Stories from a Stony Land - Reuben II Gets Political

After an inexcusably long hiatus, I am committed to returning to my Dad's writings and collected genealogical information.  Follow all stories labeled Stories from a Stony Land to get up to date.

Meanwhile, I finally resume with Generation 7, represented by my great-great grandfather, Reuben Strait.  He's the second Reuben in the generational chart.  It's a family name.  I'm not sure why.  It's not a name recent generations have decided to recycle.

  

Ignore the keyboard.  I'm an idiot in trying to copy pictures.

The rest of these words are my Dad's unless in italics.

This photo was probably taken in the 1880s.  Left to right standing in the back row; Levi Silas Strait [Levi], Thomas Jefferson Strait [Jeff], William H. Strait [Bill], Eugene Bonhariis Strait [Gene], and DeWitt Clinton Strait [Clint].  Left to right seated; Jennie [Strait] Conklin, Reuben Strait, Ralph Wado Emerson Strait [Ralph], Mary Ann Clapp [Strait]. and Joseph [Strait] Buchanan.  I don't think my Dad identified the young boy seated in the front.  It may be one of Reuben's grandsons.  Reuben Strait and Mary Strait are my Great-Grandparents and Eugene Strait is my Grandfather.

Reuben Strait, the son of Thomas Strait and Miria [Powell] Strait, was born October 27, 1834, in Tyrone Township, Steuben County, NY.  When he was three years old he moved with his parents to Bloomfield, Butler County, Ohio.  When he was 8 they moved to Jennings County, Indiana, and when he was 13 they moved again to Macedon Center, Wayne County, NY.  At age 18, on June 30, 1853, he married Mary Ann Clapp, also 18.  They lived in Macedon Center until moving to Sec. 31, Hanover Township, Jackson County, Michigan in 1857. Jackson County becomes the base for the Strait family from this generation through my Dad's.

Reuben Strait was a good and successful farmer and at one time owned over 645 acres in central southern Michigan.  He was a school officer for many years.  He was Highway Commissioner for 9 years.  He was elected as Justice of the Peace serving for many years.  In 1882, he was nominated by the Democratic Party to run for the State Senate.  He was not elected.  He was nominated in 1884 by both the Democratic Party and the Greenback Party to run for the State House of Representatives. Again he was not elected.  Yeah, the connection of Straits to Democrats goes at least that far back! It's also to note that the birthplace of the Republican Party is often considered their first meeting held in Jackson, Mi on July 6, 1854.   So, even thirty years later, he might have been facing some heavy headwinds.  And although the positions of the parties have switched over the decades, unlike the Southern Democrats, I don't think you can conclude that racist feelings were a dominant part of Michigan Democrats.  Since Greenbacks are mentioned, I would think it would have more to do with securing the place of farmers and creating a sounder currency not subject to as much speculation.

He was a member of the Pomona Grange and through the chairs in the Moscow Grange where he became the Worshipful Master. Per Wikipedia, the Grange "is a fraternal organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and agriculture."  Moscow is the name of a town in Jackson county - no commie connotations.  Reuben Strait died Feb. 9, 1918, at the age of 84 years 3 months.

Ralphing it Up Thanksgiving Weekend Wednesday Wanderings

Thanksgiving Weekend was a big weekend for Ralph at the Strait Household!

No, I don't mean eating until you feel like ralphing, although some of us did teeter on the edge of that.

I mean we rented Wreck-It Ralph, and then saw Ralph Breaks the Internet at the theatres.

I thought the first movie was entertaining, and the second one a little less so, although I did enjoy the parts with the Disney princesses - funny and smart marketing by the Disney people.  I admit to falling asleep a bit during chase scenes in both movies.  I think everyone else in the family enjoyed the movies more than I did.

Doug and Paige visited us from Thursday until Saturday and saw the movies with us.  They were great company, and the biggest news I have is they have moved up the wedding form October to May!  That's almost around the corner! Well, it's closer to the corner than October, that's for sure!

Dinner highlights included cornbread dressing, made sweet and delicious by Alison's mother.  My Yankee friends have no idea what they're missing if they haven't had this southern style treat.  I also made my squash casserole, which is mostly cheese and crackers with squash as a binding agent.  I love the stuff, and so do most others, even those who usually don't eat squash (like me).

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Well, football sucks.  At least if you are a fan of the Michigan Wolverines, Detroit Lions or the Atlanta Falcons.  But take heart!  The Georgia Bulldogs are still in the mix, and our high school football team, the Pierce County Bers, are in the semi-finals of the state playoffs!

