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4A ®J)£ Iferalti <©a?£tt£ Tuesday, March 23,2021
Opinions
Learning from loneliness during the pandemic
JACQUELINE REYNOLDS
A year ago, loneli
ness felt unnatural. 1 was
living in a house with 10
girls, socializing in my
classes, comfortable in
my two-year relation
ship and involved in an
outgoing social scene. I
assumed I was supposed
to be an extrovert. I was
supposed to enjoy the
constant human interac
tions and surface-level
conversations because
this was college, and
college was the time to
surround yourself with
people.
But there is something
shallow to this. 1 was a
shell of a person, lacking
the self-love, indepen
dence and moments of
sheer loneliness that can
lead a human being to
self-discovery. It took a
pandemic to wake me up
to myself, embrace being
lonely and learn from it.
1 am an out-of-state
student from Fort Worth,
Texas, and when CO-
VID-19 began to threaten
our country in March
2020,1 was unable to
return to my home in
Athens. I went from liv
ing in a loud house and
spending most moments
accompanied by other
people to joining Zoom
calls in the solidarity of
my childhood bedroom.
My parents were my only
source of human interac
tion.
This was depressing
at first. Like most people,
and especially young
people, 1 experienced
selfish feelings of victim-
hood. 1 was robbed of im
portant summer intern
ships and spending one
of my last few semesters
as a college student with
a boyfriend three states
away and friends spread
across our anxiety-shak
en country.
But after a couple
of months, 1 began to
redefine this period of
isolation and confusion
as an opportunity for
self-reflection and clarity.
1 presume this pandemic
has brought on moments
of loneliness for most
people around the world.
And while being lonely is
generally perceived as a
negative feeling, a hard
ship on human mental
health, it is then when we
can hear ourselves the
loudest. You just have to
be willing to listen.
Around July, despite
the tragic talk of loss,
fear and distress, 1 real
ized that I could finally
hear myself think, and
she had important things
to say.
1 spent the quiet, heat
ed summer days with my
self. 1 started meditating
and manifesting, reflect
ing on my future without
the loud buzz and input
of everyone else. 1 was
doing freelance work and
noticed a new sense of
vulnerability and dis
tinctness in my writing.
1 reconnected with my
family, recognized mean
ing in deep conversa
tions and found myself
fully present to life.
1 no longer fed off of
the empty validation 1
once searched for in oth
ers. When 1 was forced
away from the noise,
from the quick-paced
college environment and
shallow lifestyle of fleet
ing connections, 1 real
ized 1 had been hiding
from who 1 am and who 1
want to be.
While being lonely
can deter the soul, it can
also fill it up in ways that
many young people fear
to explore.
This year has been
hard on humanity, and 1
continue to grieve for the
losses brought on by this
virus. Yet sometimes it
takes adversity to spark
discovery, and it is im
portant to reflect on the
moments in life where we
wake up to ourselves.
Now loneliness feels
natural, for 1 have em
braced it and continue to
learn from it.
This article is from opinion editor
Jacqueline Reynolds, a senior jour
nalism major at the Red and Black.
The ins, the
outs, the ups,
and downs of
the THEY
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
They say more cold
weather is coming. They
won’t believe me, but 1
was not
parked
illegally.
They are
taking
away our
rights.
They
don’t do anything like
we used to do. They
don’t know diddly about
running things. They
are not held to the same
standards that exist for
ordinary folks. THEY also
cannot possibly exist.
I’ve been so bold as
to ask, quite often, “Who
is ‘they’?” the answers
are a gamut of emotions,
such as “shut up - you
know who I’m talking
about,” or “how can
1 possibly know?” or
“THEY are the ones who
are always against me.” It
looks simple, and simply
ridiculous, but THEY
have a lot of power. Just
let a few statements be
made on social media or
in another public mes
sage, and - good or bad
- it is believed almost
instantly by many, many
people. “Well, it’s what
they say.” Is that a rea
son to believe? Please,
please do some thinking.
