Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, October 13, 2010 — Page 5
Dixie Divas
By Ronda Rich
When the yearning for a
weekend
trip to
New Or
leans ap
peared,
much
like the
late night
craving
for a bag
of potato
chips, it took no persuasion to
convince Poet to meet me there.
“Name the day and I shall ar
rive happily,” he declared when
the words had barely been re
leased from my lips. “I am, my
dear lady, at your beck and call.”
And so, true to his word, the
weekend dates I suggested were
deemed “perfect” and the plans
THE TRAIN
were put into motion.
“I have a notion,” I said to
Poet, “that I shall take the train
to New Orleans.”
“The train?” He sounded only
slightly surprised, though he
will readily admit that little
about me surprises him. “And
prey tell what has brought forth
this notion.”
“I’ve never taken a train trip,”
I began, my voice then drifting
off a bit dreamily. “They seem
so romantic.” I paused. “Did you
know that every time that Dolly
Parton leaves her lover in a song,
that she always goes on a train?”
Poet’s deep, robust laughter
sprang forward, rippling on for
several seconds. “Why no,” he
admitted in a tone that was
clearly smiling. “I was not
aware of that important fact.”
“Well, it’s true. She always
goes on a train. Never a plane.
Isn’t that romantic?”
This is all to explain how I
found myself on the south
bound Amtrak Crescent, chug
ging at a steady pace toward the
Crescent City. Like most folks,
I find I am way too weary of
plane travel and all its hassles
so I was quite delighted to pull
my car into a front and center
parking space at the train depot,
grab my bag and walk six feet
in the door. It was early morn
ing, so early the sun was still
asleep and the few passengers
waiting were barely awake.
Lucille, the queen of the de
pot (she’s been there for over
37 years), was working on her
needlepoint. She looked up for
a moment and in a no nonsense
voice said, “Getcha an Amtrak
luggage tag over there and put
it on your bags.”
“Gee,” I thought to myself.
“This is a lot better than the
hassle of the airport.”
I did as I was told then settled
down on the old, church-like
wooden pew next to her. I pep
pered her with questions about
the train, explaining it was my
first trip.
“Now, the train leaves at 6:58,
what time does it get here?” I
asked.
I’m used to having to be at
the airport well over an hour
before my flight leaves.
“Oh, ‘bout 6:58.”
I did a double take. “6:58?
That’s not much time to load and
unload.”
“Girl, you better grab them
bags and jump on that thang
‘cause it don’t stay long.”
A few minutes later, the train
slid to a quick stop, Lucille and
the porter helped me scurry
aboard. I dropped my bags in
the stateroom then headed to the
dining room for breakfast.
“Welcome aboard!” greeted
the New York-born waitress
who, when she heard me speak,
said “Oh, that’s the best South
ern accent I ever heard. It
sounds like music.”
For twelve hours, I watched
from the window of my com
partment as the train passed
through towns I know well but
had never seen from the railroad
tracks - Atlanta, Anniston, Bir
mingham, Meridian and
Hattiesburg. I saw the magic of
the small town South as the train
edged toward New Orleans. I
read to my heart’s delight, en
joyed the view of laundry blow
ing in the wind on clothes line,
diners welcoming customers,
churches longing for Sunday
and simple clapboard houses. I
was entertained and mesmer
ized.
I stepped off the train in New
Orleans and walked forty feet
to Poet who, handsome and el
egant, was waiting at the door.
He took my bag and grinned.
"So? How was it?”
“Dolly Parton was right.
Train travel is romantic.”
Ronda Rich is the best-sell
ing author of What Southern
Women Know About Faith. Visit
www.rondarich.com to sign up
for her weekly newsletter.
Letters to the Editor
Powerful judges
Editor:
The office of a judge is very
powerful. Some judges are ap
pointed for life.
A judge in California over
turned the will of the people that
marriage is between one man
and one woman. This judge said
that marriage also includes two
men and two women.
Another judge ruled special
rights for homosexuals.
In Florida, a judge ruled in
favor of a husband to let his sick
wife not receive any food or
drink, thus starving his sick wife
to death before the whole world.
A judge ruled to not let any
law officials enter any mosques
in the United States. It was
shown on tape on FOX News
that some extremists are plan
ning to attack major cities in the
United States.
