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The True Citizen, Wednesday, January 6, 2021 — Page 5
Michael N. Searles
Some years are better than
others. Yahoo Answer asked
the question,” What were the
ten best years of the 20th Cen
tury?” The selected years were
as follows: 1925, 1944, 1946,
1953,1957,1958,1961,1976,
1985 and 1991. For example,
1925 was cited as “The apex
of the Roaring 20s. Great mu
sic, great clothes, the world
was still a mystery. F Scott
Fitzgerald publishes The Great
Gatsby. The Great Sphinx is
unearthed. New York City be
comes the world's largest city.”
While some years are better
than others, sometimes days
can be bad. Judith Viorst hu
morously shared the bad things
that happened to one young
boy in her book Alexander
and the Terrible, Florrible, No
Good, Very Bad Day. Alexan
der’s day is a series of mishaps
and misadventures with the
day ending as it began with
disappointment. Alexander’s
continual refrain throughout
the day is his desire to move to
Australia where things always
turn out better.
Years have their good and
bad features and no year goes
unblemished. A popular web
site listed ten of the worse
things that happened in 2020.
Personal losses as well as
climate and natural disasters
dominate the list. The killing
of George Floyd at the hands
of police inspired nationwide
protests. This incident con
vinced many whites that po
lice brutality directed towards
black men was neither fiction
nor partisan dramatization.
COVID-19 not only dominated
the list of American disasters
it dominated the world stage.
No single segment of the
society has been saved from its
consequences. It has been re
ported that COVID-19-related
school closures have kept
countries from achieving their
learning goals. Students will
likely lose $10 trillion in labor
earnings over their work life.
This sum represents one-tenth
of global GDP, or half of the
annual economic output of
the United States, or twice the
global annual public expendi
ture on primary and secondary
2020
education. In the area of eco
nomics , the U.S. jobs report in
dicates that the country has lost
20.6 million jobs since March
with a current unemployment
rate of nearly 12%. This level
of unemployment has not been
this high since the late 1930s
and 40s. CO VID-19 will likely
reduce the U.S. gross domestic
product, GDP, by $2.5 trillion
and employment by 19 million
full-time equivalent jobs over
the next year, according to a
coordinated study by Texas
A&M AgriLife.
With these grim statistics be
fore us, it is not surprising that
we are ready to say goodbye
to 2020. Difficult times have
confronted many of us inspir
ing some to write songs. Clara
Ward wrote the gospel hymn,
“How I Got Over”, according
to her sister, in reaction to a
Ward Singing group’s trip in
the racially segregated South
where they were besieged by
taunting white men enraged
that black women were riding
in a nice Cadillac. Gertrude
Ward, the mother of the group,
feigned demonic possession
and uttered curses and incanta
tions causing the white men to
flee. That experience inspired
these words in the heralded
gospel hymn: “You know my
soul look back and wonder.
How did I make it over. Tell
me how we got over Lord. Had
a mighty hard time coming on
over. You know my soul look
back and wonder how I got
over.” Charles Albert Tindley
was born into slavery in 1851.
His free-born mother died
when he was very young and
his life mirrored that of many
young boys who were hired
out to earn his own keep and
help the family. It was out of
this experience that Tindley, a
gifted self-taught songwriter,
published “The Storm is pass
ing Over” in his Soul Echoes in
1905. As we approach a New
Year, we can look back and
embrace the words of Charles
Tindley: “Take courage my
soul and let us journey on,
Though the night is dark and
I'm still far from home; Praise
be to God, the morning light
appears. The storm is passing
over (Lord) The storm is pass
ing over. The storm is passing
over, hallelujah.
Diana Royal
NEW YEAR, SAME ME
Following the year that was
2020,1 find the idea of making
any sort of resolution abso
lutely exhausting. Maybe it’s
just me, but I feel as though
I’ve been making and recon
figuring resolutions this entire
year, and the last thing I want
to do is evaluate anything about
myself and find a way to make
it better. I’m going to stay right
here in survival mode, doggy
paddling; we’re already in the
water - we just have to keep our
heads above it now.
In fact, if I’m going to do
anything differently, it’ll be me
being more myself. No more
watered down versions. Life
is short, and 2020 reminded us
of that. We have to stop plan
ning for futures that may never
come and live in the now just
as that famous quote suggests,
“Don’t put off until tomorrow
what you can do today.”
The end of 2020/start of this
year has got me facing a demon
that I’d hoped was long gone,
and though I’m not ready to
talk about that just yet (elo
quence takes time), a coworker
said something to me about the
situation that’s really resonated
with me that I do want to share.
