The Press-Dispatch
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B-10 Opinion | Local Wednesday, Februar y 21, 2018 The Press-Dispatch 303 Breckinridge Rd, Monroe City 812-743-2382 Fax: 812-743-2169 | Email: perryshvac@gmail.com HEATING & AIR-CONDITIONING Craig Perry Vance Perry Chase Perry Perry ' s LLC Serving the area since 1950. Perry ' s Complete Line of: Air Conditioning, Gas Furnaces, Heat Pumps, Whole-Home Air Cleaners, Humidifiers, Water Heaters and Water Conditioners Whether you need a tune-up or an emergency repair call, we'll take the worry out of winter. When you see our truck, you know that peace of mind just pulled in the driveway. Call us today! We're Confident You'll Stay Cozy Is it TIME for your next eye exam? 8–7 . Mon. 8–noon . Tues. 10–7 . Wed. 8–5 . Thur. 8–5 . Fri. Locally Owned and Operated Dr. Clint Shoultz 715 S. 9th Street, Petersburg (812) 354-9400 Petersburg Garden Club gives book to the elementary school The Petersburg Garden Club met in Febru- ary at the Gospel Center Community Center with hostesses Patty Frederick and Kay Ben- jamin. The club gave a book to the elementa- ry school called "The Saved Seed" by Brenda Moore. Ramblings of My Mind by Lowell Thomas Let's get rapid-fire weapons off the street Another week and yet another school shooting with the same argu- ments about gun control. As I told you before I'm certainly not for taking away guns but I do agree that it is time to get rapid fire weapons off the market. These weapons serve their purpose for our soldiers who depend on being able to fire rapidly because their lives de- pend on being able to fire at multiple targets before they are struck them- selves. Protection of personal property and life should never be reason for rap- id fire weapons. A huge question being asked is what to do about all the rapid fire weapons already owned by people. Please enjoy target shooting at ranges and safe areas because it is a good rec- reation but it doesn't require that you use a rapid fire weapon. When the school shooting occurred last week the television media went overboard with their live action cover- age because it could have fed already troubled minds. We need to know what happened but we didn't need to see the CPR attempts nor ambulance loading of patients although it soon caught our attention but who else was watching and being fueled by the excitement. When tragedies happen we start blaming others when maybe we should step back and take a look at our own lives. When I write these things down I want you to know that I have failed mis- erably at being capable of loving others many times but we should teach our children to love one another and not have a desire to hurt one another, to stop and think before we take part in actions that could hurt others, and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Would you really want someone to hurt you? This subject is easy taught but difficult to live at times and it takes practice. Last Wednesday morning there was six of us working in the basement of Velpen General Baptist church and several of our projects were accom- plished but there are still several to go. Hopefully we will be able to have an- other work day soon and we'll try to an- nounce it so you can help if you desire. Well last Sunday we did talk about being an ambassador for Christ. To be an ambassador you must have a passion to share what God has done in your life, you must live your life in such a manner that God can be seen as your guide, and most of all you must be more patient than judgmental with people who are not Christians. Never think of yourself as being better than others because such an attitude can easily be felt and seen by others. This smugness is a sure turn off if you are trying to be an ambassador for Jesus. Enough preaching so live and be a blessing and most of all accept the blessings that come your way. Katiedid vs... by Katiedid Langrock Back from the dead Henri is back from the dead. I didn't believe it at first. Surely, I was being catfished. But after an ex- tensive Google search, it was clear. Henri wasn't in the grave; he was in Bogota, Colombia. It started with a simple Facebook message to one of our old roommates. He wished her a belated happy new year. She responded with elation and surprise to the message and tagged the rest of us so we, too, could view the "best wishes" statement from the beyond. Then, secretly, all of us mes- saged one another, warily wondering what could possibly be going on. This isn't real, right? Perhaps I shouldn't say all of us. There had been seven roommates rep- resenting four different countries in that disgusting house on top of a hill in northern New South Wales, Aus- tralia. Renting the house a few doors down was another hodgepodge of in- ternationals looking for adventure where the rainforest meets the sea. Between these scattered homes of trekkers, I can recall folks from 11 countries. Most of us are no longer in contact. It was a time before Face- book and social media could keep us all together while being oceans apart. We lost touch with some because they changed their email addresses. We lost touch with others because they changed their last names. And we lost touch with Henri because Hen- ri had died. But Henri wasn't dead. He was in Bogota. As the four of us roommates who had kept in touch secretly chatted about whether or not Henri had actu- ally returned from the dead, none of us could remember how we had first heard he died. It was well over a decade ago that we had heard the news — soon after our time living in the disgusting, bug- filled quarters that we lovingly re- ferred to as the Castle. I thought I remembered being told it had been a car accident. Another roommate heard it had been an illness. No one could recall who had told whom the news. We just knew that at the time, it had been devastating. Unlike the rest of us, Henri had been living in Australia to get his doctorate. He was introspective, with a streak of sad and a righteous laugh. He would run 12 miles a day and eat nothing but Snickers bars. He had a girl in South America, whom he loved, but her fam- ily wouldn't allow them to be together. He had vowed that one day, he would find a way. He was becoming a doctor to prove his worth. When she cut off communication with him because it hurt too much, he quit the university, bought a van and left the Castle, opt- ing