And talking about football, when it comes to what the world more commonly knows as football, soccer, the achievements of Atlanta United have been quite exciting!  They won the first leg of their conference championship 3 -0 against a team that had been dominating them, the New York Red Bulls, and now the Red Bulls will have to win by a three-point margin in the second leg to tie, or a four-goal or better margin to win outright.  They do have the advantage of playing the second game in the Red Bull arena, but those kind of margins are not typical in soccer games.  So we have high hopes of appearing in the championship game December 8th!  Woohoo!

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So, Cindy Hyde-Smith joins the Racist Squad by Mississippi still being backward enough to vote for such a horrendous person.  The Racist Squad's most prominent members now feature Governor-Elect Ron Desantis, Congressman Steve King, and President Donald Trump.  There are others, but these are some of the most prominent Racist Squad leaders.

Maybe in time, we can remove these scummy stains on humanity, but that time ain't here yet.  At least not for some areas of the country.  Sigh.

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I will be at Christmas in the Cross Saturday, hawking my book warns.  Please check out all the fun and excitement at this event.  Even if it rains, I will be inside.  Can't let my books get wet.

I avoid too much posting of material acquisitions, but I can't resist a picture of Alison's new car, a 2017 Subaru Outback!  She has been driving the same car for 14 years - a 2004 Toyota Camry, so please don't be jealous that she got a new one.  The Camry is still in the family and will be Benjamin's primary car now.  He can even take it to college with him.

I remember when we got the Camry, I had taken then three-year-old Benjamin out to see it by behind the little house we were living at the time, and told him, "Son, this is going to be your first car!"

And, by Golly, guess what?

IT IS!!!

Pomegranates by Alexandra Cochon: Another 2018 OHC Writer's Contest Student Poetry Winner!

Woohoo!  Our first place winner, Ware County Student Alexandra Cochon!  Alexandra also won the Judge's Prize in Student Story!

Pomegranates

by Alexandra Cochon

Hades and Persephone Reimagined, set in Ancient Greece

he comes in the spring

when the sun is high,

and the sweet, overwhelming scent of flowers

tickles his nose.

she walks in awe

around the gardens,

entranced by the gifts of life

that the season brings.

hades doesn't notice her at first,

the girl with the big hair,

with an even bigger heart,

gently stroking the petals of a marigold.

persephone notices him immediately;

incongruous,

wearing dark, dark clothing amidst such a colorful place:

a black hole sucking life out of an entire universe.

he hears hesitant footsteps approach from behind,

as if the one approaching was afraid to startle him;

hades notices the floral scent intensify,

and turns around.

"I don't remember seeing you here before."

"It's my first time."

"Are you enjoying it?"

"Tremendously."

"Persephone."

"What?"

"My name is Persephone."

"I'm known as Hades in these parts."

"The feared god of the underworld."

"And you, the loved goddess of spring."

"Tell me, Hades, do you live up to your name?

Are you really as feared and ruthless as they say?

Do you enjoy making people suffer?"

"It's best to leave it up to your own judgment.

Tell me, Persephone, are you as deceitfully lovely as they say?

Do you know no mercy?"

Persephone grins:

something feral and unleashed hidden within.

"Perhaps you'll have to find out for yourself."

"Perhaps."

and with a deep bow, hades disappears---

pomegranate seeds left in his wake.

persephone cautiously approaches the fruit,

Enticed,

she takes six in her palm---

and then she eats.

Looking Beyond Bedouin Codes

Exodus 21:22-25 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

22 When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman’s husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. 23 If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Cause a miscarriage?  Pay a fine.

Harm the one?  Lose in kind.

I personally don't favor abortion.  But using the Bible as a cudgel to condemn those who've had abortions is an iffy thing.  As you can see by the this and three other recent posts labeled religion, there is as much or more condoning abortion than condemning it.

What did Jesus say?

Nothing directly.  As there is with homosexuality.  What you can find a treasure trove of is verses urging us to take care of the poor and disadvantaged, and condemning those that would exploit them.

A more dramatic problem in Jesus's time was infanticide.  This was practiced by both Romans and Jews.  If a baby were the wrong sex or had a disfiguring handicap, it would be abandoned.  There were areas known for being "killing fields" where there were many corpses of abandoned infants.

What did Jesus say about this common, horrendous practice?

Nothing.

Does that mean he supported it?

I pray not.  But any condemnation is implicit, not explicit.

Matthew 1:21 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

It was critical to the Angel communicating with Joseph that Joseph NAME the infant that Mary is to have.  Naming is acknowledging the infant and sparing it from infanticide.  Without the naming, without the acceptance by Joseph, the infant would be abandoned at birth.  The culture would not accept or allow it to live without acknowledgment from Joseph.

