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Page 4 The Perquimans Weekly Perspectives April 4, 1996 The Perquimans Weekly '1932 I 119 W. Grubb St., P.O. Box 277, Hertford, N.C. 27944 426-5728 Richard D. Brown, Publisher Susan R. Harris, Managing Editor Shirley Pizzitola, Administrative Assistant Anzie Ziemba, Account Executive The Perquimans Weekly (USPS 428-080) is published each Thursday by The Daily Advance, 216 S. Poindexter St., Elizabeth City, N.C. 27909. Subscription rates are $24.20 per year in-state, $26.40 per year out-of-state, single copy rate 35 cents. Second class postage paid in Hertford, N.C. 27944. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 277, Hertford, NC 27944. Trails of the Thunder trihe I do not believe in coinci dence. To me, everything has a purpose and a meaning, and what we call “coincidence” is merely when a human being is given a brief spir itual glimpse into what a high er power is hard “““ at work bringing about for us to carry mat ters full circle, as planned. There have been uncount able “coincidences” here at Morningstar Nature Refuge, and many moments of personal reve lation that something gives me the extra physi cal strength and emotion al conviction it takes to do this. We call it angels. The Indian called them “winged one” from the “Solar Clan” or “Thunder Tribe.” And 1 have one. And some days two. Among their assignments are “coincidences.” 1 have very severe asth ma. 1 no longer take chances like 1 used to do, but instead, carry my inhales and medicine all the time. One day 1 was hard at work on the back side of the refuge, grub bing up stumps and stub bles and moving around heavy moss-covered logs to make a new trail less dangerous and more interesting to visitors. Without prior warning, as is usual, my breathing changed abruptly, and 1 sunk to the ground gasp ing for air. My airways closed tight and 1 began to suffocate. My hands fran tically searched my empty pockets. 1 crawled to my cast-off sweater, but found nothing in the pocket there either. 1 had left everything back at the museum, in my coat pock et, which 1 had shed earli er when visitors were here and left on the picnic table. Panic struck. 1 had to get back to the house. 1 had to get my medicine, or 1 would die. 1 crawled up the trail a few feet, grasped a small tree and pulled myself upright. 1 recall stumbling along half of the trail, and then nothing. The only recol lection after that was col lapsing within sight of the little bridge near the main trail. Then my world grew dark. I woke two hours later in the comfort of my own bed, my inhalers hy my side, my breathing labored but constant. 1 have absolutely no idea how 1 got there; 1 know nothing of it. 1 do remem ber, however, a rustling sound that surrounded me at the same time of the darkness - and a distinct whisper, “I am here.” Much less dramatic “coincidenes” occur all the while in my life, like the day I was speaking to Nature in a Nutshell Gail Roberson the local rotary club during lunch. For months I had searched for a larger than life rubber roach for a very impor tant boxed exhibit on the main trail to be done by an Eagle Scout this spring. 1 had spent much time and energy tracking one down, with out luck, and had finally given up the worry over to a higher source, having made that statement aloud the day before. When telling the club members about the new exhibit containing the one creature that is capa ble of living for two weeks without its head, 1 asked if anybody might just hap pen to know where I could find one. To my utter delight, a man in the very back announced to us that he had, not one, but two large rubber roaches in his pocket! “Coincidence?” 1 think not. One day 1 sat hy the river’s edge, daydreaming about my Indian ancestor, “Morningstar,” and the story 1 had heard of how she taught her white hus band how to hollow out a tree to make a canoe for their fishing excursions. 1 tossed a pebble in the water as 1 left, watching the ripples grow and wishing I had such an item for the museuA about to be constructed. Two days later 1 received a call. “Gail, how big is your museum gong to be” a man asked. “How big does it have to be?” 1 responded. And the first item to he placed in the newly constructed build ing was a beautiful old canoe, hollowed by ancient hands, come to final rest exactly where it should. “How will I ever save enough monty for that now?” I asked myself as I stood in the hot steam of my shower one Sunday morning pondering a tremendous refuge need and no money left to buy it with. The tears of exhaustion mixed with soap. An hour later, a women I’ve never met, called from her home in Virginia to say she and her sons were going to take care of that need for me. “Coincidence?” There is no such thing. It’s just part of the plan. Even the “coincidences” that cause me to step backwards are there for the pimpose of self-growth.You call them angels. I call them winged ones from the Thunder Tribe. And the Thunder Tribe has walked my trails. So you wanna run for office? L ocal pol itics can break your heart. It is not for the thin- skinned or those with easi ly bruised egos. On the morn ing after elec tion day last year, I stopped by the court house on the way to work to see how the candidates fared in the previous day’s balloting. Actually I stopped to see how the peo ple^ voted for stacked up against the rest of the field. As I read the names and numbers so precisely print ed on that poster board hanging on the courthouse 4 door, I couldn’t help but marvel at the efforts put into the cam paign by each candidate, all the handshak ing all the tele phoning, all those placards and posters, all those meetings, all that smiling, smiling, smil ing, all reduced to numbers on a piece of paper. So this is how your friends and neighbors feel about you, huh? Local politics is a differ ent kind of animal. Everybody more or less knows everybody else. The candidates are familiar with one another and often All Over the Map Tonv Key are friends or close acquaintances. Likewise with the voters. Tljey attend the same