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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