Who says you can never go home again?

Who says you can never go home again? I just did.

A tornado touched down a few miles east of Beecher, where I used to live. A house on the Schroeder farm was severely damaged. It was actually reported as being in Peotone, since that was the mailing address. In reality, it was between Beecher and Peotone, the town where I lived and the town where I worked respectively. That was my beat, as a reporter for the local paper. Had I still lived there, I would have covered the story. I often wrote weather stories. This was the grandaddy of weather stories since the barometric pressure in this storm was the lowest on record. Eighteen states were affected by this monster storm. They say it was stronger than the one that sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald in the Great Lakes in the 1950's.

I watched the WGN news at noon. Peotone Fire Chief Bill Schreiber was interviewed. I was well-acquainted with Bill and used to talk to him on a regular basis. I haven't seen him since we moved to Arkansas six years ago. It was odd to see someone else interview him. That was my job. Of course there are times I miss working for the paper. I enjoyed the relationship I had with so many people. Not only did I know them; I cried with many of them. Even from 600 miles away, I could empathize with the victims of this tragedy and the personal scope of this story.

I was moved by this trip back to my former on so many levels, but none so much as what occurred in the late afternoon. During the coverage, my former next door neighbor's daughter was interviewed on ABC News. The footage showed not only her home, but the house next door, which was where I lived for more than 20 years.

I admit that was weird. It isn't that I wish we still lived there. I am very happy to be living in Arkansas, but it was odd to see the old homestead, where there were many, many happy memories. I loved that old, rambling two-story house that my children called home. One brief glimpse of it, gave me a similar sensation as stepping into a hot tub. I was enveloped by warm thoughts of our past there, the friendliness of my neighbor Diane who used to come and sit on the front porch as I waited for my husband to come home from work. Family life in a small town was like being in a web that included many others. There was almost constant interaction, with friends, neighbors, children, and their network of friends. It seemed so structured, routine.

My life does not resemble my former lifestyle at all these days. John and I are virtually alone, void of neighbors stopping by or kids running in and out with friends. Being retired has little place for a routine. The phone hardly ever rings. We have made friends, but the friendships are much less intense and more distant.

I loved my former life, but I love this one too. I have pangs of sadness as I long for a hug from one of my children or grandchildren. When that happens I try to replace my thoughts with real memories of them. The cure is a simple telephone call. Just hearing their voices satisfies me. It has to.

It is fitting that after 20 years of writing for newspapers, that my trip down memory lane would be induced by the media. I love that technology makes such things possible. Twenty years ago, my present would have been severed from my past. Yet today, I am able to bring my past and present together almost seamlessly. If this is possible, what does the future hold. I am anxious to find out.

Not an informed voter, stay home!

Is this not the most disgusting election season in history?

The entire premise that rich people can buy elections has been around for decades, but never before has it been more obvious, at least to some. But some people still don't get it.

The I'm-mad-as-hell-and-I'm-not-going-to-take-it-anymore attitude is normally one I would endorse, but not this year. I am a strong advocate of exercising your right to vote, but only if you are an informed voter. If you are the kind of person that simply falls for the television commercials or glossy brochures that come to your door, please stay home.

Candidates of both parties are lying, manipulating, and waging the battle of their lives. I wish I could calculate the monumental costs of this election, but throw more than six zeros at me and I admit getting a little blurry-eyed. In truth, six figures is about all I can comprehend. Yet there are tens of millions being spent every day across this country. Doesn't anyone have a problem with that?

I used to bristle at the fact that only the wealthy could afford to run for public office. Now, I find myself completely freaking out about how unlimited corporate donations and anyone with tons of money and an agenda can turn any wacko into a candidate.

I've often wondered where this wealth comes from. I certainly don't have it, but then I'm a hard-working, honest person who tries not to hurt or take advantage of other people. My goal in life is not to be rich--I'd rather be happy. I would never step on other people just to get ahead. I don't rip people off. I try to tell the truth. I care about total strangers. I don't think I'm better than anyone else.

It isn't just the act of buying elections that is bothersome. I am horrified about the what if's. What if these nutjobs actually become representatives of our government? These people are going to speak on our behalf. They are going to make decisions that will ultimately affect us all.