“Diana, it’s not your burden
to pick up.”
Y’all ... can I get an amen?
We do this to ourselves far too
often; we go pick up old issues/
heartbreaks/toxic relationships
that have been buried and bring
them back to life, allowing
them space in our heads and the
ability to haunt us. Why? Leave
it alone. Especially now. I’m
telling myself this as much as
I’m saying it to you: picking it
up, whatever “it” is, is nothing
more than a detour that likely
comes with more pain. Don’t
pick it up to see if it still hurts.
It does. (PS. You put/dropped/
threw it down for a reason.)
While we are focusing on be
ing ourselves, we also need to
be more forgiving of ourselves.
Instead of shouting “Happy
New Year!” (or “Jumanji!”) at
the stroke of midnight this past
weekend, I wonder how many
wanted to scream, “Give me
a break!” Well, we don’t have
to ask anyone for that; we can
give ourselves one. Instead of
being critical, appreciate your
laugh lines. Take a nap. Eat the
cheesecake. Try a new flavor.
Say “no”more, and let’s hear
less “but,” “what if,” “if only,”
“I should’ve,” etc.
Just be. The only thing you
have control over is how you
react to the world around you.
One final me being me
thought - I’m not wasting my
energy on others’ inability to
be compassionate or even just
decent and fair. One person’s
inability to understand a con
cept doesn’t mean any of the
rest of us are stupid/immoral/
detached/headed for the fiery
depths of hell. Speaking out
isn’t trying to get in the last
word or calling those who
disagree or are indifferent ugly
names - that’s what bullies do.
Don’t acknowledge them; they
don’t ever get tired of hearing
themselves talk, but you cer
tainly don’t have to lend them
your ears or eyes.
Love yourself through this
next year, please; we all de
serve that much.
BURKE COUNTY BUSINESS DIRECTORY
These local professionals are here to serve you!
Air Conditioning
TRUST.
ITS MORE THAN A WORD TO US.
ITS OUR WORD TO YOU.
#N0W
A NHWg 1 Coo*$oMoo C»■>■«»
706-554-7341 / 706-830-4516
COMPLETE
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Electrical & Generator
502 West 6th Street
Waynesboro, GA 30830
PHONE (706) 554-2861
GENERAC
AUTHORIZED DEALER
RiWELL
ELECTRIC CO.
Air Conditioning
Commercial - Residential
Sales & Service
1040 Bethesda Church Road
Girard, GA
Mobile: 706-339-9343
ftl Hard Jb Slap A 7W
Reliable
Durable
Clean Air
Comfort Control
Efficient
First-Rate Warranties
Contractor
HIGHSMITH BUILDING SERVICES, INC.
constructing custom homes since 1991
JOHN A. HIGHSMITH
706-551-0248
Insurance
Stacey L, Herrmann, LUTCF ■ Agency Mgr.
FARM
BUREAU
GEORGIA
Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance Services
Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company
Office 706-554-2017 FAX: 706-554-7482
Email: slherrmann@gfbins.com
CLAIMS # 1-855-432-2567
P.O. Box 329 Waynesboro, GA 30830
Heating & Air
Dustin Rowell,
Owner/President
• a*
Rowell
(HEATBJG.&^AIR l
rcrow >
AimoKTin
DFAIFR
Turn to the Expert*.
“Trust, Honor & Pride - Our Commitment To You’’
346 Old Millen Hwy., Waynesboro, GA 30830
706-554-2665
F
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bpringmod
Boarding & Grooming
706-592-0444
3209 Old Waynesboro Road
Hephzibah, GA 30815
"Caring hands for your precious pet"
Wrecker Service
Nrttv 706-551-3998
#■§! 706-551-0876
TAYLOR BROTHERS
Wrecker Service
206 West 12th Street
Automotive Repair & Wrecker Service
ADVERTISE HERE!
Family Owned and Operated since 1963
/ \
To be included in the Burke
II 1 I EbEB 24-Hour Towing after hours
706-554-5568
N
349 GA. Hwy. 24 West-706-554-2814
County Business Directory,
contact Roy Chalker
We sell Truck & Trailer Accessories - We sell Trailer Tires
at 706-554-2111.
Burke Memorial Funeral Home
www.burkememorial.com
“A Horn of Dependable Semce”
842 Liberty Street, Waynesboro, GA
Family owned 8. operated
Jane and George DeLoach
706-833-9867 or 706-551-5100