This doesn't condemn infanticide.  It allows Mary and her infant an escape clause.

You can't depend on the Bible to freeze frame morality.  It is a guidebook to the light, but you can't be stuck on its culturally related perception of what is right and wrong.  Jesus told us the summary of the word: Love God, love your neighbor.

Focus on that instead of Bedouin codes of conduct. 

31 Minutes of Thankfulness 2018 Edison

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

I hope everyone gets to celebrate with family and friends!

I have about 31 minutes before I start on other Thanksgiving prep.  I'll take advantage of this brief gap to update to my new edition of thankfulness.

Yesterday we had our Thanksgiving dinner with Alison's father, his wife, and Alison's stepsister, her husband and young son, Graham.  Today my middle son, Doug, and his fiancee, Paige, are coming from Atlanta, to be with us on Thanksgiving, along with Alison's Mom. 

So that's how much time I have to do my version of the 31 days of Thankfulness I see so many of my friends doing on the Facebook machine.

So here goes!

1)  I am thankful for Alison and Benjamin.  We have a wonderful family, and it so comforting to be loved and supported.  Benjamin is very smart, polite, and a great young thespian, participant in local gaming groups, and he is now a senior in high school  He has been accepted to two colleges, Georgia Southern and Georgia College, and is under consideration at the University of Georgia.  Benjamin and I had the pleasure of performing together in The Addams Family - an experience I will always treasure. Alison is beautiful and patient, practical and loving.  She has been outstanding at her workplace and has done great planning for our trip to Ireland, and on keeping Benjamin on track in school work and college admissions.

2) I am thankful for my two older boys, Douglas and Gregory.  Douglas is an environmental scientist in Atlanta.  Gregory is living the family dream, working in Hollywood in the movie industry.  I couldn't be prouder of both of them.  I am grateful that Doug has a beautiful fiancee, Paige, and will both be visiting us starting Thanksgiving Day!  It was a great privilege and joy to witness his proposal and engagement while we were on vacation together in Ireland. I am grateful that both my older boys have taken so much to Benjamin, and have been great mentors and friends to him.

3) I am thankful for my loving parents.  My mother, who passed in October 2008, taught me the power of unconditional love.  My father, who passed in September 2013, taught me more about responsibility and hard work, and about the true meaning of Christianity, than anyone else I've ever known.  I think of them often and miss them terribly.  I am grateful for the love and memories they have given me.

4) I am thankful I have a loving, caring sister.  Carol and her family have always been supportive and kind to me.  She did so much for my father, I am so grateful.  I am excited that she is now a Grandmother, with three (count 'em - three!) grandchildren.   Carol and Mike now live in the Grand Rapids area and live closer to her daughter and grand-daughters, Bailey and Morgan.  And now her son and daughter-in-law in Chicago, also have a son! I see lots of visits to Chicago in their future!  And we got to enjoy a unique vacation with Carol and Mike in St. Simons this last September.  We got to eat and talk a lot, both Strait family specialties. 

5) I am thankful for my church family.  Grace Episcopal has been essential in the spiritual and social life of our family, and I am appreciative of the connections we have made and all the support and Christian fellowship they have given us.  I am thankful for everything that Rev. Kit Brinson has brought to our church, and it has been a joy to watch it grow, diversify, and become the hands and feet of Christ in our local community.  

6) I am thankful for my work.  I'm not going to pretend that accounting is something I love to do.  But my employers and co-workers have made it to be as pleasant an experience as it can be.  And I love that I am now "60% retired" working only about 15 to 18 hours a week.  It has helped give me the space to write more, and help me where I have finished two novels, History of the Trap and Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge, and the short novella, My Europa.  I have in the neighborhood of a  million words on my blog, The Strait Line.  Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge is now in Kindle and paperback form.  I also added A Christmas with Pegasus as an eshort, with a great cover by Kennedy Brice. Sales have not been sensational, but those who read my stories seem to love them, and want to know where the next book in the series is, and that's the highest compliment I can get.  I am currently working on The Extra Credit Club and then will begin work on the second of the History of the Trap series.

7) I am thankful that I can act, at least well enough to participate in community theatre.  Getting onstage and feeling the response of the audience has been one of the great pleasures of my life. I am delighted that I was able to participate in The Addams Family, acting with my son, Benjamin, where I was Fester, and he was Puglsley.  He is a great actor, and it was pure joy being onstage with him.  I was also in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest playing a dual role, working with the extraordinarily talented, Ingmar Connor Griffin in the Jack Nicholson part, having scenes and dialogue with my long-time friend, Kimberly Elizabeth Beck,  and alongside my very good friend, Julianna Lacefield, who was terrific as Nurse Ratchett.