I'm not sure what the answers are, but we have to learn from our mistakes. Why aren't we?

Terrorism on our own soil

It appears the nightmare in the vicinity of Beecher, IL and Lowell, IN is finally over. The suspect pictured in an artist's rendering at left, has been caught. 

It is not over if you are a friend or family of the men who have been shot by a psycho shooter. My heart goes out to the people who have been harmed by this latest shooting rampage.

For anyone not invested in this tragedy who might be unaware of the events, the nightmare began to unfold Tuesday morning in the quiet, rural community outside of Beecher, IL, about 40 miles south of Chicago.

Some guy came up to three construction workers who were rehabbing a house in the country that had been damaged by fire. The stranger started chatting with them about raising honey bees. Nothing extraordinary here; that is what rural folks do. But this one pulled out a gun and shot one of the guys dead, critically injured another, while a third took off running for his life through the corn and bean fields.

Then the shooter apparently got into his pickup truck and headed east toward Indiana where he drove up to a farmhouse, spotted a farmer and began talking to him about honey bees. He then pulled out his weapon and shot him, three times in the arm and shoulder.

The man was on the loose until this morning, causing three days and four nights of terror for the families in the area, and one mother/grandmother in Arkansas. That would be me. I used to live in Beecher. I have family in Lowell. I'm grateful that everyone I care about is safe.

According to the news, this guy has been caught in Lynwood, IL, a few miles north of Beecher.

What disturbs me almost as much as the incident itself, is something that someone posted as a comment to the story. He said if everybody had a gun in his pocket they could have simply shot the psycho.

If that isn't backward thinking, I don't know what is. If this psycho didn't have a gun, none of this would have happened.

I'm sorry to tell all the professed gun lovers out there, but it is no longer good enough to wave the constitution in the faces of law-abiding citizens who don't happen to share your love of weaponry. When the constitution was written, our forefathers had no idea inkling of the kind of future technology that what create assault rifles or a .357 Magnums, cop-killer bullets, or a myriad other death machines. They probably didn't even envision shooting to kill on a whim.

I am not advocating anything, at this point, and I don't have all the answers, or even any of them, but isn't it time we start thinking about the number of innocents that are murdered and maimed by guns in this country?

These killing machines have nothing to do with hunting. Of all the people that harangue about protecting themselves with their guns, how many of them really have been used for protection? How many of those guns have gotten into the hands of children resulting in accidental deaths of siblings and friends? How many of those guns designed to protect have become weapons in domestic disturbances where husbands and/or wives shoot their spouse in a fit of anger? How many nut cases have gotten their hands on a weapon and gone to McDonalds or a college campus or an elementary school to do damage to human beings? How many suicides have been fast and easy because of access to a gun? How many accidental shootings are there?

Isn't this terrorism? Isn't this what we are supposedly fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and probably one day, in Pakistan? Citizens in our own country are being terrorized by crazy people with guns every day. Isn't it time we do something about terrorism in our own country, on our own soil, and in our own small towns?

Let's look at this incident in Beecher? Would my commenter friend advocate that construction carry a gun on the job, just in case a nut walks up to them? C'mon. Isn't it time for some rational thoughts on this subject. Too many people are dying. Too many people are injured. And too many people are tormented by the what-if's. There needs to be some kind of gun control.

Can't we at least start a rational conversation about this irrational activity?

Dear Hummingbirds

You are almost invisible as you make your way to the feeder.

Dear Hummingbirds,

It has been a joy to watch you again this summer as you and all your friends scurried from the Mock Orange, Magnolia, or nearest Oak tree, to the feeders and then back again.

Early in the season, you had the whole feeder to yourself.

Once again you brought joy to our lives as my husband and I watched you and your family and friends, frenzied behavior and all. How we wish we had half of your energy. It was an honor to make food for you, although for little fellas, you sure do have an appetite. With the price of sugar these days, it was a struggle some weeks, but we were glad to do it. I'm thankful we were able, especially during those horribly hot summer days when there wasn't a flower to be found. 

I hope you have a safe and pleasant journey to Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica or where ever your winter home is located. We look forward to March when we will see you all again. Bring back the whole family. And take good care of yourselves. We will miss you!   

 

As ever, Carol & John