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My Mother Was the Best Father in the World
Some people say you never miss what you never had. I grew up without a father, and I have to take issue with the previous statement. There are many children growing up without a father and we hear their futures seem statistically dim. It doesn’t have to be this way.
I never wanted to be a statistic. While others may be filled with anger by the abandonment, my brother and I were taught to persevere in spite of it. I was told I had a lot going against me. I was black and overweight in a small town. But like many children I had a talent that was nurtured by a single mother who wasn’t jaded by her own abandonment…or at least didn’t show it in front of my brother and I. Perhaps my white mother felt our struggles were greater than her own, or that she took responsibility for the circumstances we didn’t choose. Regardless, pain and anger were replaced by hope and determination to buck the statistical odds and make a better life.
We were taught anger leads to fear and fear makes you weak and vulnerable…prone to fall for easy fixes, failure and addiction. We were taught that nothing ever comes easy; in fact, the more difficult the challenge the more satisfaction came along with it. We were taught to set our goals early, which made this Sikeston boy believe he could become Student Body President of his high school if he started campaigning in the sixth grade.
And I do miss my father, though I’ve never really known him. I miss what he could have taught me. Perhaps I could’ve been taught to manage my weight earlier and become a sports star like the rest of the men in my family. Perhaps I could’ve learned to be the father he never was, so when my children come along I won’t be winging it for lack of an example.
It saddens me to see so many children, of all nationalities, struggling with abandonment…the seething anger that seems to overwhelm so many. The loneliness and betrayal that consumes a household, and sometimes leads to all forms of abuse. We see the results in the news every single day, and while we can’t change the past, we have the God-given strength to alter the future.
Nurture your children’s dreams and calm their fears. Tell them you love them as much as possible. For the parents left to raise children alone, you are never truly alone with your children by your side. Instill in them that there are consequences to both action and inaction. And if your children believe in Luck, let them know that Luck is when Preparation meets Opportunity. They must be ready when opportunity comes around. Don’t let society educate your children. The more they learn to articulate their concerns and goals, the sooner success will find them. Remember that children hear and repeat everything we say and repeat everything that we do. God blessed us with this one life and the lives of those dependent on us. And we must be responsible and make the most of it in order to limits regrets.
Neal E. Boyd
Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
Dexter, Missouri – Attention all “Gunslingers”! Sawyer Smith would like to invite everyone to an event he is hosting at Dead Fingers Gun Shop in support of our 2nd Amendment. This could be the first of its kind and possibly make history!
The 2nd Amendment Support Photo will be taken on Tuesday, August 6th at 6 p.m. at Dead Fingers Gun Shop on Highway 25, Dexter, Missouri.
"There are so many constituents out there that support the 2nd Amendment, we want to show the NRA and Congress our ongoing gun support in the Dexter area." stated Sawyer. "We may not make a huge impact; however we hope to inspire others to come together to protect our rights and let people know Southeast Missouri shall not be infringed upon."
"As a college student I have advocated a lot of conservative ideals, I also believe we need to focus our needs elsewhere perhaps in our communities, churches, civic organization, and families." continued Sawyer. "There is a significant amount of violence and yes there are tragedies in this world, but it's not the guns"."There is no sense in punishing law abiding citizens and gun owners. The Dexter area has a multitude of duck, deer and turkey hunters as well as competition shooters and gun owners who are are good people, law abiding citizens."
The invitation is extended to everyone. Bring your guns (THEY MUST BE UNLOADED FOR SAFETY) and look the part! You don't have to bring your guns, just show up with your family and be supportive.
Sawyer is sending this photo to the National Rifle Association and other groups/organizations around the country to let everyone know that Southeast Missouri’s gun rights SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right to keep and bear arms.
It protects us from a Tyrannical government by enabling the people to organize a militia system. It helps us from repelling invasion either home or country and facilitating a natural right of self-defense.
Any and all are welcome to attend. Dead Fingers Gun Shop is located on Highway 25 south of Dexter. Find them on Facebook by clicking here.
Sawyer has set up an event page on Facebook: 2nd Amendment Support Photo. Please invite your friends and let him know if you are attending by clicking here.
Please support the 2nd Amendment by attending August 6th at 6 p.m. at Dead Fingers Gun Shop.
Written by Jessica Danielle
Have you ever wondered what life would be like without air conditioning?
Most would say~ “HOT!!!” or “What do you mean no air conditioning? It’s a 100 degrees outside!”
Well, if this is your response then you better thank Mr. Willis Carrier. In 1902, Carrier drew out his plans for the first air conditioner.
Willis Carrier was not thinking of the need to beat the heat. He had recently graduated from Cornell University and was making ten dollars a week working for the Buffalo Forge heating company in upstate New York.
Willis was asked to find a solution for a printing company in Brooklyn that was having some major problems. The company’s paper was expanding and contracting in the variable East Coast humidity.
The printing company had a four-color printer, which means one color was applied at a time. In between each color printing the paper would expand or condense causing the ink to become muddy.
The system that Carrier devised still forms the basis of the air conditioner or, more accurately, the humidity controller today. Air was forced through a filter of a piston-driven compressor, where it was pumped over coils that were chilled using coolant. The cold air was then expelled into a closed space using a fan, cooling the room and stabilizing the humidity.