8) I am thankful for the Jeffords, and everything they do to contribute to the arts and children in the area.

9) I am thankful for the Writers Guild and the Okefenokee Heritage Center. It has been a great joy to help form and support a group dedicated to the arts, and help local writers connect.  The fifth Okefenokee Writing Contest was a great success, and I am thankful to all who helped make it so. I am grateful for the support of Elizabeth Simpson, who has done so much to manage, promote and grow the Guild, and is also the high-powered and energetic Executive Director of the Okefenokee Heritage Center. I am particularly grateful to Steve Bean, my friend and former Director of the OHC, and whose spirit I see so alive in Elizabeth.  I mourn his passing, but I am grateful that he touched me and my family's lives' and that he was an integral part of Grace Episcopal.  Everyone who knew him is so much better for having known him, and his spirit will live on with everyone he touched.

10) I am thankful that I have taken the time to develop this blog, The Strait Line.  It is named after a school newsletter my father had as a school principal, and whether it is good or bad, it has been a tremendous joy to me to get back in the habit of writing.  I have made over eighteen hundred blog entries, and my blog traffic has now achieved total page views exceeding 325,000. 

11)  I am thankful that Barack Obama was a successful President of the United States for eight wonderful years.  The fact that the Presidency has been taken over by such a racist misogynist con man buffoon saddens me to no end and makes it difficult to sleep at night, and is exceptionally disturbing to know I have friends who still support Trump.  Nevertheless, I am grateful to have had such an intelligent and caring President for those eight years, and I miss him more than you can imagine.  Now I am simply grateful every morning I wake up, and that foul creature occupying the White House has not put an end to life on Earth.  It makes you realize how precious every day is.

12) I am thankful that Obamacare has survived its challenges and even though I fear for its future, I still believe it can provide the stepping stone to greater things. It is a vital step forward to universal health care and towards a more equitable, fiscally sound, and morally decent system.  If the Republicans are foolish enough to repeal Obamacare, then all it will do is galvanize the public to bring about Medicare For All that much quicker.  Right now, after repeatedly failing to repeal it even though they are in the majority, they continue their efforts to sabotage and undermine it.  All their efforts have only made Obamacare more popular.  I pray that people will see through this charade, and move us back on the path towards the only morally and fiscally responsible healthcare system, single payer, best implemented in the USA as Medicare For All.

13) I am thankful that virtually all countries and many corporations, states, and local governments recognize the gravest threat facing our planet, climate change/global warming , will finally start to be addressed. Not by America anymore, however. This is one of the darkest things we face, this continued climate change denial that grips so many, but I pray that we wake up soon and change.  

14) I am thankful that even though the progressive agenda may not be moving as fast as I want, at least the promise of a better future holds.  I am incredibly grateful that in the last election, the Democratic Party retook the House of Representatives, and will provide a vital check on the authoritarian fascism practiced by the orange con man.   I am grateful for the courageous runs made by Lisa Ring for our Congressional Representative in the 1st District of Georgia, and for Greg O'Dricoll for State House.  They offered a refreshing new view to this area, and planted the seeds for future improvement.  Many of the new representatives are Progressive Democrats, not Corporate or Blue Dog. The Progressives are articulating many of the positions vital to me and forcing the media and the Corporate Democrats to give these issues at least a passing thought.  They are laying the groundwork for what I believe and pray will be the Progressive majority takeover in 2020.  

15) I am thankful that even in this radically conservative area, I still can seek out and find liberal friends to talk to.  Lisa Ring received only 10% of the vote in my home county, but I know many of those who voted for her and those who earlier voted for Bernie Sanders, and I am grateful that I found them.  Some ask who I support in 2020.  I don't know yet, but I know that I prefer the Democratic Party run a woman for President...AND Vice-President.  It's time.  It's way past time.

16) I am thankful that I can read, and enjoy the pleasures of the printed page.  I know that some people laugh at my elaborate method of randomly picking new books to read, but it gives me great pleasure, and that is the most important part.  I am currently reading Trinity, a graphic novel by Wagner.

17) I am thankful for the television streaming services we have, and the features that let me watch the programs I want when I want to watch them.   I am also grateful for the high-speed internet that makes streaming so practical.  We just finished Kidding and are in the middle of The Man in the High Castle.  That and The Handmaid's Tale are among some of the best television I've ever seen. 

