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Weekly Newspaper and Tourism Guide for Ward County Trans Pecos, Big Bend of West Texas

Opinion

Nov. 5, 1998

Monahan's Well


By Jerry Curry
Here's a slightly stale familiar saying: "Be it ever so
humble, there's no place like home."

Although neither home nor humble is ridiculed by this
platitude, the old proverb could stand some modernizing.

It has been amended by a number of contemporary writers.
Here is one, written, perhaps, by a tongue-in-cheek
humorist. "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like
somewhere else."

Some dysfunctional family member must have conceived the
following two: "There's no place like home - thank God!"
"There's no place like home - especially if you haven't the
money to go out."

Each of these quotations have in common the word "place."

We mortals put a lot of stock in place. The small child is
quick to learn where its place is - and where it is not.
Maitre d's of ocean-going cruise ships assist patrons in
finding their assigned places in the dining saloon. People
feel more comfortable in church if they are sitting in
"their" pew. Even senior residents of retirement centers
gravitate to their usual chairs in the dining rooms at meal
time.

Place provides identity, assurance, comfort.

Some families at the approaching Thanksgiving pig-outs will
have place cards artistically scrawled by the younger
children, decorated with Pilgrims, Indians, turkeys and what
not. Even guests and visitors will have one. Hospitality
demands that everyone be issued a particular place.

Helen was a frail senior saint whom I visited for years in a
retirement village. At age 91 she grumbled to me, "I just
don't know what I'm still doing here on Earth. I'm tired of
living and, it seems to me, I'm not doing anybody any good."

A couple of months later she reminded me of our earlier
conversation, adding, "I've been talking to the Lord about
this, but he hasn't said anything."

Still later Helen told me God had told her "The Devil
doesn't want me and Jesus isn't ready for me."

This was her larger explanation: "Jesus said he went to
prepare a place for me and my place is not ready yet. When
it is, he said he'd let me know. In the meantime, I'm
supposed to relax."

So she did.

A couple of years later, at her home-going celebration, we
all smiled and chuckled to one another, firm in the belief
that Helen was now happy in her properly prepared new Place.

Nobody likes to be out of place. Nobody likes the
discomfort of being away from home for long.

"Gotta' get on back home," the old timer announces as he
gets up to leave. "What's the hurry?" some uninformed young
sprout asks. "Jest because.."

Because home is my place. It's where I belong, where they
know me and love me anyhow.

I don't have to pretend. Humble or grand, there's no place
like it.

John Setzer is an Episcopal priest and pastoral counselor
based in Midland.

The People speak


Tuesday, the People of these United States spoke and they
spoke loudly. And, our only response, is: Thank God for
Texas!

Generally the majority of the people of the United States
validated and said they did not care about a president of
the United States whose appetites equal Caligula's - whether
it be young women or Chinese bribes for missile technology.
They did this by ravaging with their ballots the Republican
congressional delegation and giving victory to a Democratic
Party who supported that president.

We are one of the hundreds of newspapers in this country who
called for President Bill Clinton to resign or be impeached.
We still call for that impeachment or resignation, although
we know it is unlikely with the results of the Nov. 3
elections falling over the leadership of the Republican
Party.

At least in Ward County and West Texas and Texas, we voted
and cast our ballots for a code that says no one is above
the law and that no one, absolutely no one, has the right to
victimize an individual , a whole people or the local
financial institution.

This happened.

There apparently is nothing we can do about it.

It is highly likely Caligula-on-the-Potomac will lead this
nation blind and belching into the 21st Century.

Conservatives, Republican and Democrat, will blame
themselves and they will blame each other. But there is no
blame here.

This is a Democracy.

The People Spoke.

We do not like what the people outside Texas said. But it is
something we must abide until another time.If the People
wish a liar and a philanderer to lead them, they have that
right. And we defend that right. We do not have to like
their decision.

Punt, Pass, Kick sponsors unfair


Dear Editor:

Punt, Pass and Kick - to the kids of all ages who
participated, congratulations. To all the merchants and
individuals that donated awards, it's all appreciated!

The sponsors of this event were not fair to all the kids.
The kids that plawced first received either Lobo autographed
footballs, plaques, t-shirts, shampoo or coupons for
hamburgers, fries and a Coke. The kids that second and
third received nothing for their efforts.

Unfortunately the older kids got the better awards and the y
ounger kids got the cheesy awards.

If you have a fund raiser, you need to have equal awards for
all ages becuse they all paid the same entry fee and worked
just as hard as the older kids.

The little kids want something to put on their trophy wall,
not a coupon for a hamburger and fries; they have nothing to
show fo their effort when they get older.

Each child should have gotten a ribbon or certificate for
participation even if it were printed off a computer. I'm
sure somebody has a program to do this.

I feel the younger kids were discriminted against. If you
win an event in the Olympics, you get a gold medal, no
matter the eventor the age of the participant. They are all
treated equally.

If you feel I'm just a nag, well maybe so, but I coach
T-Ball and soccer and I do this for the kids and I feel that
somebody has to stand-up for them



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Copyright 1998 by Ward Newspapers, Inc.
Joe Warren, Publisher
107 W. Second St., Monahans TX 79756
Phone 915-943-4313, FAX 915-943-4314
e-mail monnews@ultravision.net

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Copyright 1998 by Ward Newspapers Inc.