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PORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | forsythnews com
Make Wednesday the new Monday
My work week would be a
wholé lot easier if it started on
Wednesday.
Mind you, I'm not one to
complain much about
Mondays. Every Monday, |
don't get up and post on
Facebook about how much |
hate Mondays. | usually reserve
my Monday Facebook postings
for blaming Obamacare on
something that happened bad
over the weekend, like the
Falcons almost losing a playoff
game.
I really have no issue with
Monday other than the fact that
it’s the day that starts the work
week. For instance, I had no
issue with Monday, Sept. 3,
2012.
Since that was Labor Day, |
didn’t work, so it seemed like a
Sunday. That week, for some
reason, | had a problem with
Tuesdays, but got over it by the
next Tuesday, which didn’t
Mr. Bobo, a man full of important words
To be just downright honest,
I never expected to miss him
this much. And, if the deeper
truth be told, perhaps it isn’t
just the loss of a singular man,
though great and admirable he
was.
Maybe it’s the combined
losses of those three who sat
together on the church pew in
the third row. Perhaps that’s
what makes the grief so pro
found and long lasting.
Mr. Gene Bobo was special.
There’s no denying or disputing
that. He was a courtly Southern
gentleman, his manners impec
cable and his vocabulary
belonging to a genteel past
where people used worthy
words and eschewed pointless
ones like “uh,” “you know” and
“like.”
“I commend you on such a
magnanimous choice,” he said
once over something I had done
that won his approval. “My
heart brims with admiration
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' !
LEN RI! BINS
Columnist
seem all that bad.
In the weekly newspaper
business, which T admit to
being in when I'm not pretend
ing to be an architect, Monday
is our busy day. It's the day we
write nearly all our stories. It's
the day we lay out our newspa
per. It's the day we make sure
all our advertisements are
proofed and ready. And it’s the
day people call me when they
want to chit-chat or sell me life
insurance.
And my body has also
become accustomed to sleeping
until 8:30 a.m. for two days
straight.
2
RONDA RICH
Columnist
whenever | witness someone
such as yourself who answers
to the siren of a higher calling.”
We became friends by acci
dent. One Sunday, I had hurried
in to church and slid in next to
a man named Gary. We bonded
instantly, and from then on,
Gary saved me a seat saying to
anyone who dared to sit by
him, “No, I am saving this for
my friend.”
Gary had tremendous physi
cal challenges and had them
since birth. Walking and talking
were both difficult and man
aged only through a superior
effort and determination.
Mr. Bobo sat by Gary —
I can’t wait until the day
when I'm so rich ... or unem
ployed ... that Mondays don't
bother me.
But instead of complaining
about Monday, I think it's time
to explore options of what to do
about it. Here are some alterna
tives I'm considering to make
Mondays more palatable:
« Start the work week on
Saturday.
This would immediately
make Monday seem more like
Wednesday, which would also
rid Monday of that negative
stigma that has to be bothering
its psyche. So, under this
schedule, the work week would
start on Saturday and go five
days through Wednesday. Then,
the weekend would be
Thursday-Friday.
Wait. That would mess up
college football being played
on Saturday. Forget it.
« OK, we can't start the work
until I claimed that place — so
I found myself seated between
them on a weekly basis. Then,
Mama joined us.
Mr. Bobo would graciously
rise from his seat, step into the
aisle and whisper, “Someone is
anxiously awaiting your arrival.
1 am delighted that he will not
be disappointed this morning.”
I sat next to Gary, Mama sat
next to me and Mr. Bobo sat on
the end. We all became friends.
Good friends. The kind of
friends who celebrate with you,
mourn with you and pray with
you.
Mama died first. Then Gary.
Then, most recently, Mr.
Bobo just up and died without
warning. He was 94 but vibrant
when he went to bed that night.
He couldn’t be awakened the
next morning.
1 sadly learned of his death
when I was in California and
reading the local news online.
His death was the lead front-
I“WELCOME BABIES OF 2012”,
A e
R o
R =
B bl
peL MIJ g
e
&
Share The Joy Of Your New Arrival!