18) I am thankful for pets.  We have four wonderful dogs, Dachshund mixes who are loving and have long, waggy tails.  Well, our newest, Boss-A-Man, may be more chihuahua and Pomerian, but he is marvelously sweet, and I'm glad I get to spend more time with him, in my semi-retirement. We also have a cat who is on rare occasion sweet, Skitty.   

19) I am thankful for movies.  I love storytelling of all kinds, and there is still nothing like going to the movie theater.  The best we have seen recently is Bohmian Rhapsody and Bad Day at the El Royale.  Avengers: Infinity Wars still stands out in my mind, too.

20) I am thankful for continuing medical advances that help extend and improve the quality of life.

21) I am thankful that communities still come together sometimes to support neighbors in crisis, like with sick children, or suffering a fire, or other tragedy.  The assistance given to others during the recent fires in California have been heartwarming, but Trump's cold and disturbing reaaction to the fires have been heart-breaking and disturbing, threatening to cut off aid, and blathering about forest rakes.

22) I am thankful for those friends I have discovered or reconnected with through Facebook.  I am most grateful to Benita Vierke Collins, for her friendship and her efforts, and at reconnecting with the Bridgeport High School Class of 73 (and adjacent years), including such friends as Coleen Hitsman Anegon, Dona Bow Kilbourne, Lisa Whitehead, Karen Iffil, Pete Pasterz, Sandy Lurins, and Linda Arnst Spayeth (who has been so supportive of my writing efforts).

23) I am thankful for the great joy comic books have brought to my life.  I have been a fan and collector since I have been 5 years old.  Recently, Superman has been rebooted yet again, but the results have been AMAZING, with Lois and Clark married with a son.  Action Comics and Detective Comics have been restored to their original numbering, and I couldn't be happier.  I am saddened by the loss of Stan Lee, who had a prominent hand in the creation of so many Marvel characters, and whose legacy of decency and advocacy of Democracy will burn within me for the rest of my life, and in the lives of my sons as well.

24) I am thankful for Christmas, and the opportunity to express such joy and love to others.

25) I am thankful for the peacemakers, all the diplomats and others who spend so much time and efforts to make the world a better place to live.  I pray that we give them the space to do what they can in Syria and other hot spots around the world.  I am thankful for the many Americans who have been willing to welcome the Syrian refugees and others in crisis.  You may not know from listening to the darkest politician of my age, Donald Trump, or others echoing his bigoted and hateful sentiments, but there are still many Americans, of diverse faith and politics, who still care about people and remember that this is a NATION of immigrants and refugees.  I am grateful for the courts for slowing down his blatant MUSLIM ban. Unfortunately for the world, we have put the hateful bigot in charge.  I can only pray that goodness and diplomacy still prevail.  

26) I am thankful for the first responders, who often put their lives on the line for us.

27)  I am thankful for ketchup, the condiment of the gods.

28)  I am thankful for Cherry Coke, the nectar of the gods.

29)  I am thankful for colder weather, so I can go out sometimes without having to worry about the gnats.   That's not every Fall/Winter day here in Southeast Georgia, but it does happen often enough to celebrate it when it does.  I was grateful last winter to see the best snowfall here n a generation.

30) I am thankful for God, and for love.

31) I am thankful for Jesus Christ, who resides in my heart, and  urges me to love God, love my neighbors, and do everything I can to make this a better world.

Time's up!  On to Thanksgiving festivities!

Back Home From Tybee Time!

I'm Back!

Of course, you may not have noticed I was gone.  It's only been about a five-day hiatus.  And based on lack of Facebook and twitter likes when I DO post my blog stories,  very few do notice when they disappear. I do see logins for some views, but without feedback, I don't know what that means.

But, enough kvetching!

Where was I?

On Tybee Island!

Yep, a trip two years in the making!  Alison reserved a condo on Tybee two years ago. It got walloped by Hurricane Matthew, and sustained enough damage that we got our stay cancelled and our money back.

Then, a few months ago, the condo owner informed us that the repairs were finally done and that the condo was available for rent again.  So, we re-upped and spent the first part of Thanksgiving break there!  I can do stuff like that now that I'm semi-retired.  I don't have to worry about vacation days anymore - if I don't come in, I just don't get paid.  That's an improvement...I guess.

Anyhoo, this wasn't just any condo.  It was a condo that promoted itself as having the.....


BEST VIEW ON TYBEE ISLAND!!!

And it was pretty cool.

Of course, you can judge for yourself by looking at the picture on the top of this post.  That's just part of the view from our third-floor condo unit.

It was rainy most of Sunday.  We stayed in and found the TV got movies from some Xfinity feature.  We watched the new Jumanji movie (loved it!) and Central Intelligence (liked it!).  It was a Rock Sunday!  Both films featured the Rock and Kevin Hart, whom I guess are our modern Abbott and Costello (Lewis and Martin?  Wilder and Pryor?  Laurel and Hardy?  Anyways - some kinda comedic duo). 

