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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 The Herald Gazette welcomes letters to the editor. 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 770.358.NEWS P.0. Box 220 Publishers Staff SUBSCRIBE DEADLINES 509 Greenwood Street Walter Geiger Nolan George $30 per year in Lamar and sur- The deadline for public notices Barnesville, Ga. 30204 Laura Geiger Rachel McDaniel rounding counties; $40 outside is noon Thursdays; news and 770-358-NEWS Tasha Webster the local area. advertising before noon Fridays. barnesville.com General Manager Includes 24/7 access to Early submission is appreciated. E-mail: news@barnesville.com Missy Ware barnesville.com