On Sunday, January 27th, the Forsyth County News will publish a
special page featuring the babies born in 2012. Along witha
picture of the baby, we'll include the names of the baby and
parents, birthdate, and birthplace, creating a special keepsake. Fill
in the information on the form below with a picture of your baby
along with the $15.00 fee and bring or mail it to the Forsyth County
News, 302 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Cumming, GA. 30040 or email to
spowell@forsythnews.com. All major credit cards are accepted. Any
mother featuring twins, triplets, etc. pays only $19.00 as long as all
are in same picture.
DEADLINE IS s PM MONDAY, JANUARY 21st.
Mail To: Welcome Babies of 2012
Forsyth County News
302 Veterans Memorial Blvd. Payment Enclosed
Cumming, GA 30040
Baby’s Name G i U R< DR
Sex _____Date of Birth Place of Birth
arents = 0o o B
Address Rt ek SRR i
City/State/Zip________ -
Actual Size: 1%"x1 %" %
L Y, AT B
Forsyth County News S
% -1\“ b\ s
{7 *’\WQ V. 4
= \'\‘, l\%‘ }1“:5
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770-887-3126 A 0
4 “Welcome Babies of 2012” )
week on Sunday (Sabbath), so
how about Tuesday?
Under this scenario, Tuesday
would be like our current
Monday, and the work week
would go five days, from
Tuesday-Saturday, with Sunday
and Monday being the week
end.
Dang. That still screws up
college football Saturdays, and
NFL Sundays, and high school
football on Fridays. Next.
* Who said we had to have a
five-day work weék anyway?
Why not do this: Start the
work week on Wednesday.
Work from Wednesday-Friday.
Weekend goes from Saturday
until Tuesday.
This would accomplish a
number of goals:
. 1) Make Monday much more
enjoyable and unsmirch (new
word I just made up) its good
name;
2) Keep college football
page story. | couldn’t believe it
was true. But it was.
Mr. Bobo was a textile pio
neer. He co-invented pantyhose
in the mid-19505, which was a
bit ironic because he was such
a gentleman that he still
blushed when he said the word.
It was too intimate and unseem
ly for such a dignified gentle
man.
He had shepherded a young
Sara Blakely toward her dream
of a product called Spanx, help
ing her to locate the necessary
knitting mills and introducing
her throughout the industry. A
noted philanthropist, he used
his wealth and good fortune to
help many.
Typical of Mr. Bobo, I didn’t
have a clue to such past suc
cesses for a few years despite
the fact that I spent a good deal
of time with him. We dined
together often and after a cou
ple of falls put him into an
assisted living facility, | visited
DEADLINE
MONDAY,
JANUARY 21st
SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2013
Saturdays intact;
3) Allow me to stay up late to
watch Monday Night Football;
4) Cut my work week down
to three days, which would be
beneficial to my golf game;
C) Keep the Sabbath holy,
because sometimes I have to
work on Sunday so that my
Mondays aren’t so hectic; and
D) Transfer the blemish that
has blotted Mondays far too
long to Wednesdays, which
have enjoyed the “Hump Day”
moniker far too long.
Plus, nothing really gets
accomplished on Wednesdays
anyway.
Mondays shouid be like any
other day in life’s rich pageant.
I think that's in the Bible.
If it isn’t, we should add it.
Len Robbins is the publisher of the
Clinch County News.
regularly. His eyes pooled with
tears the moment he saw me
and he would squeeze me so
tightly that it hurt.
“You are the daughter that
the good Lord never saw fit
with which to bless me,” he
said often. “You have no idea
the extent to which I hold affec
tion for you in my heart.”
1 had a surprise for him. I had
written about him in my new
book, “There’s A Better Day
A-Comin’.” I decided to show
him the book rather than tell
him, but that opportunity is
now lost to eternity. I mourn
missed joy over seeing his hap
piness.
Still, this much I know: Mr.
Bobo has found an even better
day.
Ronda Rich is the author of
“There’s A Better Day A-Comin”."
Visit www.rondarich.com to sign
up for her newsletter.