North Carolina Newspapers

_ FORUM Life is short, so be happy Nigel Alston Motivational Moments " We all face obstacles of one '? kind or another in life. But if you let your deepest passion serve as your ' fuel. you. will he able to travel the road back and move on to make your dreams happen." - Dr. Francisco Bucio I am happy my family loves me unconditionally, that I have a few J good friends and a network of people who support and encour age me. I am happy I made it . through another year with a "rea * sonable portion of good health," ? as the elders say. Judging by the I comments I heard in church on ; Sunday night at our watchnight service, most people are glad to be alive to see another day. If for no other reason, that's something to be happy about. I am happy for the holiday sea son that produced a lot of laugh ter, allowed me to catch up on some much needed rest, good food, fellowship and the apprecia tion for being loved. Now., as we return to the reality of work, bills will be arriving in the mail soon and there is anticipation of the journey of another year. What lies ahead? New Year's resolutions are the order of the day. Here is one to add to the top of your list: Life is short. Be happy! Life is what hap pens while you are making fither plans. So, stop waiting until some thing happens to decide to be happy. Happiness isn't a thing, place or destination. Some things do contribute to happihess though. Like the pre sent my wife gave me for Christ mas, a page-a-day calendar: The best of 14,000 things to be happy about. Each day lists 5 things to be happy about. Item number 1 on the list for the first day of the year was a no brainer: the arrival of 2001. I agree with that one and 1 am happy to see another year and look forward to the opportunities it presents. It was followed by two things that caused me to scratch my head, however: cucum ber and mint sandwiches and syl labub. Syllabub? It's an old-fash ioned milk punch. A drink made of sweetened milk or a cold dessert made with sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and beaten with wine, spirits, or fruit juice. I'll pass on that one, but order ing books on-line and seeing the big picture are keepers. Here is a preview of some of the things to be happy about during the first week of this New Year. Day 2: A belated birthday pre sent. pinstripe suits, a nonsnoring partner, cookies with cherries on top and getting a good start. I saw a nice three-button gray suit with ?a brown pinstripe last week that would make me happy. And I think you would agree that getting a good start is important. As for a nonsnoring partner, mv wife would be happier. Day 3: Knowing equivalents in other languages (not high on my list), a rip that's easily repaired, cheeking out an unusual store, helping someone move and free parking (that's a winner). Day 4: Getting back to a nor mal schedule (what's normal any more?). sinking into an over stuffed chair (that feels good), a fleecy pile jacket, warming your fingers on a hot coffee mug, coop eration and maturity (always a plus). Day 5: Mentors (if you don't have one, make that a goal this year), a hot bath, your favorite soap opera ("Moral Court," "Pet Court," "Divorce Court"), chives cream cheese, and when you know what you want (now that is the most important one yet). Day 6: Menus planned in advance, a welcome surprise visi tor (that always produces a smile), learning answers to interesting questions, French onion soup and Sec Alston on A8 The new year ? Armstrong Williams Guest Columnist ? Every year at this time I used to wind up with some strange sense of dread. The headlines from the past year remind us of the tragedies of our time. The triumphs are often overwhelmed by them. For exam ple, the end of the year is frequent ly marked by lists of the most prominent deaths. This year it will be: Carl Rowan, Steve Allen, Sir Alec Guinness, Gwendolyn Brooks, Walter Matthau, Tom Landry, Hosea Williams, etc. One wonders, what tragedy will the new year hold? Then faith returns, reminding us that all is not to be feared, but as seen in divine order. In that light, our perception of the new year can only improve. This year we can be thankful that we walked the planet at the same time as people endowed with the power to touch the human spirit. The feeling slow ly warms me. I feel the warmth as my fingers scribble away on my yel low pad. I am grateful for my health and that 1 am even alive to see the new year. I ask the Almighty to bless those who have passed as I lift my voice in thankful praise for the continuing gift of life. 1 am happy that 1 have a voice as I enter into the new year, for there are many who do not. 1 refer to those who live in countries where their political system renders them mute. I also mean children in families where poverty, ignorance or abuse have snatched their hopes. There are so many others. With my voice, I can speak for many of them. I can also pray for them, that they will realize that no matter how softly spoken. God can always hear your voice. We often enter a new year with a list of resolutions. This year, many of us should also resolve to keep our resolutions. The new year is an opportunity to change, to wipe the slate clean, take the lessons of the past and apply them to the future. As you can see, I have already learned to no longer dread the new year. This new year, 2001, many peo ple may view the recent elections with apprehension and anger. We don't need to do that. We should never lose sight of the fact that such a close election, so full of voter irregularities, would have caused tanks to roll out in the streets of most countries. Here, we had the freedom to decide the elec tion through rational debate, through the friction of honest minds engaging one another in political discourse. I have friends in Africa who marvel at the stability of the Amer ican government. Too often, they have seen such crises detonate into armed conflict. Just recently, Zim babwe President Robert Mugabe responded to democratic opposi tion in a parliamentary election by confiscating the land of those citi zens he feared might oppose him. In one fell swoop, he empowered himself by removing the liveli hood, stability and dignity of thou sands. We ought not to forget that the governments of other nations are programmed to destroy tHe opposi tion. Now there's something to look forward to in the new year: anoth er great opportunity to enrich the political debate by freely sharing diverse ideas. The strain we might feel at this moment is just the coali tion building that births political