|
Column
Sherry
Lewis
The Banks County News- July 21, 1999
 How would you spend
your last day?
It is a rare thing for me to sit down and watch a Braves game
but I did watch a few minutes of the game against the New York
Yankees on Thursday.
While watching, I saw the camera focus in on this handsome young
man who I quickly recognized as John F. Kennedy Jr.
It seemed as if he had the world by a string as a publisher and
maybe even a political hopeful with thoughts of a bright future.
I'm sure he and his bride had many plans together, but all of
these dreams came to a halt when that plane went down.
All of the fame and fortune in the world could not buy this couple
another day, which is true for all of us. I have thought about
that smile I saw on his face and remembered that it was only
hours before he would head out on that fatal trip. I wondered
how he spent his last day on this earth and wondered if he would
have spent it differently had he known.
From the television screen, it looked as if he spent his last
evening with another fellow enjoying a good baseball game. I
wondered where his wife was and I figured she was probably getting
ready for their trip.
The thoughts of this tragedy have made me stop and remember that
I am not immortal and wonder how I would spend my last day on
this earth. My thoughts have not centered on who I would spend
the day with or what I would do but rather how I would be remembered
by the postmaster, the store clerk and the people I do newspaper
business with on a weekly or monthly basis.
On Monday, it was a subconscious thing at the time, but I noticed
I greeted people more cheerfully and found myself telling them
to "have a good day." I also found myself listening
more and realizing the people that I meet each week in my job
are human beings with feelings and concerns just as I have.
Sometimes I get so busy with deadlines that I feel like a robot
bouncing from one place to the next. Also, I took a good look
around at the beautiful blue sky, the trees and flowers that
I usually take for granted.
This is a day that I will remember for a while. I saw many things
and many people that I am truly thankful for. I wonder how our
lives would be if each of us would live just one day a week like
it would be our last.
Sherry Lewis is news editor of The Banks County News.
|
Editorial
The
Banks County News
July 21, 1999
Time to get ready for another school year
School children will be returning to the
classroom in less than one month. Parents will likely be busy
in the coming weeks getting school supplies together. In all
of this hectic activity, parents should also begin reviewing
reading, writing and math skills with their children.
Teachers often spend the first few weeks of each school year
reviewing what they taught last year. It would benefit students
and their teachers if the children get back into the habit of
reading and doing schoolwork.
Parents of younger children will also be taking their children
to get inoculations soon. The Hepatitis B vaccine offered in
Banks County by the school system and health department is something
that should be utilized.
Parents of children in the target age group are being encouraged
to discuss the "Partnership for Prevention of Hepatitis
B Program" with their children and to be on the lookout
for information which will be distributed by the school.
Let's all do everything we can to ensure that our children have
the best school year possible.
|