Please research judges on the
Internet or call Jerry Laquire,
president of the Christian Coa
lition at 706-366-8298.
Know who you are voting for.
Remember, when the wicked
rule, the people mourn. And,
when the righteous rule, the
people rejoice.
Marie Butler
Gough
No improvement
Editor:
So this is what has been hap
pening since I submitted a let
ter to the editor two weeks ago.
We all know that we had a pretty
good rain a while back. Well,
one morning I got up and I
heard a big truck outside my
house and it happened to be a
city truck picking up a huge limb
off the decaying pecan trees
outside my house. The limb fell
exactly where my daughter
parks her car. Fortunately for
her, her son and his friend had
already left for school and
work. It was a close call - they
leave at 7:25 a.m. and the track
had the limb almost loaded at 8
a.m.
This brings me to a true story
that happened in the city I lived
in before moving here. One of
the streets in our city was lined
with beautiful old live oak trees.
And yes, they were beautiful,
however, they had not been
maintained by the city and
limbs stretched out over the
road. One day a woman was
driving down that street and a
limb broke off the tree and
landed on her car and killed her
instantly. The city then cut down
the dead trees and cut the dis
eased branches off of those
left. It is not as pretty as it used
to be but it is a lot safer.
Is this what the city of
Waynesboro is waiting for be
fore they trim back these dis
eased trees along our
roads. These same limbs hang
over and around telephone and
power lines.
Several months ago I came
home after church and there
was a limb from one of these
trees that broke off and hit the
corner of my house causing
damage. Fortunately for me I
have insurance to cover it.
These trees grow on the ease
ment between the sidewalk and
road. Is it not the city’s job to
maintain these trees to provide
safety for the citizens of
Waynesboro?
An update on the pack of
dogs in my neighborhood: They
are still here rummaging
through the streets getting into
garbage bins, chasing cats and
doing their usual terrorizing. I
was pretty disappointed that
there was no response to my let
ter as I have had plenty of people
agree with me that are disgusted
with our city’s services. It has
been my experience that if no
one stands up and says
“ENOUGH” there will be no
changes.
My favorite saying is “If
nothing changes, nothing
changes.” Let’s make a stand
to improve the quality of life
for ALL our citizens. Let’s look
to future generations and pro
vide them with an opportunity
to become better people by be
ing better people ourselves. The
children are our future. What
happened to “It takes a village”?
We all have our pet peeves, let
us voice them publicly. Let’s get
the attention of our city
government. STAND UP AND
BE HEARD.
Jerry Ellen Clary
Waynesboro
Other Voices
By F. Leslie Jenkins Jr.
Burke Banter Boy
It was my thought to try to
think of something to write
about, but NOTHING comes to
mind. How does one write about
NOTHING?
God created the vastness of
the Universe from NOTHING
with NOTHING, but His spo
ken WORD. Maybe God has
given me enough creative abil
ity to write a short column with
NOTHING and about NOTH
ING.
The only thing I can do is to
give it my best shot. If I fail,
there will be NOTHING lost
and NOTHING gained. How
ever, I may have a slight advan
tage over God in that I have a
computer and other writing aids.
God made us and our world, and
I say it again, with NOTHING
and from NOTHING.
I suppose I am destined to
write of NOTHING, since quite
often this brain of mine seems
to contain absolutely NOTH
ING. Most folks I know do ap
peal - to be pondering something.
They are in deep thought, so I
assume that the vast majority has
something besides NOTHING
on their mind.
However, I must, also, assume
that there is a goodly number
who do no thinking at all. There
seems to be four hundred and
something, supposedly elite,
men and women on Capitol Hill
that do very little thinking. I am
certain they are thinking of
something, but I fear their
thoughts are of their next cam
paign, not of ‘We The People’.
Maybe this elite group consid
ers ‘We The People’ NOTHING
worth thinking about.
But I guess I shouldn’t pick
on a "Do NOTHING Con
NOTHING
gress”, since I am writing
NOTHING about NOTHING.
