The Georgia post. (Knoxville, Crawford County, Ga.) 19??-current, April 04, 2013, Image 4
PAGE 4 - THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 Opinions expressed by writers on this page are their own and not necessarily those of The Georgia Post CODE OF ETHICS: Seek Truth & Report It - Minimize Harm - Act Independently - Be Accountable. Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe. - Thomas Jefferson Why I Love Community Newspapers By Larry Walker Most of them are small, al though there are two or three larger ones with pictures of my show calves and me. All of them are slightly yellowed and somewhat worn by the weight of many years. But I can still read ’em, and I can still re member. Then there are ac counts of loved ones and their departures after lives well-lived. And, political happenings - victories, accomplishments, positions taken, critical letters to the editor and the like, with the positive being in greater numbers, not necessarily because of preponderance of happenings, but more so to do with what was saved. Of all these boxes of clip pings saved, perhaps the most cherished is the one from the Houston Home Journal of about two column inches telling of the June, 1963 departure of four local boys, Bobby Jones, Jerry Hor ton, Jerry Wilson and Larry Walker, for Ft. Worth Texas and summer work at Texas Steel Company. It’s as if the accounts in this timeless trea sure come back to life every time I see and read it. I must mention three week ly newspapers of particular significance to me: the Sand- ersville Progress delivered to my Walker Grandparent’s home on dirt Sparta-Davis- boro Road in rural Washing ton County, Macon County’s Citizen Georgian ’covered me’ when I represented that county in the General Assem bly and the one I love, the Houston Home Journal. Then, there are other com munity newspapers, outstand ing in every respect, that come to mind as examples of the best in community journalism: The Blackshear Times, The Press-Sentinel, Jesup, The Northeast Geor gian, Cornelia, and The Clayton Tribune. And of course, do not forget your own community newspaper, The Georgia Post. These papers are the con science of the community. They report on city and county governments. They help to keep local officials honest and on the right path. And, very importantly, they write the history of the place and people even while it is being made. Community newspapers are us. They tell our story - the tales of those of us who don’t live in Atlanta or New York or even Macon. It’s the chronicle record of what we do and are and we aspire to be. And, it’s what the world, or this part of it, will know about us when we have long since crossed over the river. I love our community newspapers. I can’t wait to look at mine (I claim some interest in it) when it comes out on Wednesday and then, again, on Saturday. It’s been that way ever since I was just a boy, ever since I was able to read and understand. And, I remember: editors like Cooper Etheridge, Bobby Branch, and Foy Evans; printers like Byron Maxwell; writers like Charlotte Moore (“Porky”, we miss you) and owners like Danny and Julie Evans. Thanks to all of you for enriching my life and making it more enjoyable. And, thanks for making a record, a permanent record, of my little accomplishments in my little part of the world. And, the accomplishments of friends and family. “Newspapers are in financial trouble.” But, not’ours.’ Not the ones that are close to its readers and know what is really important to its read ers - you know things like, a huge tomato, twin calves, a fifty pound watermelon grown by Mr. Gray, the cat caught in the wheel well of the Mayor’s car, Mr. Wil liam Jones seeing what he believed to be a black panther out on Salem Church Road and the squirrel that interrupt ed the morning service at the First Baptist Church. What fun. What memories. I love community newspa pers. Larry Walker has practiced law for 48 years in his hometown of Perry. He served in the General Assembly for 32 years, and now is a member of the University System of Geor gia s Board of Regents. His column appears weekly in the Houston Home Journal. His email address is lwalker@whgmlaw.com. uotable Quote ~ The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.— Will Rogers Taking Cues From Waking up to a 50 lb. dog standing on your side in the mornings is not necessarily the way to start the day but at our house this happens quite frequently. Our Boxer, Roxie, is telling us it is time to get up. She is much better than an alarm clock. If standing on you does not work right away, she will poke you with her paw, sometimes in the head, depending on how quickly she wants you to respond. Most days she is patient. She will get up with David and then come back to bed for a little while with me but some days, she insists that I get up as well, especially on week ends. We really should take more cues from our pets though. They love unconditionally. They are always happy to see you no matter what. They for give easily and are just happy to be alive as long as they get to eat, sleep and play. And, unless they are sick, they are always happy. You can tell your furbaby your troubles and they will never repeat it and they seem as though they are listening intently. Roxie is devoted to her family and hardly ever meets a stranger. She has so much personality, sometimes she seems almost human. Dogs enjoy the simpler things in life - chasing but terflies, playing catch, trying to figure out the squirrels and birds. Roxie is quite comical and I wish many times we had captured her antics on video. She has a ferocious bark which would scare any in truder. She loves children and does not like for them to cry. If you cough or sneeze, she thinks something is wrong