churches, shop at the same stores, eat at the same restaurants, skip the same PTA meetings, and so on. How does one choose from among friends and associ ates? And contrary to the axiom, familiarity does not always breed contempt. Being an incumbent helps. Unless an office-holder has proven to be demonstrable incompetent or dishonest, he or she can count on being re-elected. Minority candidates continue to find the going tough, as do women. And since local offi cials are often limited in their policy making because of strictures from Washington, D.C. or Raleigh, innovation or cre ativity can be a liability rather than an asset. Better to know how to work within the existing system than to make waves. So a cold shoulder at the drugstore, a sympathy card after a recent loss, a helping hand at a church function, a poorly timed bit of criti cism, the use of a set of jumper cables, a neatly trimmed lawn, delinquent taxes, any or all of the above could be deciding factors on who to vote for. In May, we get to vote again and I humbly tip my hat to each and every per son running for office. You’re made out of tougher stuff than most of us! a I W A ^ ^ A ^ '£.y \CX ' v* V ^ ^ I't'C hop cjrrGi-vU,. Shtll^ r>\uo>T\.. « ’ _»vV f -►'W- ‘rJ April is the month for lots of celebrations I t’s April, and spring is surely just around the corner. There are so many things to do in April. We have in our reference collection a book called Chase’s Calendar of Events. It’s a wonderful compendi um of celebrations and holi days for each day of the year. I’ve been looking through April to see what’s coming up, and I thought you might like to know about some of the obser vances. April is International Amateur Radio Month. It’s also International Guitar Month, Keep America Beautiful Month, Listening Awareness Month, Mathematics Education Month, Month of the Young Child, and National Anxiety Month. In addition, April is National Garden Month, National Humor Month, National Welding Month, and Stress Awareness Month. I think I’ll focus on the humor, and maybe that will help me overcome my anxiety and stress. In addition to dedicating the month to various causes and celebrations, there are of coru*se many weeks to be acknowledged. I think my favorite is National Reading a Road^ Map Week, which has as its' theme, “Happiness is knowing how to read a road map,” I think maps are quite interesting, and I know you cartophiles out there agree. Then there’s Egg Salad Week, Astronomy Week, Week of the Ocean, Wildlife Week, Gospel Music Week, Coin Week, Lingerie Week, and Volunteer Week. But the week I’m most looking forward to is National Library Week, April 14-21. The library staff and I have been working on plans to celebrate this week, and it looks like it’s going to be a busy one. On Monday, April 15, at 3 p.m.. Rev. Jon Strother is going to be omr guest storyteller. He’ll be telling stories suitable for all ages, so make plans now to come for one or all of his wonderful tales. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Pat Phillips will be conducting microbiology workshops for sixth graders on behalf of the Albemarle Environmental Association. The Perquimans Arts Snapshots Jeri Olfman Perquimans County Librarian League ' Members Show will close on Monday, April 15. Our annual spring used book sale will begin on Tuesday, April 16. We have lots of books - 50 cents for hardcovers, 25 cents for paperbacks. We are also planning a “Computers for Seniors” workshop and a thank you tea to honor our outgoing library board members. Details for those events are stUl being worked out, so keep an eye out for posters announcing dates and times. Besides specific weeks, there are lots of special days in April. April 6 in Plan Your Epitaph Day. April 7 is No Housework Day, with the motto, “No trash. No dishes. No making of beds or washing of laundry. And no guilt. Give it a rest.” Now there’s my kind of day! April 10 is Siblings Day, when we can honor our brothers and sisters, living and deceased. My sisters will be celebrating this day. I’m sure, and I hope they celebrate No Housework Ah, the joys of writer’s block By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor I t’s 1:15 a.m. on a Tuesday. I have tried to write a column off and on for several hours. It’s not going to happen. Those of you who are unfamiliar with writer’s block are fortunate beings. There is absolutely nothing, I mean nothing, worse than watching the clock approach deadline - or bed time - and not being able to write a word. The worst part is, there’s nothing you can do about it. You can start to write some thing umpteen dozen times. only to end up erasing it, or now in the age of the com puter, deleting it. I wish you all a blessed Easter. May your kids not spUl chocolate milk on their new clothes before you leave for church and you not oversleep due to the time change. Day, too. Professional Secretaries Day, Kiss-Your-Mate Day, Moment of Laughter Day, and Hairstylist Day are all waiting for our attention. There are so many reasons to he happy in April. One day I’m planning to celebrate in a special way this year is April 25, “Take Our Daughters to Work day.” This is the result of a national public education campaign to focus attention on the needs of girls ages 9 to 15. Many girls see limited opportunities for their futures. Spending a work day with an adult can open their eyes and minds to career possibilities. If you have an opportunity to mentor a girl, I hope you’ll say yes. A young lady asked if she could come to work with me,'and I’m really looking forward to sharing my workday activities with her. You don’t have to have a daughter to participate. Just a “daughter for a day.” I didn’t mention nearly all the occasions that are listed, so if you didn’t see anything in my list of possi bilities, maybe you’ll want to spend a few minutes looking for a day or a week that suits your fancy.
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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April 4, 1996, edition 1
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