to live life as a beach bum instead. For a while, he would come back to the Castle. Until he didn't. And I never saw Henri again. And never would, because Henri had died. But Henri wasn't dead. He was in Bogota. Which I found to, in fact, be true. Google stalking showed that he is a professor and has young children with a woman whom I thought looked familiar — as if I had once seen her portrait poorly taped to the dirty walls on the inside of our shared home. He never re- sponded to our ecstatic respons- es on Facebook. Never wrote back. Never engaged with us. I can't say why. Perhaps he disappeared all those years ago on purpose. Perhaps this is how he needs to live in or- der to live. And that is fine. Because Henri is back from the dead. Henri came back to this world right before 17 people were taken from it at a high school in Florida. Did that seem to come out of no- where? I bet it did for them, too. I certainly hope to never feel the pain these parents are experiencing. And I hope with all my soul that no parent in this country will have the pain of losing a child to violence at school ever again. But I have to imag- ine that if I were one of these parents, every once in a while I would engage in the fantasy that my baby might be a Henri — living a secret life some- where so he could live the life of his dreams. But neither these children nor the other 121 people who have died in school shootings in the five years since Sandy Hook are coming back. We can't lose any more. Like Katiedid Langrock on Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/katiedid- humor. Pike County Farm Bureau Inc. Policy Development meeting set for April 9 Pike County Farm Bu- reau Inc. will host a Poli- cy Development meeting on Monday, April 9. The meeting will be at the Pike County 4-H Building at 6 p.m. and a pizza supper will be provided. All Pike County Farm Bureau vot- ing members are invited to attend. Farm Bureau policy be- gins at the grassroots level for both Indiana Farm Bu- reau and American Farm Bureau. Indiana Farm Bu- reau stands for private en- terprise systems, preser- vation of property rights, balanced federal budget, constitutional govern- ment, individual citizen- ship responsibility, high- er net farm income, orga- nized voice without gov- ernment intervention, resource conservation and environmental enhance- ment, and strong public education. Pike County Farm Bu- reau would like the voting members to attend this meeting and let them know what you would like Indi- ana Farm Bureau to advo- cate for through its poli- cies and programs. This meeting is free to attend for members, but call Judy Gumbel at 812-766 -0134 to make reservations. Farm Bureau now accepting 2018 scholarship applications Pike County Farm Bureau is now ac- cepting student scholarship applica- tions for higher education for the 2018 - 2019 school year. To be eligible the stu- dent, parent, or legal guardian must be a member of the Pike County Farm Bu- reau. Applicant must plan to pursue post high school education including two- year trade schools, community college, or four-year college. Any major may ap- ply, preference will be given to appli- cants pursuing a degree related to Ag- riculture or Agriculture Education. Ag- riculture related majors might include areas such as nutrition, Ag research, Ag Econ, Veterinary Science, Ag Market- ing, and other production Ag courses. Interested students may pick up appli- cation at the Pike Central High School Guidance Department or the Pike Coun- ty Farm Bureau Inc. office at 201 E. Main Street or on the Pike County Farm Bureau Inc. Facebook page. Call 812- 354-8488 for more information. Pike County Farm Bureau will se- lect one scholarship winner and that student will be awarded $1,000 toward their future education. The application asks students to detail their educational successes and answer several questions about their future educational plans and career goals. Pike County Farm Bureau Secre- tary Judy Gumbel stated, "I surely hope that we have several applicants for our Pike County Farm Bureau $1,000 Scholarship. The board raised the amount to $1,000 last year in hopes of really benefiting the scholarship winner. We think that it is a wonder- ful member benefit." Applications are due on or before May 1, 2018. Mail or hand deliver your com- pleted application to the Pike County Farm Bureau office, 201 E Main St, Pe- tersburg, IN 47567 The scholarship winner will be an- nounced by June 1, 2018. Mastery of Aging, Dine with a Doc events set for March 7 Senior Education Min- istries, in partnership with Generations and Vin- cennes University, will be presenting Dine with a Doc® on March 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Beckes Student Union Food Court, 1101 N. 2nd Street, on the Vincennes University Campus. The program is free to the pub- lic, and a free lunch spon- sored by Home Instead Se- nior Care will be provided. This month's speak- er will be Dr. V. Chawdry Pinnamaneni, MD. Dr. Pinnamaneni is a board certified Family Practice and Wound Care special- ist with Daviess Commu- nity Hospital. This pro- gram provides the oppor- tunity to fellowship with peers while receiving valu- able information from the medical community. For more information about Dine with a doc® you may visit www.dine- withadoc.com. To RSVP for Dine with a Doc®, call 1-877-223-6109. Tonya Short with Pur- due Extension will also be presenting Mastery of Ag- ing: Food as Medicine on this date from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Beckes Stu- dent Union Food Court pri- or to the Dine with a Doc® program. Nutrition is a key component of healthy liv- ing at any age, but our nu- tritional needs change as we age. What role does food have in the aging process? In what ways can food bring health? In this presentation we con- sider these questions and more as we explore the relationship between eat- ing and aging, with a re- view of nutritional recom- mendations for the aging adult. RSVP for the nutri- tion awareness program at 1-800 -742-9002. Come for the nutrition program and stay for lunch and Dine with a Doc® Note that both events re- quire a separate RSVP. net edition yeah, it's that fast! Z M www.PressDispatch.net/Subscribe It's The Press-Dispatch. No matter where you live. Delivered every Wednesday morning! 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