progress. It is precisely this free (low of ideas that hauls along this great country. h'mh'. armstrong- Williams, com Appointments send mixed message Val Atkinson Jones Street President-elect George W. Bush has nominated Retired Army Gen. Colin Powell to become the first black secretary of state and Condie Rice as his national security adviser. Does Bush get any credit from the African-American community for these nominations? Unfortunately not. You see, these two nominations are symptomatic of the base prob lem that African Americans have with the conservative right-wingers. Too many African Americans don't feel that right-wing conservatives really understand the needs of the African-American community. African Americans have moved beyond being proud of the black principal's picture hanging in the newly integrated high school. We need more direct and immediate impacts. What too many right wingers don't understand is that African Americans are a caring peo ple, and especially caring toward those who are less fortunate and suf fering. Too many right-wingers think that African Americans subscribe to the dog-eat-dog, I'm not my broth er's keeper, I've got mine you get yours philosophy, but they're wrong. George W. Bush unfortunately felt that he could get Powell, Rice and Gonzales out front and appease the minority community. But what Cheney and Bush didn't account for was the savvy of the African-Amer ican public. African Americans know that the intelligence commu nity, Bush's "kitchen cabinet" and the U.S. military will have as much to do with national security and for eign policy as Powell and Rice will have. I applaud Powell's desire to have the Foreign Service Corps look like America, but there are some more pressing needs that most African Americans have. African Americans would rather have Rice and Powell sit in on discussions of issues such as Medicare, prescription drugs, school vouchers, affirmative action, driving while black and Social Secu rity. It's like this. Let's say it's late in the 19th century and Bush and Cheney wanted to impress the Native American community that his administration would be an inclusive administration and that he would do what's right by all Indian Americans. So he appoints Geroni mo, Cochez and- Sitting Bull to ambassadorships in Ireland, Hong i* Kong and Kenya, while at the same time he names Gen. George Arm strong Cusfer as his nominee for the post of secretary of the interior. As secretary of the interior, Custer would have comprehensive powers over all matters that afTect the daily lives of all Native Americans. Now I'll admit that Missouri Sen. Ashcroft will have considerably less impact over African Americans than Custer would have had over Native Americans, but the mere nomination of Ashcroft (who's no friend of women of minorities) sends a powerful signal to right wingers and to the African-Ameri can community. Bush's nomination of Ashcroft basically says to the right-wingers (who paid for Bush's campaign), "I haven't forgotten where I came from and who got me hdre." But to African Americans he's saying. "We'll give you two or three high-level positions, but when it comes to the critical social issues that impact daily living like civil rights, and the FBI, we'll leave that up to the conservative right-wingers. And Bush has proclaimed, he'll have women in his cabinet as well; but when it comes to women like Gov. Christie Todd-Whitman of New Jersey, her pro-choice position eliminated her from DHHS consid eration. so she can have the-cnviron ment. Being pp-choice on pollina tion and soft on defoliation and oil spills is acceptable, especially to companies like big oil. So there seems to be a Bush pat tern here. Make offers to those who can't accept them (like Sen. Breaux) and put women and minorities in positions that won't tamper with the right-wing conservative approach he plans to pursue. And oh. by the way. did I mention that after he puts the Powells. Rices,'Whitmans and Gon zaleses in place, helll go up on the Hill and proclaim that he kept his promise to appoint minorities and women to key positions. And when he does, we should all hear (over the distant hills) the faint sound of the 7th Cavalry being lead by none other than George Armstrong Custer himself. Let me be the first to say that as the 43rd president, George W. Bush should have the right to nominate whomever he wishes. After all it's his job to nominate and the LIS. Sen ate's job to confirm. With the U.S. Senate split 50-50 it will be difficult for Ashcroft to pass muster. Bush should also know (jiat the majority of those who cared to vote (or that got their vote eounted) didn't care r for his brand of politics. And that ** means that fewer people than he thinks are being hoodwinked by his Sir Atkinson on A7 NEW YEAR SHOE SALE $2 off oa purchase of $2C-$49 $5 off on purchase of $5C-$9S $10 off on purchase of $100-$ 199 $20 off on purchase of $200 or more 2- 15 Jan 01 COMMUNITY SHOE STORE 2312 N. Patterson Ave. VV inston-Salem, NC 27105 ? (336) 723-4563 The Chronicle You should he reading it!!!!! Call 722-8624 to Subscribe PUBLIC NOTICE The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Urban Area Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) will accept only written comments from the public regarding the draft 2002-2008 Winston-Salerrf/fForsyth County Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Prograrrt(MTIP) and the MTIP Air Quality Conformity Summary. The documents can be reviewed online at www.ci.winston-salem.nc.us/DOT/prpiects.html or at all Forsyth County public libraries, each municipal town hall, the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division 9 office at 2125 Cloverdale Avenue, and the City of Winston-Salem Department of Transportation office (Room 307) in City Hall South, 100 E. First Street. All requests for appropriate auxiliary aids and services to review and comment on the draft MTIP and Air Quality Summary should be made to Wendy Miller, City of Winston-Salem Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 2511, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27102 or by phone at (336) 727-2707, TDD (336) 727-8319. ONLY WRITTEN COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2001 AT 5:00 P.M. Written comments may be mailed or faxed to: Loretta Barren, TAC Secretary, City-County Planning Board, P.O. Box 2511, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27102. Fax: (336) 748-3163 iwTmfflmllBMI Housing is available now for the 2001 Spring Semester. 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