Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
The mind is a wonderful thing
Haiti continued from 1A
IT IS presumptuous
of me to think that
you care what I’m
thinking. But thinking
is about all I do these
days, and if I didn’t
write about what I
think, I’d have to turn
off the computer
I know, some of
you think that would
be a good idea. I don’t
think I’m ready to do
that.
Here’s why: On January 13,
I slipped the word “solipsistic'’
into my column. At the end I
said, “I’d like to know how many
of you knew what ‘solipsistic’
means, and how many of you
who didn’t know looked it up.’’
I expected to be covered up
with phone calls, e-mails and let
ters to the editor. I got one phone
call. One guy - only one - said
he has “solipsism.’’
That guy was Lee Thaxton,
whose trails I hike and who owns
Otis, my favorite dog.
I knew right off that Lee had
looked up “solipsistic’’ in the
Dictionary, and that I had helped
at least one soul to grow his mind
and increase his vocabulary.
That makes it all worthwhile.
So let me tell you what I think.
I think I’m losing my mind.
I’ll wager that all of you think the
same thing at one time or anoth
er. You think it when you can’t
find your car keys or glasses,
remember your anniversary or
your mother’s birthday,
forget an appointment,
don’t know why you
are in the grocery store,
etc,., etc,, etc.
That’s no fun.
Realizing you may
have lost your mind is
bad enough. It’s even
worse when someone,
in a loud, angry voice,
yells, “Have you lost
your mind?’’
The best answer is “yes.’’ It
gets the obnoxious questioner off
your back, and if you really have
lost your mind, you feel good for
having told the truth.
Don’t worry. In most cases,
your loss is temporary. (In a
few, it is not, and that breaks
our hearts.) It wasn’t really your
mind that you lost; it was our
memory.
Let us be thankful that we
have a mind. And let us remem
ber that if we don’t use it, we are
no better than the person who
does not have one.
Psychologists wonder why the
mind seems to fail as people
grow very old.
I don’t know what they mean
by “very old.’’ I am 86, and I
can tell ’em why the mind fails
as people grow older. It fails
because we grow older, stupid!
(Excuse me; I lost it there for
a second.) It fails just like a lot
of other things: seeing, hearing,
chewing, breathing, defecating
and one or two things I ain’t
about to tell you about.
In my opinion (for what it’s
worth), losing your mind is not
the ultimate catastrophe. Never
changing it is even worse. A
mind that never changes is like
an old car that never gets an oil
change; it is likely to rust and
blow a gasket.
Furthermore, a mind that is
made up is a dangerous thing.
What you’d like to see is a mind
that is made over. Not once, but
over and over and over. There
are some old, useless, outdated
- even dangerous - thoughts in
there that need flushing.
Some people find that hard to
do. Regardless of the subject -
religion, politics, whatever - they
know they are absolutely right.
Nothing can budge that mindset.
It is set in concrete.
The problem is that they know
a lot of stuff that just ain’t true.
But that is not all: they don’t
know that they don’t know a lot
of stuff that ain’t so.
The only hope is that they will
lose their old minds and find
new ones.
Well, that’s enough from the
frustrated psychologist. Yes, the
frustrated preacher wears many
hats.
Let us now turn to the pro
fessionals, compliments of The
World Book Encyclopedia:
“The mind is the ultimate
source of sensations, images,
feelings, and thoughts.’’
Balacing budget is difficult task for state
BY SEN. LEE HAWKINS
THE GEORGIA General
Assembly is in the first few
weeks of the 2010 Legislative
Session, and we are already
working to tackle the big issues
we’ll face this year. Of course,
balancing the state budget will be
our most important and difficult
task, as state revenues continue
to decline and the governor has
projected a $1.4 billion shortfall
for the Fiscal Year 2010 budget.
He’s proposed a $15.5 billion
spending plan in state general
funds for the remainder of this
fiscal year, which ends June 30.
Right now, the FY11 budget
stands at $16.8 billion.
