crossing the street after leaving a supermarket, that we stop and ponder the pro blem. Did the child dash into the street from between parked cars? A large proportion of children are hit on quiet resi dential streets by suddenly run ning into the street unexpected ly. True, it’s not the driver’s fault—not technically. The driver did not see the child at all. Yet many children run into the street and are not hit. Many drivers do see the child. Many drivers are driving slowly and carefully enough to see and be able to stop in time to prevent an accident. The skill of this type driver may be playing a second&fy role. Actually, he may be driving "Christian- style.” He is loving his neigh bor and showing it. The old man, who was knock ed down as he slowly limped across the street with his bag of groceries, may never buy groceries again. Instead, he may spend his remaining years in bed—in pain. It’s true—no one deliberate ly runs down a child or an old man—or any one of the thou sands of careless adults of all ages who break safety rules. An average of 38,000 human beings are killed annually in traffic accidents. Last year 700 were killed during the Christ mas holidays. This alone is enough to make us take inven tory of ourselves as drivers. If the 90 million drivers on the road today would decide to follow the golden rule behind the wheel, that number could be reduced dramatically. First Communion Class St. Joseph’s, Macon Sixty-eight children received First Holy Communion at St. Joseph Church, Macon, on Sunday Dec. 8th. Pictured are the Children, Monsignor Thomas I. Sheehan, pastor, Sister Mary Agatha, R. S. M., principal and Sister Mary Donata, R. S, M., second grade teacher. — (Photos by George Currey) Our Spinning Wheel A Christmas Legend By Jackie Waller After Jesus was born in the stable at Bethlehem, St. Joseph set out to find a place where they could stay for a while as, obviously, it would be impossi ble for them to go back to Nazareth at once. The roads were bad and the journey long and tiring for a tiny Baby and a new-made mo ther. But it was equally impos sible to remain in the stable, because it was cold, and both mother and Child needed quiet and rest. Fortunately, since the little town was so overcrowded, a carpenter hearing of Joseph’s plight gladly offered shelter to a fellow craftsman and his fam ily. So Joseph went back to the stable and soon Jesus and Mary were comfortably settled in the carpenter’s house. But now a new problem arose, if they were to stay here for several weeks until the Child was old enough to travel, our Lady would need plenty of baby clothes. Of course, ever since she had known she would become the mother of God, she had been busy spinning and weaving to make clothes for the Child. All these, however, had been left behind at home, when READ IT FIRST IN... The WALB - TV Albany Herald CHANNEL 10 "South Georgia’s n "The Window Of Metropolitan Newspaper” South Georgia” Delivered On Day Of Publication Into The Homes Of More Than-- NBC AND ABC 115 COMMUNITIES NETWORKS IN SOUTH GEORGIA 73 (0 they set out to obey the em peror’s order. No doubt Mary had hoped to be back in her own house be fore the Child was born, and it was wiser in those days to tra vel light. So the host’s wife borrowed a spinning wheel from a neighbor, and our Lady set to work. She had to spin enough thread to weave into little shirts and sheets but it was tiring work and poor Mary was still weary after her difficult journey. One evening when she was alone in her room with the Child, she sat near the window spin ning while Jesus smiled in His cot by her side. Night was fal ling over the hills and it was very quiet. No birds were sing ing. The lamplight shone soft ly on Mary's head and over her work, but she was so drowsy that she could hardly see it. She fought to keep awake, she needed so much thread to clothe the divine Infant. She must hurry or He might be cold. Every thing blurred before her eyes as her head drooped forward, but she jerked awake and tried once more to resume her task. Soon the spindle fell from her weary fingers to the floor, while Mary slept, resting her fore head against the window-ledge. Seeing this the Child began to cry softly, but she heard no thing, deep in the slumber of exhaustion. It was morning when Mary woke, and for some minutes she did not realize where she was or why she was sitting there. The sun streamed into the