If you can say to me,
“The Governor of Geor
gia said on television ...”
or “Dr Fauci now says ...”
or “The teacher said to
do it this way ...” I would
likely trust the source.
Maybe. I need time to
process and rethink and
investigate what 1 hear
- it’s what reporters are
trained to do. Imagine
whether we could hold
our positions as sources
of truth for the reading
public if we did NOT
investigate everything
we hear, read or are told
is absolutely true.
I’ve been asked by
someone who can verify
a bit of information that
could be damaging to a
person or cause, “Why
are you asking me this?” 1
reply, “So far this is a ru
mor. Rumors are always
worse than the actual
truth, so I’m trying to get
to the truth.” There is no
way to live with myself
if I withhold information
from my bosses, co
workers, or those who
read The Herald Gazette,
just because someone
(maybe even somebody
who has been a friend
to me) might get into
trouble of some descrip
tion.
Only on one occasion
have I ever declined to
do a story under those
circumstances; when I
tell you why, you prob
ably will understand. In
one place we lived many
years ago, I discovered
a connection between
some local governing
persons and organized
crime. Word got out that
I was investigating; some
one who knew I couldn’t
be bought told me, “Stick
to the small potatoes. If
you go into the higher-
ups, there will be two
motherless children at
your house.” I backed
out, but -1 passed on the
info I had to someone
who could investigate
with less chance of dan
ger. The situation may
still exist; I wish some
times I had gone ahead
and blown the lid off,
but I couldn’t stand the
thought of actual physi
cal harm to me or mine.
I have never believed
entirely in THEY. If what
I hear sounds incred
ible, my next question is,
“Where did you get this?”
More times than not, a
genuine source cannot
be identified; it came
from somebody who
heard it from somebody
who told it to somebody
else.
P.S. - Don’t even trust
the “theys” on TV - re
member how long politi
cians have been passing
on BS as truth.
Kay S. Pedrotti has spent some
50 years writing for newspapers.
She is active in the Lamar County
community and currently serves as
the president of Lamar Arts. She
lives in Milner with her husband Bob
Pedrotti.
Letter printing guidelines
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For a letter to be considered for publication, please
include the writer’s actual name, address and tele
phone number. Limit letters to 250 words or less.
Shorter letters are appreciated. All letters are subject
to editing. No personal attacks on private citizens,
political endorsements or letters that are racially
divisive.
Send letters to P.O. Box 220, Barnesville, 30204,
email it to news@barnesville.com or drop it by 509
Greenwood Street, Barnesville.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thank a Farmer during
National Agriculture Week
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is National
Agriculture Week and citizens are
encouraged to show appreciation for
local farmers. Wednesday is Ag Hero
Day and Thursday is Ag Literacy Day
and The Herald Gazette would like
for citizens to select their Ag Hero
and write a letter to the editor about
them. Submit letters to news@
barnesville.com.
Agriculture is all
around us, it is what we
eat, what we wear, and
how we live our lives.
According to the Census
of Agriculture, in the
two counties of Upson
and Lamar, we have over
540 farms covering over
80 thousand acres. The
leading commodities in
the area include poultry,
forage, and cattle pro
duction.
Recently I had the
opportunity to judge a
contest where students
submitted papers on
the topic “What would
happen if there were no
farmers or ranchers.”
The students defi
nitely did their research
and found products
that we use every day
that we would no longer
have available if farm
ers were not producing
it. They listed different
vegetables, fruits, meats,
clothing, shelter, and
medicines that we would
not have readily avail
able. It put into perspec
tive, for these kids, what
life could be like if there
were no farmers.
When this topic comes
up in discussion, it is
a perfect example of a
“looking at the glass half
full or half empty” situa
tion. Most might list off
the negatives from the
loss of farmers; what ma
terial “things” we would
lose, the shortage in food
supply and the drastic
changes that would have
to be made. I.e. the “glass
half empty” point of view.