We also face crucial decisions
on how to maintain Georgia’s
access to adequate water sup
plies. Since Judge Magnuson’s
ruling last July that Georgia
could lose drinking water from
Lake Lanier without a compro
mise between our neighboring
states, lawmakers, the gover
nor, and business leaders have
been studying ways to solve
this issue. Most recently, the
Senate Natural Resources and
the Environment Committee, of
which I am a member, met to
receive an update from the gov
ernor’s Water Task Force. The
governor created this vital task
force to assess the cost and gains
from the public industry side
in water negotiations. Speakers
included Nels Peterson, gen
eral counsel for Governor
Sonny Perdue, John Brock, co
chair of the governor’s Water
Contingency Planning Task
Force and Chris Clark, com
missioner of the Department of
Natural Resources.
Peterson outlined Judge
Magnuson’s two findings: that
Lake Lanier is not an autho
rized source of water and that
the Army Corp of Engineers
exceeded their authority by reg
ulating the water flow in Lake
Lanier. He concluded that with
out any changes, our consistent
water supply will be detrimen
tally affected. Brock then gave
an extensive presentation on
the governor’s call for a four
pronged proposal. The proposal
consists of appealing the rul
ing, tri-state negotiations, con
gressional reauthorization and a
viable contingency plan. He
noted that in addition to conser
vation and good policy, the keys
to Georgia’s success are in our
ability to Conserve, Capture, and
Control. Commissioner Clark
concluded with the department’s
findings and water management
recommendations. He briefly
touched on looking to the future
for viable solutions that can be
put in place by 2015 and 2020.
He highlighted the benefits of
incentives for energy efficient
fixtures, incentives for new
construction, and the potential
need for legislative mandates.
The commissioner reminded
the committee that in all efforts,
conservation should be a prior
ity and should become a part of
the state culture, not just within
Metro Atlanta.
We passed the first bill of the
session out of the Senate, which
allows for the use of hands-free
communication devices while
driving a vehicle. Few drivers
realize that under current law,
it is illegal to use a Bluetooth
while driving. The current law
was originally designed to pro
hibit the use of headphones, and
was enacted before the creation
of cell phones. Blackberries, and
other communication devices.
While these devices would now
be legal, the bill states that it is
illegal to operate a motor vehicle
while wearing a headset or head
phone that would impair one’s
ability to hear. This bill marks
an important step toward mak
ing Georgia roads safer for all
drivers.
The Senate made history
when we formally invited House
speaker and former senator
David Ralston to the Chamber.
He was presented with a resolu
tion honoring his election to the
speakership, and was invited to
address members at the rostrum.
He is the first senator to be
elected speaker of the House,
( We knew that, didn’t we? “So
thinketh a man in his heart...’’)
“No one statement of the
nature of the mind is acceptable
to all authorities. Psychologists
have held many different views
of the nature of the mind, and
even today they have by no
means reached agreement.’’
(Sounds like the pros don’t
know any more than the frus
trated shrink, doesn’t it?)
“Some people thought that the
mind, like the muscles, devel
oped through exercise, so that the
way to strengthen the mind was
to give the faculties work to do.’’
(Amen! Keep on learning,
y’all. Whatever your age, there’s
still a lot of stuff you don’t know.
Give your mind a workout every
day. Keep on changing. Keep on
growing.)
The following quotation is a
bit long and rather complicated.
So pay attention.
“Whenever a new idea or
impression made its way into a
person’s consciousness, all the
earlier impressions that were like
it or in some way related to it
were supposed to rise up into
consciousness and WELCOME
THE NEWCOMER. (Emphasis
mine. ) In this way, the mind kept
growing and rearranging itself.’’
(Final word: Welcome the
newcomer.)
Virgil Adams is a former
owner/editor of The Jackson
Herald.
legislators
as well as the first speaker to
be invited to address the Senate
Chamber. During his speech.
Speaker Ralston pledged a new
era in the House that will lead
the way to a more open and
transparent process that allows
all voices to be heard. I look
forward to working with our
new speaker to serve the citizens
of our great state.
