Official Organ Of the Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas. Founded 1897. BENEVOLENCE
VOLUME 56 — NO. 2
BROTHERHOOD
HUMANITY Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE SPJST, POB 100, TEMPLE, TEX. 76501
JANUARY 10, 1968
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK THIS, THAT, AND• THE OTHER "My husband is in the hospital. I guess we'll be spending our Christmas in the hospital, but we do not complain. We are thankful there are hospitals." "We publicly thank all the dear gods of this world for having caused such a windfall of moisture, much needed in this arid country." Such was Christmas for some people. The first quotation above was written by Sister Clara Hejl, Rt. 4, Temple, in describing what was in store for her and her husband, Frank, Jr., during the recent holiday season. The second thought was spoken by a Navajo Indian, one of the recent victims of a man-and-cattle-killing 7-foot snowfall in areas of New Mexico and Arizona, the worst in the region's history. Fifteen known deaths resulted from that storm, most of them trapped and stranded Navajos. Adversity and setbacks, indeed, try men's souls, and it often brings out the noblest and finest characteristics in mortal man. What is it about people that inspires them to see the best in an otherwise bleak and trying situation? The answer must lie in strength of character and nobility of purpose. While many of us go about complaining about the slightest inconvenience,
QUOTES . I am here. I must do the best I can and bear the responsibility of taking the course which I feel I ought to —A. Lincoln take. • • If you can't stand the heat, stay out —Harry Truman of the kitchen! I am only one, but I AM one; I cannot do everything But I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do And what I ought to do By the grace of God, I WILL do. —Canon Farrar there are those stalwart people who rise above the occasion and extract the best from a near-disastrous and sad situation. This always reminds us of the age-old story about the man who complained of the loss of a finger until he saw a man with no hands; or the one who complained about the loss of one eye until he met another man — totally blind. Utterances by people like the ones above remind ,us that we have much to be thankful for — that we are so fortunate in so many ways. They are the strong ones; we are the weak. 1967 was a year much like many others, when we look at things ob-
jectively. And 1968 may not be too different. We hope it is different in some ways. We will doubt in 1968, we will demonstrate fear, we will continue to worry, we will abuse others, we will fight on many "fronts," and we will suffer. We will also love, rejoice, create, and renew. Because we are human, we will no doubt look back on 1968 about this time next year and see gloom because we will have forgotten the notso-dramatic things in life that make life worth living. At the same time, we must recognize our weaknesses and fight them, Our highest resolution in 1968 should be to recognize our many blessings, but also face up to our shortcomings and face the evils that can destroy the good things we enjoy. In the meantime, we will continue to counter the body blows of life with gusto; experience real tragedy and live through it all courageously. (Elsewhere in this issue, a recent editorial from the Dallas Morning News entitled "Diagnosis — 1967", takes a look back at 1967 with candor and objectivity). • • What about the farmer? Murray Cox, Farm Editor of the Dallas Morning News, states: "Next year just has to be better for the Texas farmer. It can hardly be worse. We had the worst cotton crop in history; our wheat yield Was 10 million bushels below average,