The first meal out we tried to go to Sundae Cafe (on a Saturday).  We got there at 4:30 and found they didn't open until 5.  We drove around, came back, and got seated with a very fancy, expensive menu - nothing like what we had seen online.  The waitress told us that was the dinner menu and what we had seen was the lunch menu.  The whole atmosphere was a little bit snobby and cold.  We left without ordering anything (something that I rarely do) and found Fanny on the Beach, a much more welcoming place.  Benjamin ordered a fried shrimp dinner - they were delicious (per Alison and Benjamin - I don't eat shrimp)  and the most massive serving of shrimp I'd ever seen.  The food was plentiful - enough for another meal the next day! 

Sunday was church at All Saints Episcopal Church (very welcoming with an excellent service - I love being Episcopalian!), and a meal at the Sunrise Diner, where I had an Irish Omelet (I guess corned beef hash is what Irish-ized it and made it magically delicious!)

Monday was walks on the beach and scrunch (combo lunch and supper) at Huck-A-Poos - they served pizza slices that were almost as big as a medium pizza.  We also got a quesadilla they size of a large dinner plate (for 7 bucks!)   The place was like a rundown bayou shack, but the food was delicious and cheap and set us up for another meal of leftovers.  I'm glad that we all like leftovers - it's made life easier and less expensive.

There were no bookstores on Tybee Island.  I consider this a major flaw.  Shopping was somewhat limited unless you were looking for beach gear.  If you wanted a bookshop, go significant antiquing or attend a new movie - you pretty much had to make the trek to Savannah.  And we weren't up to that.

Tybee was nice, but we'll probably go back to our more familiar beaching grounds - Fernandina and St. Augustine.  I love seeing new places on most vacations, but on beach vacations, there's something nice about having the best restaurants and bookstores already staked out.

Sunset on Tybee Island.  

One disconnected note - 

Benjamin has now been accepted at TWO colleges - 

Georgia Southern 

and

Georgia College!

We have been informed the University of Georgia will not early admit him, but he is still under consideration for admission in April.

The Reddening of Pierce County: Saturday Political Soap Box 197

I thought we had turned a corner.

I thought it would get better.

I was wrong.

I look forward after each election to The Blackshear Times printing a detailed grid, precinct by precinct, of the election results.  I have not found that yet.  I did see a news story that described the results in general terms.

And it was heartbreaking.  Devastating.

I thought we had hit a low point in 2016.  Democratic candidates, including the locally despised Hillary Clinton, averaged around 13% of the vote.

This year, I believed with all my heart and soul that things would get better.  No miracles.  Even 20% would convince me that we were back on the road to better balance.

We had a courageous Pierce County candidate, a hometown boy, running for State House Representative.  We had in Lisa Ring the hardest-working, most aggressive Congressional Democrat this area had ever seen.  She made her presence known here, and canvassed here, and did not ignore this county like so many previous Democrats would have done.

So what was their reward?

They, like all the Democrats on the ballot in Pierce County, received roughly 10% of the vote.


10%.

We are now at Soviet monolith proportions. 

We are now at autocratic levels.

I am so sad.  I hate living in a place where you have to fear what might happen if you express yourself full force.

I am saying this more for the Democrats and Progressive people that I know.  I understand why you have been afraid to speak out. I have not had the intelligence to restrict myself.  In print at least, whether it's on Facebook, The Blackshear Times, or my world famous blog, The Strait Line.

It's not that I'm brave.  I'm not.  I'm an idiot who has loved discussing politics all his life and doesn't know when to shut up.

Over the years, it has had some consequences, but nothing too dire.  2002 was particularly rough, with most of a whole local church deciding I was evil incarnate.  My sin?  I dared to state at the beauty shop where I get my haircut that I would not vote for Kay Godwin, a local Blackshear resident running for the State House, and one of the leaders of the movement to redden Pierce County.  Yeah, somehow, years later,  NOT voting for local State House candidate Greg O'Driscoll didn't carry the same weight (I proudly voted for our local boy).  We had a prominent preacher, Mike Stone of Emmanual Church,  pretty clearly state that being a Democrat and a Christian is incompatible (I don't know what to say - I struggle every day now how you can be a Christian and support Trump, so I may have lost the moral high ground on this one).

In 2012, my son was told by at least one of his peers that if he talked about his support for Obama, he would kill him.  After the 2016 election, one of my co-workers threatened to report me to the boss if I dared talked about politics again.  Now, don't get me wrong,  The others can say whatever damn fool thing comes into their heads.  I'm the one who was intimidated into silence.