After all, there are times when
thinking NOTHING and doing
NOTHING is soothing to the
soul. God said, “Be still and
know I AM GOD.” In that sense
NOTHING is good. We are,
probably, designed to go into an
idle mode at certain times of the
day. That is why there are Top
Sergeants to wake us up, to get
us ‘on the ball.’ to do some
thing, to think of something, to
get rid of those fuzzy NOTH
INGS in our brains. But today,
I speak largely for myself. It is
I who have the NOTHING fe
ver. It is I who can think of
NOTHING better to write about
than NOTHING.
I hope you will bare with me
until I come to the end of this
dreadful matter of NOTHING
NESS. I can’t go on like this
much longer.
As I start this new paragraph,
I feel compelled to warn you
that it is just another paragraph
of NOTHING. What else could
I say, when there is NOTHING
on my mind and NOTHING to
tell you or advise you? All I can
say is, “forgive me” or give me
some help getting out of my
doldrums. Send me a lettter,
send me an email, give me a
call, tell me what you would like
me to write about. Then again,
you may want to tell me to shut
up.
By now most of you are prob
ably wondering how any sane
person can continue on and on
about NOTHING. Well, I’ll be
honest with you, it ain’t easy,
but if you will stick with me
through another paragraph or
two, I think we can bring this
ordeal to a halt. Then we shall
all be happier. Why I endeav
ored to sit down with NOTH
ING on my mind and try to
write about NOTHING, I will
never know. The next time I
have NOTHING on my mind,
instead of trying to write. I’ll
just take up Yoga and sit and
contemplate my navel.
Again, I must plead with you
to forgive me for subjecting
you, my loyal readers, to such
trashy dribble. From this day.
henceforth, I solemnly promise
never again to write about
NOTHING. If my mind will not
come up with something to
write about, I just won’t write
NOTHING! With that, I am
ending this woeful tale of
NOTHING. Ain’t you happy it’s
over? I show am.
You can reach F. Leslie
Jenkins Jr., Burke Banter Boy,
by email at: f291@bellsouth.net
NARCOTICS
ANONYMOUS
Meets 7-8 p.m.
on Tuesdays & Thursdays
at Wimberly House
521 S. Liberty St.
Waynesboro, GA
II
uy
Wimberly House
Ministries, Inc.
521 S. Liberty St., Waynesboro *706-554-6644
706-794-2567 • Nancy Minyard
Monday-Friday, 3-5:30 p.m.
• Jamie Taylor After School Program,
grades K-5,
(during school year for latchkey children)
Mondays & Tuesdays, 9
a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Counseling Services - Carole Meek,
M.Ed., N.C.C., L.P.C.
By appointment, 706-439-8900 or
706-554-6644
Mondays, 4 - 5:30 p.m.
• Cub Scouts
Mondays, 7:00 p.m.
■AlcoholicsAnonymous •Al-Anon
Tuesdays, 11 a.m.
• Parenting Classes — Infant First Aid
•Women’s Health
•Parenting Young Children -Drug
Awareness for Parents (By Appointment)
2nd Tuesdays, 6 p.m.
• Breast Cancer Support Group -
Louise Fortson, 706-554-2854
Thursday, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
• Girl Scouts - Daisies & Brownies
Fridays, 7 p.m.
• A Icoholics Anonymous
Saturdays, 9 a.m.
• Overeaters Anonymous
•24 Hours a Day
•Rape Crisis & Sexual Assault
Services ■706-437-8500
For appointments & information
contact:
Nancy Minyard, Executive Director
at 706-554-6644 or 706-551-0526
Wimberly House Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit, non-denominational ecumenical outreach desiring to
provide help and hope to people in this community. Scholarships are available on the basis of need.
10 Weeks of Specials
Plush & Euro Top Style
Full or Queen Sets
Limited Time Price
i Starting November 1st i
■i ■.
T MR All Catalog Shipments Are FREIGHT FREE [
| HP When Shipped to Local Store I
kifit ANNIVERSARY DRAWING
RECLINER ■ PRIZE VALUE - $349
For Customers Only - Purchases Between 0-13*2010 & 10-30-2010
v M Monday-Frtday 14*6 '- a K l
;1 , . Saturday 9-3 Fum
www.capitalfumnitffe.cam
202 East 6th Street
Smaller white background sign
available to go directly on
house or above garage
CITIZEN GRAPHICS
A Division of The True Citizen
601 East 6th Street • Waynesboro
706-554-2111