Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, November 25, 2020 — Page 5A
Michael N. Searles
America is the land of hoax
es. We can be led down the
garden path sometimes with
our eyes wide open. If the
story is fascinating and highly
speculative, it has a chance of
capturing the public’s imagi
nation. On October 15, 2009,
Americans were captivated
with the story about the release
of a homemade helium-filled
gas balloon that entered into
the atmosphere and reached
7,000 feet during its 90-minute
flight. The story was made
more exciting when Richard
and Mayumi Heene claimed
their six-year-old son, Falcon,
was trapped inside the bal
loon. Their insistence that
Falcon was inside the balloon
prompted National Guard
helicopters and local police to
pursue the balloon for more
than 50 miles before it landed.
Falcon dubbed “Balloon Boy”
by the press was not found in
the balloon. A theory emerged
that possibly he had fallen out
of the balloon during the flight.
Falcon was later discovered
hiding in the attic of his home
where he had been all along.
While hundreds of hoaxes
have competed for the public’s
attention, possibly the biggest
hoax was the so-called Cardiff
Giant that was unearthed 150
years ago near Cardiff, New
York. The “discovery” was
made by two well diggers in
October 1869 on the farm of
William Newell. It occurred
when the two men hit a large
stone three feet down. As
they continued to dig, they
unearthed a giant foot and later
the entire “petrified” body of
a 3,000-pound figure. News
spread like wildfire. William
Newell and George Hull, two
entrepreneurs, erected a tent
and began charging 50 cents
a head to see the giant. It
was reported that the scene
leading to the farm was filled
with buggies, carriages, and
farm wagons loaded with pas
sengers. The Cardiff Giant
became not only a sensation
in New York but throughout
the nation. What the curios
ity seekers did not know was
the two well diggers were in
structed where to dig and that
THE BIG HOAX
Newell and Hull had planted
the giant stone statue there a
year before. Drawing on the
public’s interest in natural
science and fossils prompted
a series of petrified humans
to be “discovered” in many
other places, but none of these
hoaxes equaled the success and
notoriety of the Cardiff Giant.
There currently is a story of a
novel vims labeled COVID-19
that has invaded the United
States. The virus cannot be
seen with the naked eye, but a
number of people claimed to
have been infected and some
supposedly have died as the
result of contracting it. When a
sample of Waynesboro citizens
were asked if the Virus was
real, their response often was
the vims is a “hoax.” A num
ber of folk openly questioned
the actual existence of the
vims. “It is overblown and
not as dangerous as reported”
is a common response. Some
have stated they did not know
a single person who had con
tracted the vims.
The wearing of face masks
also has been seen as a govern
mental plot to rob the people
of liberty. Skepticism is wide
spread that wearing a thin face
covering could actually protect
anyone. This reaction to the
so-called Covid-19 is reflected
in the mask wearing practices
observed in local businesses.
Those without masks seem to
exude complete confidence that
the vims is not real.
A kind of pandemic fatigue
may have set in where people
who have masks either forget
to wear them or purposely
leave them at home. Some
believe that the report of Presi
dent Tmmp contracting the vi
ms also was completely false.
Everyone saw the helicopter
taking him to Walter Reed
Hospital and a few days later
his miraculous and triumphant
return to the White House. For
some this was proof positive
that a great hoax was being
perpetrated on the American
public. One day we will awake
like Rip Van Winkle and the
mysterious novel vims will
have disappeared. It will be
at that time the big reveal will
occur. Abannerheadlineinthe
New York Times will report
that like the Cardiff Giant and
Balloon Boy, Covid-19 really
never existed. We need only
watch and wait.
Diana Royal
PAY IT FORWARD
V
Reprinted from Nov 22,
2017
I was 15 years old. I can still
see her standing there in an old
brown coat, her hair and half
her head stuffed into a bright
red beanie. She had a sign
made from yellow legal paper.
It simply said, “MONEY?”
My boyfriend would not
stop the track so I could give
her some cash; he said she
was probably just going to buy
drugs or beer and that I needed
to be wary of people like that.
“But what if she’s hungry?
That might be what she needs
the money for.”
He wheeled his track around,
went through the KFC drive-
thru and then headed back
toward where we’d seen her.
As I handed over the chicken
dinner, she searched my face,
trying to make eye contact. Her
search was not out of gratitude;
she couldn’t focus because she
was completely wasted. The
smell of liquor would’ve been
hard to disguise, not that she’d
tried, and as she tossed the food
to the ground beside her feet
and asked if we had $5, my
boyfriend told me maybe I’d
learned a lesson.
And y’all know what? I did.