In the most recent episode of Real Time, Bill Maher said we just stop talking about politics with the other side.  It does no good.  They don't listen and it just ostracizes you further.

For the most part now, I don't talk about politics with those whom I know are Trumpeteers.  But if they start talking crazy, if they initiate the conversation, it's hard for me to stay quiet.  I'm always at a disadvantage in most conversations because my heart beats faster and my sense of reasoning flees me.

Although I understand Bill Maher's point and try to avoid talking about politics to the Trumpeteers as much as I can (although I think about it about as often as most psychologists suggest men think about sex).  It's not easy, but I do the best I can.  Most of the Trumpeteers I know are individually good people, so it just adds to the confusion.  I've lost more sleep and stressed more about this than I have anything in my life.

I'll continue to speak out, particularly in my blog. 

It hurts to stay silent.  I'm not good at internalizing things.

And I think of Anne Frank, and all the terrible things that happened at the hands of the Nazis,  I think of Schindler and how he cried about not being able to help more, blaming himself for every Jew he could not save.

Silence in the face of tyranny, of autocratic fascism, of a narcissistic, racist bully - it's just something I cannot do.

It may be hopeless to reverse the Red Tide that has engulfed my home county. 

But I can't give up.

Anne Frank haunts me.  Schindler haunts me,  Children in cages haunts me.  A crazed madman with his hand on the nuclear trigger haunts me.

Sorry, Bill Maher.

Sorry, Pierce County.

I cannot stop,

My conscience will not let me.

Dreamer by Cheyenne Irby: Another 2018 OHC Writer's Contest Student Poetry Winner!

In the five year history of the OHC Writer's Contest, no one has won more awards than Ware County student Cheyenne Irby!  Above she is pictured holding her certificate and check with OHC Director Elizabeth Simpson. Here is her second place poem!

Dreamer

by Cheyenne Irby

I dream of nothing every night

I float surrounded by an endless dark

But after a moment I always look closer

Refusing to believe that is all there is

Nothingness

When I look close enough I see stars in the black

Winking in and out of existence

I see shadows too, dancing to and fro

Graceful even without a light to guide their steps

Fearless and beautiful

A shadow halts and holds out an arm

'Beckoning me to join in their revelry

After a moment I timidly accept

And I'm pulled into the whirling dance

Stumbling, unsure

Slowly I adjust to the blistering pace

My steps and sways growing more certain

And a laugh bubbles up from within me unbidden

That I let free and let wash over like a melody

Rejoicing

Suddenly a light floods the darkness

And I cry out in pain as I'm blinded

I stumble awkwardly and nearly fall

But I am caught by a strong hand at my wait

Steady and unmoving

I open my eyes to see rolling fields

And rejoicing people have replaced the shadows

They help me up and I smile along with them

As I am pulled laughing once more into a dizzying dance

Mystical, musical

I awake

He Has a Certain Type of Significance by Jules Hagains : Student Poetry Winner!

Our third place winner, by Jules Hagains of Coffee County Schools!

He Has a Certain Type of Significance

by Jules Hagains

He has a certain type of significance

That kind that you can never exactly put your finger on, but you know there is something lurking.

You know what I mean?

He is nervous.  The mockingbird side of him shows through.

I hear him shuffle his feet.  Anxiety radiates off of him -

Just because I was once blind never means I don't know his intentions.

I feel his aura.  I can sense the blue dim mood.

He jumps.  The fear ruins my vibe.

He is a bubble person.  I can tell just by the intrusion reaction.

But...he will have to learn that as long as it rained, as long as he visits this bus stop

I will share my umbrella.

He needs it.  He is a stranger.

But it rains here endlessly, and I will let no one stand in the rain.

He holds his express ticket closely as the bus pulls up, and I

Find it unfortunate to see him go, closing my umbrella as we board.

He breaks away from me, and I know we will go to different realities.

I see him examine the doors to pass through.

He goes through the very last, and so I 

Feel sad, because that is the Nicher reality.

And that reality is dying.  I feel bad, as much as I try

I will never understand what it is like

For your world to waste away, perhaps before your eyes.

Nomads, as I am, cannot understand.

It's just not possible.

Coming Home to Dogsville Monday Musings

This is a time of year I very much look forward to (notice I used the word very there?  Grammarly don't like that.  Yeah, well, sometimes I don't like Grammarly).  Work time is minimal, and I get more time here with my dog crew.  There's a cat here somewhere too, but we won't talk about that.

