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Page 4A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Opinions
Ruffin’s Renderings: I’m thankful
BY MIKE RUFFIN
ruffinml@gmail.com
1. I’m thankful for
integrity.
2. I’m thankful for the
handful of pills I take
every day. I wish I didn’t
have to take them, but I
need them, they help me
stay healthy, and they’re
available, so I’m grateful.
3. I’m thankful that
insurance pays for most
of my medicine. I wish
everyone could be simi
larly blessed.
4. I’m thankful that I
have much better use of
my right hand than I had
earlier in the year.
5. I’m thankful for
decency.
6. I’m thankful for fried
chicken. It’s a good Sun
day if I can worship the
Lord, take a nap, and eat
fried chicken. I’m grateful
that I have a lot of good
Sundays.
7. I’m thankful for de
mocracy. I hope we can
keep it.
8. I’m thankful for
doctors. I’ve had to have
several this year, and I’m
grateful for all they have
done for me.
9. I’m thankful that
the Atlanta Braves are
the 2021 World Series
champions.
10. I’m thank
ful for people
who don’t live in
the past.
11. I’m thank
ful for people
who stand up
against racism,
classism, sex
ism, jingoism,
and a bunch of
other isms that
we’d be better
off without.
12. I’m thankful for my
wife. Y’all just don’t know
how grateful I am for my
wife.
13. I’m thankful for
the television show New
Tricks. It’s a light-hearted
police proce
dural on Brit-
box. It’s fun.
14. I’m
thankful for
our home in
Macon. It’s
where we
belong.
15. I’m
thankful for
our children
and grandchil
dren. They
give me hope.
16. I’m thankful for
breakfast for supper on a
cold night.
17. I’m thankful for the
grace of God.
18. I’m thankful for
science.
19. I’m thankful for
churches that invite me
to preach. I’m doubly
grateful for churches that
invite me back.
20. I’m thankful for
my grilled chicken
wings. You’ve probably
had some good chicken
wings, but you’ve never
had better wings than my
grilled chicken wings.
21. I’m thankful for
people who are vaccinat
ed. Thank you for think
ing about others as well
as about yourself.
22. I’m thankful for
people with a broad
worldview.
23. I’m thankful for
people with a sense of
nuance.
24. I’m thankful for
people with a sense of
irony.
25. I’m thankful for
people with a sense of
humor.
26. I’m thankful for
honor.
27. I’m thankful for
people who read the
words I write. Your doing
so honors me.
Mike Ruffin is a Barnesville native
who lives and works in Macon. His
new book, Praying with Matthew,
is available at helwys.com and at
Amazon.
Ruffin’s
Renderings
SPECIAL PHOTO
GA Tree Solutions removes a 70-foot tree from Post 197.
American Legion Post
197 thankful for help
American Legion
Post 197 would like to
thank GA Tree Solutions
LLC, for removing a 70-
foot pine tree from our
Post property
The work was profes
sionally done and we
really appreciate it. To
contact the company,
call Josh at 770-584-
5529.
THANK YOU,
JEFF SHERIFF
I Am A Soldier
BY TERI THOMPSON
I’m from the north, the south, the east and west
It’s my honor and privilege to be among the best
I stand tall and tread where others fear to go
I’ve felt the hottest hot and endured the coldest cold
I sleep in a foxhole in a foreign land
Hunkered down with my weapon and surround
ed by sand
I weep for fallen comrades without any shame
Hoping to always remember their names
I’ve felt the joy of victory and the taste of defeat
As I proudly serve my country - never to retreat
I chose my career, I enlisted to fight
To help protect - our inalienable rights
I am courageous; I am scared
But I am ready -1 am prepared
To maintain the promise to keep us free
And protect my country in its time of need
I fight for our freedoms every day
I fight for America - home of the brave
So pray for peace in an uncertain age
One that’s fraught with fear and rage
And hope that we in the midst of the fight
Receive our wish - for a death-free night
I am proud to be an American soldier.
Less than perfect Thanksgiving
BY BARBARA LATTA
kbkj@bellsouth.net
“Give
thanks in
all circum
stances,
for this is
God’s will
for you
in Christ
Jesus, (I Thessalonians
5:18 NIV).”
One Thanksgiving
my family learned more
about what Paul meant
when he told the Thes
salonians to choose
thankfulness in all cir
cumstances.
My husband and I
traveled to Florida to see
our son and daughter-
in-law. Our son was the
on-call Nuclear Medical
Technician at a local
hospital for the weekend.