Carrier later switched from piston power to a centrifugal chiller, which allowed much larger spaces to be cooled. He also replaced the toxic ammonia that had been the original cooling agent.
The air conditioner was just what the Brooklyn printing company needed. The humidity problem vanished, and — as the word got out — other companies began clamoring for Carrier’s machine.
Paper victories aside, the effect on humans was tremendous. Although commercial outfits such as manufacturing plants were the first customers, Carrier kept fiddling with his invention.
By 1915, he was running his own company, Carrier Engineering Corp., which supplied cooling systems to hotels, department stores, theaters and, eventually, private homes. Among Carrier’s early big-ticket customers were the U.S. Congress, the White House and New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The impact of air conditioning can’t be overstated. The population shift in turn changed the political balance of the nation. Even the nature of architectural design changed, with perhaps the most conspicuous example being the smoky glass-clad skyscrapers that now dot almost every big-city skyline.
Carrier died in 1950, at the age of seventy-three, but his company still exists and remains a major manufacturer of cooling and refrigeration systems.
Today wherever you are be thinking of Mr. Willis Carrier and his excellent invention~ the air conditioner….today, July 17th is the anniversary of the invention that we all love during the summer months.
Our weather forecast for the remainder of the week is HOT! Everyone please drink plenty of water, stay as cool as possible and take a moment to thank Mr. Carrier!
Submitted by
Ruth Dockins
I just received the following information about diabetic testing supplies from my contact at the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS). I know there are lots of people in our area that are diabetic and using testing supplies, and this is very important information.
Starting July 1, 2013, Medicare is scheduled to implement a national mail-order program for diabetic testing supplies, which is designed so you can save money while continuing to receive quality supplies. When it starts, rather than having an approved amount of $78 for 100 test strips and lancets, Medicare’s approved amount will be around $22 – and your copay will go from $15 to under $5. In order to save money under the national mail-order program, you’ll need to use a Medicare national mail-order contract supplier. The national mail-order program will include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.
For a list of mail-order Medicare contract suppliers, visit medicare.gov/supplier. Enter your zip code, select “Mail-Order Diabetic Supplies” and hit the search button. You can also obtain a list of contract suppliers by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). If your current supplier is not included in the list, you will have to select a new contract supplier for Medicare to help pay for diabetic testing supplies that you have delivered to your home.
If you don’t want diabetic testing supplies delivered to your home, you can go to any local store enrolled with Medicare and buy them there. When the program starts, you can receive the same savings by purchasing diabetic testing supplies in the store as you would by having them delivered to your home – as long as the store accepts assignment, which means they accept the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full. If the store does not accept assignment, they can charge you more. So, it’s important to check with the store about Medicare assignment if you want to take advantage of the new lower prices.
This program applies to people with Original Medicare. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), your plan will notify you if your supplier is changing. Contact your plan for more information.
If you have questions, Medicare has resources to help you understand the new program, including medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048 or call me at 1-800-392-8771 or locally at 335-3331.
Submitted by
Ruth Dockins
I have had questions recently regarding ambulance services for people on Medicare so I thought this might be a good subject for my Age Spots article. Some of the following information is republished with permission from the Medicare Rights Center, for more information visit www.medicarerights.org .
Medicare covers emergency ambulance services as long as the service is medically necessary. Keep in mind that Medicare considers the event to be an emergency when your health appears to be in serious danger and every second counts to prevent your health from getting worse. If you need to be taken to the hospital due to a medical emergency, Medicare will cover your ambulance ride to the nearest appropriate hospital, as well as any medical services you receive while you are in the ambulance. This does not necessarily mean that Medicare will pay for transportation back to where you are living, because ambulance service is not medical transportation but is emergency medical transportation.
If you need to be taken to a hospital or facility for non-emergency medical services, Medicare will cover your ambulance ride, only on rare occasions. Medicare may cover non-emergency ambulance services if:
· You are unable to get up from your bed without help, unable to walk, and unable to sit in a chair or wheelchair, or
· You need medical services during the trip that are only available in an ambulance and all other forms of transport could harm your health.
For example, Medicare may cover non-emergency ambulance rides to and from a dialysis facility for someone who has kidney failure and needs medical services that can only be provided during the ambulance ride. Also, in order for Medicare to cover non-emergency ambulance rides, a doctor must confirm that the ambulance service is medically necessary. If the ambulance company believes that Medicare won’t pay for your non-emergency ambulance service, they might ask you to sign an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN). If you sign the ABN you are responsible for paying the cost of the trip if Medicare doesn’t pay, but you have the right to appeal Medicare’s decision.
If you refuse to sign the ABN, the ambulance company can decide whether or not to take you by ambulance. If they decide to take you after you refuse to sign, you may still be responsible for paying the cost of the trip if Medicare doesn’t. You will not be asked to sign an ABN in an emergency situation.
Know that lack of access to other forms of transportation, alone, does not mean that Medicare will cover your ambulance services. If you have other questions regarding this article please contact me at 1-800-392-8771 or 335-3331.