Here the crew is waiting for someone to come home.  It's not me, though.  I'm already home.

It's him.  Benjamin.  Coming home from school.

I'm old hat now.

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Alison and I were in Albany this weekend, attending Diocesan Convention along with Alison's mother, Rose and Rev Kit.  I had never been to Albany before.  It was nice.  They had a lot of downed trees from a recent hurricane. 

The services were the highlight of the convention.  There was a lot of good singing and worship.  There was a lot about our camp, Honey Creek, which has been very (hey, Grammarly!  I'll use very if'n want to, beeyotch!) significant in Benjamin's life, having attended many summer camps there.  They have come up with a reasonable plan to retire Honey Creek debt and to build up a fund for future needs. 

Bishop Benhase  announced he would be retiring, for health reasons.  He has been an excellent leader for our diocese, and he will be difficult to replace.

My biggest concern about the Episcopal Church is that it is aging, and the young are not flocking to it in sufficient numbers to sustain growth.  This is not a problem unique to our denomination.  It's just frustrating because I honestly believe that we are a church that should be more appealing to millennials and even younger groups.

I have no magic answers, but I am aware of what a serious problem it is.


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Alison and I are both ecstatic that the Atlanta United won their initial playoff round, and will play in the Eastern Conference finals.  They beat the New York City Football Club and now will play the New York Red Bulls for the right to go to the Championship game.  My gosh!  New York!  New York!  Deja vu!

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There are some election results still in flux.  Special message to both sides -

CHILL OUT!

Let the votes be counted, and the results play out!  Who cares who concedes or doesn't?  Nothing matters until the votes are certified.

The longer range problem is the effect that public officials who control elections being able to run for other offices and then influence the results.  Governor Rick Scott and Secretary of State Brian Kemp should have recused himself from these elections a long time ago!  It's a bipartisan problem and needs to be addressed.  And yes, voter suppression is real and makes a tremendous difference in these close elections.

My predictions?  If all votes are counted, as rightfully should be done, the Democrat Sinema wins in Arizona, and Gillum and Nelson win in Florida.  Sadly, I don't see a runoff happening in Georgia between Kemp and Abrams.  There's been too much voter suppression and nonsense for her to overcome

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My writing focus is on The Extra Credit Club.  The market I wanted to send it to is now asking for shorter novels than what I intended The Extra Credit Club to be.  I am trying very hard with my writings, but I am the worst publicist on Earth. 

I do think I am going to take my winning poem and see if I can find a market that publishes mystery/horror poems.  Even if published, it would probably only get me nickels, but at least I would be able to call myself a 'published author'.

Sigh.  Even that is probably out of reach.

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My other flaw, a complete lack of mechanical and building skills, blocks me from doing something I would love to do, and I believe that I could do at a level that would earn me enough money to step away from accounting, and that is being a narrator/voice artist for books and such. 

That, and barking dog that would disrupt recordings.

Still, dogs...gotta love 'em.  They are wonderful to come home to. Or stay home with.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Handling Suspected Infidelity, Old Testament Style

From Numbers 5

11 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13 if a man has had intercourse with her but it is hidden from her husband, so that she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her since she was not caught in the act; 14 if a spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself; or if a spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself; 15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. And he shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16 Then the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord; 17 the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 The priest shall set the woman before the Lord, dishevel the woman’s hair, and place in her hands the grain offering of remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. In his own hand the priest shall have the water of bitterness that brings the curse. 19 Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, “If no man has lain with you, if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be immune to this water of bitterness that brings the curse. 20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has had intercourse with you,” 21 —let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse and say to the woman—“the Lord make you an execration and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your uterus drop, your womb discharge; 22 now may this water that brings the curse enter your bowels and make your womb discharge, your uterus drop!” And the woman shall say, “Amen. Amen.”

23 Then the priest shall put these curses in writing, and wash them off into the water of bitterness. 24 He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her and cause bitter pain. 25 The priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall elevate the grain offering before the Lord and bring it to the altar; 26 and the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering, as its memorial portion, and turn it into smoke on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27 When he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall discharge, her uterus drop, and the woman shall become an execration among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be immune and be able to conceive children.

29 This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when a spirit of jealousy comes on a man and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall apply this entire law to her. 31 The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.

Wow.  Reminds of trying to figure out who a witch is by drowning her.  I'm not sure what this proves other than if the woman is pregnant, it seems inevitable a miscarriage will occur.  Because whatever they're giving the woman is abortion-inducing.

And where do these instructions come from?  Oh, the Lord.

Well, hopefully, this is all "washed away" by the new covenant.

Hate to think of "The Lord" in the "abortion-inducing" business.