SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page A-6
The Republican
Voices
Thursday, September 30, 2021
Remembering Who’s Behind the Blush
A view of Hendricks County during the 2020 Road Rally. Now in its 7th year, the Road Rally is a fundraiser for the Hendricks County Museum. The event is limited to 30 cars. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Exploring Hendricks County
By Jackie Horn And They’re Off!
Last October, after six months of living in Hendricks County, John and I knew where places were like the library, grocery stores, and carryout pizza. We knew the larger towns in the county but we weren’t familiar with the outlying areas. We needed to explore our new home. Then we saw the announcement for “The Road Rally.” The Hendricks County Historical Museum was holding a road rally as a fundraiser. The registration fee was just $10. After the COVID lockdown, the idea of getting out and doing ANYTHING with other people was exciting. Learning about the area was a bonus. But a road rally? That sounded like great fun! We signed up. The idea of the road rally is to follow course instructions and finish the route with your recorded miles matching the organizers’ mileage. To make it more interesting, participants answer a cleverly written trivia quiz about sites along the way. A team requires at least two members, one driving while the other navigates and records the answers. We arrived at the parking lot across the street from the museum in Danville at 8:00 on Saturday morning. We paid our entry fee and mingled with the other teams while waiting for the rally to begin. At a short “drivers’ meeting”, the officials were introduced and the rules were explained. Teams were given written driving directions and a trivia quiz, instructed to return to their vehicles and line up. The first car rolled out around 8:30. Cars were released at timed intervals until the last vehicle pulled out of the parking lot.
A Note From Bee It appears that there is an awful lot of bad in the world today. I think the media (that is not the case with The Republican) adds to that feeling. I have had many instances when strangers have been so kind to me. Several years ago I was responsible for helping my bachelor Uncle Ed stay in his own home. We had a very bad ice storm and his sidewalk was coated with a thick layer of ice. Uncle Ed lived on the near south side of Indianapolis and we lived in Brownsburg. We could not help him because the roads were treacherously slick. I called a neighbor of Uncle Ed’s and she suggested that I call a local drugstore. They often knew people who could help me. They put a call out while I waited on the phone. Someone stepped up and said he would do it. I got his name and address and he told me he would call me with a price when he was done. He quoted me a price and I gave him $25 more because he was willing to trust me. Another instance involved Aunt Trudy in California. she had developed dementia and her neighbor Bobby watched out for her several times a day. We had met him when we visited Aunt Trudy. When he decided to move he called us and suggested a lawyer friend of his. Bobby knew Aunt Trudy could no longer stay by herself. The lawyer refused any payment. I have been blessed with many strangers helping me and in turn I have tried to “Pay It Forward”. Bee Jones ______________________________________________
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It was a diverse group that hit the road; families, groups of friends and couples, sedans, minivans, SUVs, and a Corvette. We were all after one thing... VICTORY... and an entertaining way to spend a Saturday morning. The course led us all over the southwest corner of the county. We saw some beautiful autumn scenery and enjoyed discovering the back roads. John and I returned to the start/finish line with time to spare. We crossed the street and moseyed through the Historical Museum. The museum’s collections are quite extensive and the volunteer was very friendly and knowledgeable. Back at the rally point, all the teams had returned. It was time to announce the winners. One team received a special award for logging an extra 30 miles! They had missed a turn. The rally results were close and after a tiebreaker, first, second and third places were awarded. I don’t remember who won. I do know the team that placed third, the Horns! This year the Hendricks County Historical Museum’s 7th Annual Car Rally is scheduled for Saturday, October 9. There is a $10 entry fee which benefits the museum. Prizes will be awarded for first through third places. Pre-registration started on September 15. Participants can sign up at the event but entries will be limited to 30 cars. To avoid disappointment, consider registering before rally day. For more information, check out their website at hendrickscountymuseum. org, call (317) 718-1453 or (317) 793-4398. Enjoy a ride with your favorite person(s), take in the beautiful fall scenery, support the museum, and maybe take home a prize too! Jackie Horn and her husband, John, transplanted from Warsaw to Plainfield to be near family. An Advanced Indiana Master Naturalist, Jackie is a retired substitute teacher who continues to teach (and learn) about all things outdoors. John is a retired CNC programmer and the photographer on the team. The Horns enjoy traveling, walking, hiking, kayaking, and bicycling.
By Krishna Lathish If you can’t leave the house without highlights, it’s a problem. In recent years, we feminists have boldly responded to our detractors, who claim we’re painting our faces for attention, by asserting that we don’t do it for you. Our rosy cheeks and spider leg lashes are for us to admire, and when we look in the mirror, we are rewarded with our own carefully crafted countenances. It’s a sound idea; the misogyny affected can and should enjoy things without the damper of the watchful male gaze, and the success of makeup artists like Bretman Rock attests to the fact that makeup is an art form that should be respected. However, what we may not have expected is for the patriarchy to listen. Corporations fell right into step; you can’t stretch a foot without hitting a company trying out “Femvertising.” What I urge you to do, in this era of girlbosses and gatekeeping, is to not be fooled by glitter pink assertions. These companies don’t care about you - by slapping a “She can do it!” on the same standards that always have been, these companies continue to destroy our self image while furthering their bottom line. Our resistance is crucial, and it starts by looking in the mirror, warts and all. That sharp cat eye is impressive, sure - there’s no doubt that it took practice and hard work. But is it necessary for that trip to Walgreens? Why, truly, do you have to cover up that pimple when you’re at home all day? No matter which way we cut it, the beauty industry relies on our insecurity. It’s understandable to want to look our best for the occasional party, but when we can’t face ourselves without a dab of concealer or a little color correction – that’s how their profit margins widen. Their strategy is all in the self: sell you back your own face, with you believing that your self-hatred is all in the name of feminism, and they can brand themselves bastions of self-empowerment without ever having to take responsibility for the fragile self-esteem of millions. Self-love is resistance, as many revolutionaries have said. You should be proud of your face, with and without makeup. Wear that fierce cut crease and boy beat with pride, knowing that it adorns an even more beautiful temple. Krishna Lathish is a Senior at Avon High School. A childhood spent with her nose in books eventually led her to want to write. She hopes to attend college and majorin journalism/media studies and become a literary editor or journalist. ______________________________________________
A Squirrel About Town By Archy Judging by size of a squirrel’s ear, I was not expecting Archy to be wearing airpods. Yet there he was, nodding his head and swishing his tail to an inaudible tune. “Sorry,” he said, taking the devices out, “I was just listening to Joplin.” “Janis or Scott?” I asked. “The former this time,” he replied, adding, “They really have quite a bit in common, you know. Much of their music was about freedom. It seems some of your people are suffering from a bad case of the freedoms.” It was true. The word was being tossed around quite a bit these days. “It’s another of your human contridictions,” he mused. “They seem to think freedom is an entitlement. Few seem to realize that it comes with limits and responsibilites. If this were a free society, there would be no need for laws, it would be unregulated militia, you might say.” I realized the word freedom was being used by both sides of many arguments. “You’ve seen the copies of manumission papers filed in the Recorder’s office,” the squirrel said. Did that piece of paper make the person named on it free? Did another piece of paper, a bill of sale, make them slaves to begin with? Or was it the society that allowed there to be slaves and freedmen?” For a portion of our history, the term “free country” seemed to be in in contradiction with reality. “Seems your people are going through another ‘house divided” moment, Archy said. “And it didn’t end well the last time.” I asked the squirrel what we could try to make this turn out differently. “Reason never has failed men,” Archy said, “but men have often failed reason.” ___________________________________________
