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4A ®jje Heraltr Tuesday, June 1,2021 Kudzu and Clay: Apocalypse It is a lot more com mon these days to think about what would hap pen if the entire world collapsed and we woke up to a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Movies depicting this kind of horror are a lot less entertaining and a little more jarring than they used to be. We live in a time where any scenario is not really out of the realm of possibility. Zom bies. Nuclear war. A black hole swallowing us up. The sun exploding into a supernova. Unlikely, but not improbable. Sitting down with my wife, having our nightly recap and counseling ses sion of everything that bothered us about the day, this topic came up. My wife reminded me, as she does on a regular ba sis, that if such a thing as the end of the world is to happen, 1 will be on my own. 1 am not allowed to go with her because I will slow her down and cause her to die. I remind her that I am an Eagle Scout and she reminds me that I am the worst Eagle Scout there ever was. She may be correct. I get lost in my own neighborhood from time to time. The problem she has with me joining her dur ing such a catastrophic event has nothing to do with my orienteering skills. Face it, if the world ended, maps are going to be the last thing on your mind. No. She will not take me with her because she thinks I will eat all of her food, leaving her to starve. Again, she may be correct. I do most of the gro cery shopping for my household. I enjoy going to the grocery store and walking around. Probably because I was in my early teens before I ever went into a large supermarket. They still amaze me. I usually am given a list by my “manager” but I enjoy going off script as well. I’ll get her and my son a few things I think they’d like but I stop short of getting myself that much. I’ll get a bag of pork rinds or some wasabi peas, that’s all. Selfless. I have been made aware of a very disturbing trait of mine. The issue starts when I come home and put away the groceries. I make a big deal out of whatever cookie or candy or silly breakfast thing I bought them. I say, “I bought this for you.” Within a few hours, I get hungry and I look at what I bought myself. I look at what I bought them. Then, for whatever reason, the stuff I got them looks better. Tastier. So I eat some of it. Not all of it, but some of it. Yes, I pur chased these things for them, but we are a family. We can share. My wife doesn’t see it that way. Her viewpoint is that if I bought food for her and food for me, why in the world would I eat her food first? This fight comes up a lot, but I have only now come to terms with the fact that she is right. I do eat her food first. Only then do I consume my food. My food is something I have purchased subconscious ly knowing they would never eat. What 6-year- old eats wasabi peas? Now that I am aware of this I notice I do it with everything. If there is a beverage that has been purchased exclusively for my wife I will sub consciously develop a thirst for it and drink it before anything I have for myself. She likes lime seltzer water, I like grape fruit, but Lord help me if there is a cold lime in the refrigerator and a cold grapefruit, I’ll always pick the lime. For paper products, if she has a box of Kleenex on her nightstand and I have a box on mine, I will always reach for hers first. My son has no lollipops or popsicles because I ate them all and only left him with my pork rinds. I am a mon ster. I like to think this kind of behavior is a survival mechanism I developed by growing up in a house full of men. It was either eat what you can, when you can, or don’t eat at all. We were like cave people. The minute we found a wildebeest we went for the part we wanted, even though we knew we’d eat the hoof if nobody else did. I don’t want to be a caveman. Lately, I have been trying to break this habit so that in the event of the end of the world I can survive with my family. The other morning while I was making my cof fee and reaching for the fiber-rich cereal I bought for my old man self, I hate to admit, some thing came over me and I poured the last bowl of my son’s chocolate cereal, leaving him with nothing but my fiber-rich twigs. If the end of the world comes my family won’t let me come with them, and neither should anyone else... if they want to survive. Chris Walter is a writer, artist, and Barnesville native. He has just published his first book, “Southern Glitter”. You can find more informa tion about his art and writings at kudzuandclay.com Thank those who have helped you right now KAY S. PEDROTTI kayspedrotti@gmail.com Wishing and “wait ing for heaven” won’t bring back my beloved parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and price less friends. I now know that the support, love, expertise and “good ad vice” from my departed dear ones have shaped my life, my attitudes and who I am. And I never thanked them enough. So, with the indul gence of The Herald Gazette, I will mention just a few “living people” who are dear to me now for many reasons. My same-age cousins, Anne Watson O’Connor of Lilburn (paternal) and Lynda Cook Thompson of Woodstock (maternal), and I talk often enough to laugh ourselves silly over the “stuff” we did and got into when we were growing up. I hope they have forgiven me for being the little priss I sometimes