Opinion

We often associate certain foods with different countries. Spaghetti is Italian, tacos are Mexican, and what could be more American than apple pie?
Did you know the very first apples ever eaten grew several thousand years ago in fertile land south of the Black Sea?
The history and origins of different fruits and vegetables are as interesting and unique as their taste.

The law says you can’t yell “fire” in a crowded movie theater.
But can you nudge the guy next to you and say “psst... that guy up front looks like he wants to start a fire,”?
This weekend, the country was once again shocked by violence when six people including a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl were shot by a lone madman in Arizona.
The question that leaps to most people’s mind is why.

Funny how the seemingly mundane task of chopping down a tree can take on special significance at Christmas.

Most Owen countians remember the days when, weeks before the holiday, families would journey to the woods to choose that extraordinary tree that, for a short time, would take a place of honor in their home. 

While cedar may not have been a favorite of everyone, it grew abundantly on the hillsides of Owen County and graced most of our homes at Christmas.

I love “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” I especially love the scene where Charlie Brown is sitting with Lucy telling her about his problems. He admits that he knows he should be happy about Christmas, but says for some reason he is not.

By the way, on a completely unrelated note, why is Charlie Brown the only one with a last name? Think about it. There is Lucy, Linus, Sally, Schroeder and so on and so forth. No last names.

Anyway, over the last week I have sort of felt like Charlie Brown but about something else besides Christmas.

World Peace Day is a global event celebrated at noon Greenwich Mean Time or 7 a.m. EST on the last day of each year.

At this time, people the world over gather together for an hour of prayer and meditation for world peace.

Stop for a moment and think how profound this really is. People the world over set aside personal issues and step into the moment, coming together to be of one mind, of one place, of one time, aware that as they combine their thoughts and energies, they create opportunities for positive changes to manifest in the world.

In college, I was asked to write an essay about what I would do if I won the lottery and the paper turned out to be more of a business idea that is still my dream today.

My long-term vision is for Owen County to have a daycare center adjoining an assisted living facility where the children and the elderly of our community will have access to the best-possible care.

My short-term  goal is to partner with caregivers who currently provide childcare services in their homes to establish a state of the art daycare cooperative.

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone, two more turkeys have been pardoned by the President, and now we’re on the downhill slope to Christmas.

The other day I glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed the second hand was moving at a rapid pace. “There must be something wrong with the clock,” I thought. A few minutes went by till I glanced at it again, and it seemed to be moving even faster this time. I mentioned it to our copy editor, Richard. His response was, “It’s because you’re getting older.”

Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the weather was brisk and the promise of cold air and clear skies remained for several days in a row, Owen County families prepared for the annual event of “hog-killing.” All year, efforts were made to fatten these delectable creatures whose succulent meat was the mainstay of many a winter meal.

It truly does take an entire community to educate a child. That point was never made clearer than at Owen County High School’s  KCCT Recognition Ceremony on Nov. 18 where more than 100 students were recognized for high academic achievement.

It is at this ceremony where over 70 proud guests (parents, grandparents, and other family members) were present to share in this special event.