and comes over to try and fix it. She does not realize that Our Dog she weighs 50 lbs. She still gets up in your lap. She runs like the wind. Thankfully her coordination has gotten better as she has aged because at first she was not looking and was always running into things. Once it was me and I went sprawling on the ground. She also ran into the side of the parked car during one of her running escapades. It was actually quite funny since she did not hurt herself. If you encourage her to run she tries to run faster. Because when we first got her they had not cut off her tail, she was too big by then so her tail can now be classified as a lethal weapon! She has also started to mind better most of the time and brings much joy to us. In train ing her and most boxers for that matter, you have to be just as stubborn as they are and continue even when you want Pay at a Time Victoria ’’Vicky” Simmons vsimmonsS4@gmail.com to give up. Sometimes we do not make it that far. But if you can hang with them they pick up things pretty quickly. Our daughter’s smaller dog, has even started to play more and do more things because she sees Roxie doing them. Though she is big, she will sit still for you to bathe her. Of course, once finished she is all over the place. She also likes to dance with me sometimes. At night when we get home she is still ready to play. She will bring her fiisbee to you or she will punch you with her paw to try and get your atten tion. If that does not work, she will resort to whining which always makes us laugh at her. She has gotten better about not chewing all our shoes and has pretty much learned not to bother our shoes. However, if she gets really bored, she will occasionally forget. The other day she had chewed slightly on my tennis shoe and when David tried to get her to bring it to me so I could see what she had done, she would not look at me and hung her head in shame. She hasn’t touched that shoe since. She loves the outdoors and when David says he is going to check on the ducks or to feed the fish, she knows which one he is talking about. We are amazed at how much she does understand about the things we do routinely around the house. Yes, we should take a few cues on how to treat folks from our dogs. Blessings to you this week. Taking The Road Less Travelled When one goes down the road of life they usually take the road beaten down and worn from the footsteps of others gone before them. It’s just so much easier to follow the footsteps of your fam ily members and friends. So much easier to beat the path where the wilds of the world have already been scared away by those who have already run through making all the noise in the world. I want to take the path less travelled. The quiet, bramble covered rocky path that no one’s feet have touched. I’d like to see the monsters that path has in store for me and beat them away myself. Simply because I know it will make me stronger and smarter. God gives us a choice, to follow the flock or to strike out on our own. He does not judge us either way. He knows, as all parents know with their children, that your own way is the way that is going to make you happy. It may be scary and dark at times but if you follow your light and keep your eyes open for the traps set for you by the devil along the way, you will surely make it out unscathed. More whole than when you went in. That dark forest is nothing but trees and those monsters may be nothing but a few deer curi ous about the lonely traveler who took the path no one thought to take. I take a deep breath every time I am confronted with this fork in the road and plunge down the path cov ered in briars, the one I think may be the worst but usu ally ends up being the most peaceful. You see to me that path well-travelled may very well be easy to walk down in the sunshine but think of the distractions along the way. A field of flowers, another traveler taking a break that wants to bend your ear to all his weary problems, a lost stranger that may need your help along the road. Sud denly you are picking flow ers, sitting listening to the stories of another’s life, or travelling the path of another trying to fix their problems as your own path is forgot ten and soon you end up lost yourself. The path less travelled is your own. You may not find fields of flowers to spend your time putting off your journey, but you may very well find the perfect spot to grow your own flowers. You may not run into any story tellers along the way but the story your journey creates is your own. And you may not find someone who may need From Moo To You Abigail ”Abby” Adams abbyadams@pstel.net your help because they have lost their way, but perhaps you will become that light that guides them back to their own path without los ing sight of your own. The path less travelled may seem lonely, scary or even downright impassable, but God will never put more on you than you can handle. He simply gives you the choice to struggle and grow or take the easy way and follow those who came before you. Either way is right, but I like to take the road less trav elled. How about you? published every week by Crawford Publishing, LLC. Our Staff Floyd Buford - President Victoria ’Vicky” Simmons - GM/Publisher vsimmons54@gmaiLcom or byronbuzz@pstel.net Abigail Adams - News Reporter/Editor’s Assistant Office Assistant - Michael Fleming Kelli Johnson- Marketing Executive Robbie Robertson - Distribution Carey Lee - Sports Photography Trenesia Y. Stubbs, Charles Cook, Nancy Gibbs, Billy Powell, Angie Carr, Jeff Cook, Wade Yoder, Dan Gatlyn, James Earnhardt Robert Tharpe, Rev. James Snyder, Spencer Price - Contributing Columnists Our Policies Deadlines are Noon on Friday prior to issue. 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