Sen.Hawkins semes as the
chairman of the State and Local
Governmental Operations
Committee. He represents the
49th Senate District, which
includes Hall County and por
tions of Jackson Count}’. He
may be reached at 404.656.6578
or via e-mail at lee.hawkins@
senate.ga.gov.
Nichols also has limited
communication privileges
and does so mainly through a
friend’s email. Nash said she
hears from her son usually
every two to three days.
Nash last saw Nichols dur
ing the Christmas holiday and
fears it may be three years
before she sees him again,
even though he’s based in San
Diego.
“I’m a single parent and have
three more boys at home,’’ she
said. “I can’t afford the drive
or the airplane tickets for all
of us.’’
Also while home for the
holiday, Nichols proposed to
his girlfriend of three years,
Michelle Seagraves, a senior at
Commerce High School.
The Helms family last gath
ered during the Christmas holi
days as well, where John split
time between his parents and
his fiancee’s family. The last
time Michael saw his son was
on Jan. 7, when the two took a
hiking trip at Panther Creek in
Clarkesville. Later that night,
Helms left to drive back to
Camp Lejeune.
Nash is proud to have a son
in service and thinks his time
serving will benefit him for life
in many ways.
“I’m proud to be his mom,’’
she said. “I’m glad he made
the decision to go in instead of
staying in a small town, getting
into the everyday rut of a low
paying job and not experience
life to the fullest.’’
To Rev. Helms, he feels the
Marine Corps has given his son
an identity.
“He is a more focused, con
fident and driven young man
(than) before he joined,’’ he
said. “Leaving home made him
appreciate his home, his par
ents and his friends.’’
In addition, he’s proud of
his son, especially his current
assignment.
“(Helms) is doing what I’m
most proud of with our mili
tary - a humanitarian mission,’’
he said. “I know that right
now, he’s doing what he feels
most called to do. He’s helping
people. (Helms) is the happiest
when he’s helping others. So I
know that this mission is one
that he will never forget.’’
“I know his heart goes out to
these people,’’ the pastor con
tinued. “I know he feels glad to
represent our country and help
them in some small way deal
with their tragedy.’’
Nash feels similarly about
Nichols and the job that he’s
doing.
“He definitely loves being
a part of the relief effort and
doesn’t want to leave until the
job is done,’’ she said. “He has
brothers that look up to him
and wants to be a role model
for them by helping people.’’
According to Helms’ fian
cee, Ann-Mariea Woodward,
difficult aspects of the venture
for him involve watching chil
dren digging through leftover
garbage searching for food.
“Their smiles when they find
a piece of half-eaten food are
priceless,’’ Woodward said.
“Unfortunately, due to hazards,
(Helms) and his buddies have
to pull the children out of the
pile. This has been the hardest
thing for him to do so far.’’
Nash also worries about
her son and phone calls home
aren’t always reassuring.
“I think seeing the dead bod
ies has taken a toll on him,’’
she said. “Because he sounds
a little distant in the conver
sation, but keeps expressing
how much he loves me and his
brothers.’’
However, the experience has
its rewarding side as well.
Woodward said that small
talk with the locals is one thing
that Helms is valuing most.
“They talk of hope for the
Haitian people, their land,
country and government,’’ she
said.
Nichols is also experienc
ing a break from some of the
destruction as is evident with
one story he told his mother.
“One of the cool things was
a lady gave birth on a Coast
Guard plane and because of bad
weather had to be landed on the
Vinson,’’ Nash said. “The baby
was just hours old when she
named her son Vinson because
of all the people being so kind
on the ship and helping her.’’
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Dear Editor:
I would like to say thanks to
all of the people who helped
my daughters and myself dur
ing the hardest year I’ve had
in the 53 years that I have
lived.
I can’t call most of you by
name because I don’t know
who you are, but with that
said, it had to be an act of
God.
My daughters have been
afraid they were going to get
spoiled because they were
able to go shopping and actu
ally pick out what they want
ed to wear. I was astonished
at the little things that I used
to take for granted, like paper
towels and napkins. Believe
it or not, we still forget we
have them!
May God bless each of
you!
Sincerely,
Judy Stevens and girls
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