He didn’t have to go in
to work but had to stay
close by and keep his
pager with him in case
an emergency procedure
was needed.
We decided the easiest
way to have a traditional
dinner would be to go
out to a restaurant. When
we arrived at the popular
family-style establish
ment we had chosen,
we discovered an hour’s
worth of people were
ahead of us.
We continued our
search and found an
other restaurant several
miles away which didn’t
require as long a wait.
Once we were shown to
a table and had ordered,
the waiter said, “Sorry
we are out of turkey. It
will be a while before
more is done.”
We chose an alterna
tive on the special menu.
Then we heard, “The rolls
aren’t done either, so
they won’t come out with
the meal.” I tried not to
get irritated and rational
ized my waistline didn’t
need carbs from dough
anyway, even though the
smell of baking bread was
wafting our way from the
kitchen.
But as a substitute for
the soft, buttery rolls, I
wanted the chocolate silk
pie prepared especially
for this holiday dinner.
And guess what? No
chocolate silk pie, either.
I replaced the laminated
Thanksgiving menu into
the metal holder on the
table while the picture of
the non-existent choco
late pie taunted me.
To avoid going down
the list and hearing what
ever we wanted was not
available, I finally told
the waiter, “It may be
easier if you just bring us
whatever you do have.”
Without knowing what
would arrive at our table
we waited the 30 or 40
minutes it took to arrive.
I watched other dining
patrons receive steaming
hot turkey dinners while
wondering what our
server had selected for
us. The minute the har
ried waiter set the plates
in front of us, our son’s
pager blared, BEEP, BEEP,
BEEP.
Before our mouths
could open to take the
first bite, they fell open
in disbelief. Our son said,
“This can’t be happen
ing.” The only thing we
could do was ask for
take-out plates so we
could leave right away.
While frustration at
our lack of holiday meal
excellence started to
rise, we decided to laugh
instead. We left with our
Styrofoam containers
which carefully pre
served the Thanksgiving
treasures for our enjoy
ment later.
It was more beneficial
to be thankful in these
circumstances, rather
than grumble and com
plain about the annoy
ance of not eating what
we wanted or having it
set before us in record
time. We realized we did
have a lot of blessings
and we could be thankful
in all things. Our family
was together, and we
were in a country where
a day set aside to thank
God for His bounty was
recognized. Most of all,
we had been given the
gift of forgiveness of sin
through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Grumbling and
complaining wouldn’t
have made the day bet
ter; instead, a grouchy
spirit would have been
introduced into our
conversation and ruined
the day. After all, the
celebration wasn’t about
the food. The season
was about the spirit of
gratitude.
That Thanksgiving
remained a memorable
experience for all of us
as a less than perfect
Thanksgiving dinner
turned out to be perfect
after all. The inconve
nience reminded us that
a reason to be thankful is
all around us.
Barbara Latta is a freelance writer
who posts online articles at barbara-
latta.blogspot.com and contributes
to the devotion website Christian
Devotions.
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Pike County
Journal
Reporter
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
P.O. Box 789
16026 Barnesville St.
Zebulon, Ga. 30295
770.567.3446
The Pike County Journal
Reporter is the official
organ of Pike County, the
cities of Zebulon, Moiena,
Meansville, Williamson
and Concord. It is
published weekly by
Hometown Newspapers
Inc. Second class
postage is paid at the
Zebulon, Ga Post Office.
Publishers; Walter and
Laura Geiger; staff:
Jennifer Taylor,
Brenda Sanchez and
Rachel McDaniel.
AT PIKE
BY DWAIN W. PENN
100 YEARS AGO
November 25, 1921: The Atlanta Council of the
Boy Scouts of America was looking to award med
als to scouts who perform unusual deeds. The act
would involve courage, endurance or quick think
ing beyond ordinary acts.
75 YEARS AGO
November 28,1946: The Pike County Teachers
Association announced a meeting on December 6 at
Zebulon. Instead of a special speaker, teachers who
attended the 4th District GEA in Griffin reported on
committee meetings and discussions were held on
the county Meet and basketball tournament.
50 YEARS AGO
November 26, 1971: Governor Jimmy Carter
announced that Pike County, with an unemploy
ment rate over 6% qualified to receive $34,735
through the Emergency Employment Act of 1971.
The funds for Pike County helped create jobs.
25 YEARS AGO
November 27, 1996: Work continues to eventu
ally connect the city of Williamson with the Griffin
water system. A contract was recently signed be
tween Griffin and Williamson for water service and
the valve will be ready to open by late December.