My eyes filled up with tears,
and I stared out the window
most of the way home. I re
member wondering how she’d
gotten in the position she was
in. I wasn’t angry with the lady;
I was sad.
Last night, my daughter and
I watched remns of “The Fresh
Prince of Belair,” and one of
the episodes was a Thanksgiv
ing one where Carlton and Hil
ary work in a soup kitchen that
mns out of food while feeding
the homeless. I burst into tears,
almost uncontrollable sobs. As
soon as I thought I had them at
bay, the waterworks just kept
coming back.
Why was I crying?
Because things just like that
actually happen. People really
are hungry. People really don’t
have family. Or a warm bed. Or
a face smiling at them asking if
there is anything they need and
wishing them well.
The lesson I learned so many
years ago is one I have never
forgotten and the very reason
I’ve spent more Thanksgiv
ings serving up food or playing
checkers at a nursing home
than I have with my family.
There are people out there
who need us. People who need
kindness and love and generos
ity; it doesn’t matter why they
need it.
I know I’ve helped someone
whose intentions weren’t what
they claimed, but does that
mean I should never help an
other person? Absolutely not.
We never know what sort of
difference we could make for
another soul. If you’re hesi
tant to help because you have
questions, then your heart re
ally isn’t in the right place. It’s
never about us. And I can say
with certainty, for every one
person who’s ever seemed un
grateful for a kind act, there’s
a dozen who won’t ever forget
what you do for them. Like I
said, it’s not about us. It isn’t
about getting a thank you. It’s
about impacting a life.
Back to the show.
After the commercial break,
we see a line of folks taking
their peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches, thankful to have
a warm and dry place to eat.
Then, Carlton and Hilary show
up with a huge feast in tow. A
young man tries Cornish hen
for the first time, smiling at
Carlton and asking, “Will you
be back for Christmas?”
That right there folks is what
it’s all about. I know this is a
TV show, but you do know that
these are real life occurrences?
Things that happen right here
in Waynesboro, Georgia. We
have hungry people, and we
have people willing to feed
them.
Get out there and love peo
ple. Buy someone breakfast.
A blanket. Hold the door for
a child or an elderly person or
a really tough looking, scary
man. Cross barriers with com
passion. Smile ’til it hurts. Pray
for someone, even if you don’t
tell them.
One person can do a lot with
a little.
I hope you all have the hap
piest Thanksgivings.
BURKE COUNTY BUSKS DIRECTORY
These local professionals are here to serve you!
Air Conditioning I Electrical & Generator
TRUST.
IT'S MORE THAN A WORD TO US.
ITS OUR WORD TO YOU.
#ncm
706-554-7341 / 706-530-4516
COMPLETE
SYSTEM
DIAGNOSTICS
*49
TRANE
FKWELL
ELECTRIC CO.
706-554-2861
i«w>llvlt(lric,cvm
QENERAC
AUTHORISED DEALER
&02 West 6th Street
Waynesboro, GA 3D&3Q
PHONE (TOG) 554-2861
Air Conditioning
COUNTy
TRW W
Flntidhln
Rurnnln
™ Commercial - Residential ”
Sales & Service
1040 Bothasda Church Hoad
Girard, GA
Mobile; 706-339-9343
Ckuin Air
f*HTn<»Td
Fill
Firai Rain Wnrmrtvn
ill
Contractor
HIGHSIUIITH BUILDING SERVICES, INC.
constructing custom homes sfnce t&flt
JOHN A. HIGHSMITH
JdIihH ig tismiUi igrocietjiaLHKi
P
et Grooming
z>pringvtood
Boarding & Grooming
706-592-0444
32t>y Old Waynesburu Hnad
HnphzLhnh. GA IBOfilS
'‘Cdring ItandJ foryMpreciowpef
Insurance
Stacey L. Herrmann, LUTCF • Agency Mgr.
FARM
BUREAU
GEORGIA
P.O. Box 329
Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance Services
Soulham farni Bureau Life ms nranr.a Company
Office 706-554-2017 FAX: 706-554-7482
Email; 5lhemnarn18gfbfn5.com
CLAIMS # 1-S55-432-2567
Waynesboro, GA 30830
Wrecker Service
706-551-3998
706-551-0876
TAYLOR BROTHERS
Wrecker Service
206 West 12th Street
Automotive Repair & Wrecker Service
Family Owned and Operated since 1963
3UGA. % 24 HaL 704 554-7814
24-Hcur Towing after hours
70S554-5SM
We sell Truck S Trailer Accessories - We sell Trailer Tires
ADVERTISE HERE!
To be included in the Burke
County Business Directory,
contact Roy Chalker
at 706-554-2111.