was; many times I must have hurt them by acting “uppity.” I love you wonderful women, so thank you for sticking with me now that we are old and gray! My children and daughters-in-law have been more than a little influential in hard times, though their advice is often too “spot-on” for me to appreciate right away. But they love me anyhow, and gradually I see the truths they are brave enough to tell me. So thank you Beth, Vic and Amy, Mike and Tree. I never get enough time with any of you, but you are in my thankful heart, my thoughts and my prayers of gratitude for the wonderful people you are, all the time. The gratitude I have was rapidly passed down to all the grandchildren as I watched them grow up into such good people. My grandparents on both sides were the kind of folks who should be emulated by more people than their de scendants. They fought the hard times of the Great Depression and World Wars I and II; they did what had to be done to keep food on the table for their large bunches of young’uns: eight in both families lived to adult hood. I miss all four of them to this day. I hope that before they all died, they had some of idea of how much I loved them and how grateful I was (and am) that they were my grandparents. I miss them all the more because on the paternal side I have only my uncle Gerald and his wife Betty and uncle David’s remar ried widow Elke. On my mother’s side there is only Fumiko, widow of Mama’s older brother Elmo. Now when I think of something to ask about the past - there’s no one left who knows it all. The living person for whom I have the most love and gratitude, day after day, is my husband Bob Pedrotti. That’s all I can say, because he’s groused about “quit put ting me in your column.” But thanks, honey; every body else is getting a copy of this too! 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 Her ald Gazette welcomes letters to the editor. For a letter to be considered for publica tion, please include the writer’s actual name, address and telephone number. Limit letters to 250 words or less. Shorter letters are ap preciated. All letters are subject to editing. No personal at tacks on pri vate citizens, political en dorsements 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. Star Teacher of the Year 2020*2021 i ocons'i Sch0 °' Presented to John UohM Star Student of the Year 2020-2021 Saint George's Episcopal School SUBMITTED Lamar STARs Ansley Kate Potter (right), a senior at St. George’s Episcopal School in Milner, was been named countywide STAR Student for Lamar County. She and her STAR Teacher, John Hewitt (right), were honored by the Kiwanis Club May 12. Potter received a $1000 scholarship from the club. Kiwanis has sponsored the local STAR program since 1970. A current Kiwanian, Al Adam son, was the STAR Student in1986. Ryran Traylor heads up the program for the club. Email news@barnes- ville.com or call 770-358- NEWS to have an event published. • Midway Baptist Church, located at 158 City Pond Rd. will hold Vacation Bible School on Monday, June 7 through Thursday, June 10 from 5:30 - 8 p.m. nightly. The theme for the study is Destination Dig... Un earthing the truth about Jesus. • Midway Baptist Church, 158 City Pond Rd. will hold homecom ing on Sunday, June 13 beginning with the 10:30 a.m. worship service fea turing gospel singeing by youth, adults and the en tire congregation. Lunch will immediately follow in the fellowship hall. • Barnesville First United Methodist Church invites you to worship at 10 a.m. in the Sanc tuary, no reservation required, with overflow in the Fellowship Hall. Services are still offered online Sunday mornings streamed on YouTube and on Zoom. Come early or tune in early for the pre-service music at 9:45 a.m. At 11 a.m. the wor ship service is rebroad cast on Facebook. FLASHBACK In honor of Elizabeth Sellers May 30-June 5 10 years ago Legendary UGA wide receiver Lindsey Scott addressed the weekly meeting of the Barnes ville Rotary Club. Scott, the hero of the 1979 Georgia-Florida Game, was accompanied by Robbie Burns, author of the new book ‘Belue to Scott’. Scott showed off his 1980 National Cham pionship ring. 25 years ago Judge E. Byron Smith addressed the county commission about the need for enhanced secu rity at the courthouse. Citing tense incidents in other counties, Judge Smith recommended metal detectors at entrances and a panic alarm system. 50 years ago Top students at Gor don were named valedic torian and salutatorian. Military valedictorian was Kenneth S. Jones, son of Mrs. Emory Jones and the late Mr. Jones of Barnesville. Non-military valedictorian was Pamela Jane Robinson, daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray C. Robinson of Griffin. Military salutatorian was John McEachern, son of Mr. and Mrs. John O. McEachern of Brunswick. Non-military salutatorian was Lisa Frances Milam, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Milam of Barnes ville. 100 years ago Hon. Thomas E. Watson, the great writer, lecturer and statesman, will deliver his lecture ’The South’ at Kennedy’s Opera House in Barnes ville on Friday evening. The mere announcement insures one of the largest audiences ever assem bled here, for Mr. Watson is recognized as one of the foremost men of his day. Hundreds from this city and environs are expected to attend. Zi)t 2|graft <£a)gttg 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