Newspaper Page Text
4A Clje 1) eralb Tuesday, May 25,2021
Opinions
Ruffin's Renderings: Here we go again
During our forty-three
years of marriage, my
Good Wife and I have
moved, on average, every
seven years. I sometimes
joke that we move so
regularly because 1 can’t
keep a job. That’s not
true. So far as 1 can tell, 1
have left every position
voluntarily.
I think wanderlust
afflicts us. We get bored
or antsy. Whatever the
reason, we get the feeling
that it’s time to move on.
And so we do.
We moved to Yates-
ville in 2015.1 had started
a new job at Smyth &
Helwys Publishing in Ma
con. My new workplace
was a thirty-minute drive
from Yatesville. Due to
the generosity of my late
Uncle Jack, we owned
a few acres on the farm
where my father had
been born and raised.
So we decided to build
a house on that land.
That’s where we’ve lived
for the last six years.
I’m grateful that we’ve
been there. It’s been
good to be back in my
home territory after forty
years away. It’s been nice
to live closer to family
and to reconnect with
old friends.
1 suppose 1
thought that our
move to Yates
ville would be
our last one until
we moved on to
our permanent,
heavenly home.
It hasn’t worked
out that way.
When we moved
to Yatesville, 1
said that 1 had
come full circle. There
was truth in that state
ment. But it may have
implied that returning
“home” had been a
life-long dream of mine,
That wasn’t
the case.
We moved
to Yatesville
because it
seemed con
venient to do
so more than
for some other,
greater reason.
Besides,
what was full
circle for me
wasn’t full cir
cle for us. 1 left my home
in Barnesville in 1975 to
attend college at Mercer
University in Macon.
I met my future Good
Wife Debra in 1976. We
married in June of 1978.1
had just graduated from
Mercer, but she had a
year to go. So we lived in
Macon until she graduat
ed the following summer.
We left in August of 1979
to undertake our further
adventures.
By the time you read
this, we will be settling
into our new home in
Macon. So in a very real
sense, Debra and 1 have
come full circle. We are
back where we started
four and a half decades
ago. As was the case with
my return to the area of
my birth and upbring
ing, our return to Macon
wasn’t something that we
spent our lives hoping
would happen. But now
that it has, it feels right.
We are grateful.
1 hope this will be the
last move we ever make,
but I’m not counting on
it. I’ve learned better.
Given the regularity
with which our wander
lust symptoms have re
curred, it may turn out to
be a chronic condition.
Mike Ruffin is a Barnesville native.
His new book, Praying with Matthew,
is available at helwys.com and
Amazon.
Ruffin’s
Renderings
What's a
reporter to do
when news
is too slow?
KAV S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
The universal answer
to the above question:
wait for that day or week
when ev
erything
under
the sun
happens.
Then you
learn to
bless the
slow days
for making you think
about things you maybe
should have written,
or interesting features
you’ve missed or over
looked, or ... you get the
picture.
This newspaper is,
at this point, the only
creative outlet 1 have. 1
want to use it to the full
est extent possible, but
“things” have a habit of
getting in the way.
One of my friends
has insisted that 1 get
busy on my strange
autobiography, because
she thinks she won’t be
around to see it finished.
1 may not be around long
enough to write it, have
it edited and proofread,
get a publisher to buy
and market it, etc., etc.
I never could stick to
a journal, so a good
half of anything 1 wrote
about interesting, funny
or harrowing incidents
in my life will be based
on memories or cre
ated from what I think I
remember.
My father started his
“life story” three or four
times and never finished
it. He did leave enough
written evidence of his
very young and growing-
up years to make at least
a small book, but some
of his sisters disputed
what he wrote. Now all
the Smiths are deceased
except the youngest in
Daddy’s family, my uncle
Gerald; the year he was
born was the year my
parents married.
So at least Uncle G
could not argue with
Daddy’s account of hav
ing lugged a shotgun,
along with his little sister
Connie, to the cornfield,
to “protect” Connie
while Granddaddy and
Grannie went down the
road to help a neighbor
for a while. My grandfa
ther told him he was “in
charge” and had to “take
care of Connie.”
1 imagine my Grannie
fainted (or nearly so)
when they returned to
find four-year-old Vic
and two-year-old Connie
hidden in the cornfield
with a shotgun. Which
firearm, by the way, had
been hanging above
the fireplace - no one
understood how Daddy
was able to get it down
or even to lift it. By the
grace of God, it was not
loaded.
There are not any
anecdotes about me
that are nearly so excit
ing - except maybe the
story that all my little
grandchildren loved to
hear, about the bowl of
ice cream my mother
gave me when I was
three years old one hot,
hot summer in Dothan,
Ala. Mother was washing
clothes in the bathtub
and figured the chocolate
ice cream would keep me
occupied a while. When
she came back, she at
first could not find me -1
was under the kitchen
table, patting my bare
feet in the bowl of ice
cream.