I prefer to look at it from
a glass half full perspec
tive. All the products and
services provided by
farmers.
All the hard work, time
and dedication they put
into their crops, forages,
and livestock. The way
they endure trials and
tribulations, like extreme
weather and pests, but
still devote their lives to
providing food, shelter,
clothing, and opportuni
ties to everyone in the
United States and the
World.
If you think back 20,
50, even 100 years ago
there were a lot less job
options, and a lot more
farm workers. The farm
ers we had then and the
farmers we have now,
have given us the op
portunities to expand
our knowledge base
and broaden our career
horizons. Let’s take the
time to thank our local
farmers and producers
for their strength. The
strength to work 365
days a year to produce
the everyday conve
niences that we have
come to enjoy.
I myself am not a
farmer, but I am honored
to have the opportunity
to work with those indi
viduals who are.
In the future, how will
you answer that ques
tion; what would happen
if there were no farmers
or ranchers? Will you
view the glass half empty,
or half full?
HAILEY ROBINSON
UGA EXTENSION AGENT
McMullen is management forester
Jason McMullen re
cently joined the Georgia
Forestry Commission as
a management forester.
McMullen, 32, will ser
vice GFC Region 1 coun
ties which include Lamar,
Pike, Monroe, Butts and
Spalding.
McMullen graduated
from the University of
Georgia’s Warnell School
of Forestry and Natural
Resources in 2010 with
a Bachelor of Science
degree in Forestry. He
worked in landscaping
and as a procurement
forester at Gay Wood
Company in Toomsboro,
Ga. before joining the
GFC in January 2021.
As a management for
ester, McMullen provides
landowners with guid
ance on a wide variety
of forest management
practices, including pre
scribed fire, insect and
disease control, harvest
ing and reforestation,
and wildlife enhance
ment. He also advises
landowners about the
many assistance pro
grams available through
the agency that contrib
ute to forest sustainabil
ity in Georgia.
McMullen is a regis
tered forester in Georgia
and a member of the
Ocmulgee chapter of
the Society of American
Foresters.
He and his wife, Leah,
live in Milledgeville and
have two sons, ages
five and seven, who are
home-schooled. The fam
ily enjoys the outdoors,
especially camping and
canoeing. McMullen is a
frequent paddler on the
Oconee, Ocmulgee and
Altamaha Rivers, and
says he’s always anx
ious to “find out what’s
around the next bend.”
For more information
about services of the
GFC, visit GaTrees.org.
FLASHBACK
In honor of
Elizabeth Sellers
March 21-27
10 years ago
Those going to the
polls here voted to
continue the SPLOST
772-245. The county
planned to use SPLOST
funds to repair roads
and bridges and put
roofs on buildings.
In Milner, plans were
to upgrade the water
service on Moore Street
and then pave it.
25 years ago
Allie Means Sap-
pington died at the ripe
old age of 100. She was
the widow of General
Homer Sappington, the
last commander of
the Barnesville Blues.
Burial was in the family
cemetery on Sappington
Road.
50 years ago
The Miss Heart of
Georgia Pageant was
to be held at Gordon’s
Alumni Memorial Hall.
Linda Faye, a popular
weather girl from Chan
nel 11, was to be MC.
Contestants included
Lacy McAbee, Janet
Sammons, Kay Davis,
Lyndan Dean, Johnna
Clements, Gay Kennedy,
Julia Caldwell and Deb
bie Noelle.
100 years ago
Charley Sherman,
janitor at Gordon
Institute, was shot and
killed Saturday night
near Milner by Lewis
Hightower. The difficul
ty resulted over a trivial
matter, according to the
best information ob
tainable. Sheriff Elliott
located and arrested
Hightower Wednesday
and placed him in jail
to await a commitment
trial.
barnesville.com
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P.0. Box 220
Publishers
Staff
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