room, and the birds sang clear ly and gaily in the fields and olive groves. Mary straightened in her chair, and her gaze at once went to Jesus in His cra dle by her side. Had he cried in the night perhaps, wanting her while she slept? The Baby, however, was laughing and gurgling, and an angel in a shining robe knelt beside Him rocking the cradle and singing a lullaby. Mary gasped in her amazement and rubbed her eyes wondering if she was dreaming still. But when she looked again the angel remained, and she smiled happily to see her Son’s joy. Then her eyes fell to her knees and once more she thought she was dreaming, for they were piled with baby clo thes. Small and perfect, where had they come from? Who had woven and spun while she slept? Slowly, hardly believing her fingers she touched the soft sheets, the sheer swaddling clothes. Then she heard a faint hum ming sound and looked toward the spinning wheel. A shaft of golden sunlight shone straight on it and it was turning busily, fanned by the wings of another white clad angel, facing her across it, while in the farthest corner of the room more angels were at work at the big loom, sending the shuttle back and forth. Others again . plied their needles, the pile of baby gar ments growing to the sound of angel voices. Seeing this mira cle, Mary bowed her head, thanking her Lord, while Jesus smiled in His cradle. Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River, with a total area of 58,876 square miles. MASON INC. AD 2-4192 18-20 W. BRYAN ST. • Printing •Office Supplies •Office Furnit^e •Ditto Duplicating Machines and Supplies The Southern Cross, December 19, 1963—PAGE 5 3ome And School Association Bishop Speaker At Blessed Sacrament SAVANNAH—The announce ment made by His Excellency, Most Rev. Thomas J. McDon ough, Bishop of Savannah, that Rt. Rev. Msgr. Andrew J. Mc Donald would be Pastor of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, was received with high acclaim and enthusiasm by the parishoners who were present at the Annual Father's Night Meeting of the Blessed Sacrament Home and School Association on Monday evening, December 9th. Msgr. McDonald expressed his happy acceptance of the post and said that the present programs under way would continue with renewed vigor, and that he look ed forward to a close associa tion with the parishoners for the betterment of the Church and school. His Excellency, Bishop Mc Donough, spoke of the Second Vatican Council and his part in the forty-two meetings that were held. Assembled with twenty-five hundred Bishops from over the world daily dur ing these meetings, Bishop Mc Donough pointed out the unani mity of purpose that was preva lent among this group and that the fruits of this session, though listed by some writers as mini mum, will in the next session in 1964 be abundant and wholesome for Holy Mother Church. He spoke fervently of his meetings with Pope Paul VI and the hu mility and graciousness of this man, the Vicar of Christ on earth. How fitting the announce ment of Pope Paul’s visit to the Holy Land was described by Bishop McDonough and at this Christmas Time how realistic Pope Paul's choice of Jerusa lem over other places in the world. A special treat for the Fa thers was a visit to the child ren's classrooms where they talked with the teachers and viewed the children’s work. Sister Mary Delilis’ First Grade won the hearts of the audience with their portrayal of a Christmas play. To them the honor of having won the Attendance Prize. Georgia was the first state to grow cotton for commercial use. AUTO REPAIRS Savannah Radiator Co. 315 West Bay Street Savannah, Georgia .Johnnie Ganem Steak Ranch CHARCOAL BROILED STEAKS PRIME STEAKS DINNERS-LUNCHEON COCKTAILS DINNER MUSIC Gaston and Habersham AD 3-3032 A four-year Liberal Arts College FLORIDA’S Catholic College Of Distinction Co-Educational WRITE: DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS SAINT LEO COLLEGE SAINT LEO, FLORIDA RHODES, INC RIRNITUtE Jackson St. at Pine ALBANY, GA. GARGANO’S New Expressway Near 5 Points ITALIAN-AMERICAN RESTAURANT SPECIALIZING IN *PIZZAS AND *SPAGHETTI ALBANY, GA. Albany Sheet Metal Works CHARLES A. SAPP S * T * (TOM) PARR Roofing & Sheet Metal Contractors NO JOB TOO LARGE OR SMALL Tin—Siate—Tile—Tar & Gravel—Composition In Roofing- Sky Lights—Ventilators—Cornic Work—Copper, Gutter, Job Work of All Kinds Phone HE 6-1651 122 Front Street Albany, Ga.