Because what I do is
so important to me, 1
get upset when 1 make
factual mistakes or even
misquotes that find their
way into print. 1 appreci
ate the work of the staff
to “read the pages” to
make sure I’m still click
ing. 1 have never minded
being edited - I’ve been
deftly edited by, and had
my copy slaughtered by,
the best and the worst
kinds of editors in 50
years of writing. Such as
that - good and bad -
comes with the territory.
All 1 know is that 1 enjoy
writing for a commu
nity 1 care about, and for
people who care about
me.
Kay S. Pedrotti has spent some
50 years writing for newspapers.
She is active in the Lamar County
com- munity 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
Teacher Pat Burnette will be missed
1 write you today to
honor a long time educa
tor in the Lamar County
School System. 1 am hon
ored 1 was asked to do so
as she is quite deserving.
Many employees
have passed through the
doors of LCSS over the
years and 1 have admired
so many of them. One
of these employees is
retiring this year after 30
years in LC. A wealth of
knowledge and experi
ence with young children
walks out the door.
Mrs. Pat Burnette has
devoted and invested her
time and talents to the
children of Lamar county.
She moved here, married
a local guy, and has a pre
cious hard-working fam
ily. Working in a school
district for a long time
can be quite rewarding.
One gets to know genera
tions of different families.
Overtime though
(especially a long tenure
in one district), the work
of a school employee can
impact their health...their
attitude....their spiritual
self. Yet, Mrs. Burnette
has maintained her im
mense love for children
and her love for Jesus
Christ. Her steadfastness
has kept her loyal, trust
worthy, and caring.
Mrs. Burnette is not
one to seek adulation
or adoration. So, 1 am
reminded of particular
verses from Proverbs 31
that describes and hon
ors Mrs. Burnette best:
“She is clothed with
strength and dignity,
and she laughs without
fear of the future. When
she speaks, her words
are wise, and she gives
instructions with kind
ness. Her husband can
trust her, and she will
greatly enrich his life.
She brings him good, not
harm, all the days of her
life. Charm is deceptive,
and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears
the Lord will be greatly
praised. Reward her for
all she has done. Let her
deeds publicly declare
her praise.” Proverbs
31:11-12; 25-26; 30-31 NLT
While Mrs. Burnette
may be retiring from the
school district, she will
continue to be a blessing
in our community, in her
church, and to her family.
That’s just the way she
is!!!
NORMA J. GREENWOOD
Thanks for help from deputies, stranger
I want to thank the
deputies of the Lamar
County sheriff’s office
for coming to our rescue
when we had a blowout
on Hwy. 36 Saturday. 1
had my wife and 92-year-
old mother with me at
the time.
We were in a bad place
and it was hot. 1 had
plenty of fishing stuff in
my car but no spare tire.
The deputies came and
got my mother out of the
heat. She was scared of
all the cars flying by us.
They stayed until every
thing was under control.
I would also like to
thank a young man driv
ing a black pickup who
also stopped to help. 1
did not get his name but
he is appreciated.
Folks should slow
down. It could be your
mother the next time
around.
JOHNNYT0RBERT
p ^ s-
■V " J'
1
1 "
—™
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
They needed a vacation
Students at Lamar County Elementary School performed an end-of-the-year drama and
talent show on the back lawn of the school May 14. A huge crowd of parents and other specta
tors took in the production which was appropriately entitled ‘I Need a Vacation’. One week
later, they got one.
FLASHBACK
In honor of
Elizabeth Sellers
May 23-29
10 years ago
The Class of 2011 was
preparing to march in
graduation ceremonies
set for May 28 at Trojan
Field. Among those set to
address classmates were
valedictorian Abi Rowe
and salutatorian Nga Tan
To Le. Rowe was headed
to UGA while Le had
plans to study pre-med
at Oglethorpe University.
25 years ago
The LCCHS Class of
1996 was preparing for
graduation. Valedictorian
Kate Wood and salutato
rian Krista Turner were
to lead the march. Kara
Selph was celebrated for
13 years (2,340 days) of
perfect attendance.
50 years ago
Elijah Wisebram
represented the Barnes
ville Rotary Club at the
Rotary International
Convention in Sydney,
Australia. It was Mr.
Wisebram’s fourth trip to
the international event.
100 years ago
The baseball fans of
Barnesville had the “time
of their lives” Tuesday
afternoon, when the Fats
and Leans pulled off a
game at Summers Field
on behalf of the Boy
Scouts fund. The score,
as luck would have it,
was 13 to 13, showing
that both sides were un
lucky. More than $80 was
realized from the game.
Dr. J. A. Corry managed
the Fats while A. H. Eng
lish managed the Leans.
SUBSCRIBE
TODAY!
barnesville.com
Online 24/7
+ print edition
weekly
$ 30
local year subscription
770.358.NEWS
Wfyt Heraltr <&a?ette
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