VENDOR WRITING
School Days Then and Now BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR OK, so we’re about a month into “virtual school.” Who else is finding this new way of learning virtually impossible? Do you find you’re in need of a lifeline? Maybe a tutor? Homework hotline? Phone a friend? Who’s willing to take a 50/50 chance with their child or grandchild’s grade that they know exactly what to do and how to do it? Definitely not me, that’s for sure! I find myself longing for simpler times, at least where school is concerned. I have to say, I never had so much trouble when I was in school. In spite of moving around a lot and never spending a whole year in the same school, I was always able to stay on the honor roll — even while I was in honors classes (now AP classes). My mom would accept nothing less. No one had to constantly remind me to do my work, it was a means of escape for me. Besides, I was good at it for the most part, that is, until 9th grade advanced Algebra. It finally happened I made my first C (and it was all downhill from there.) My mom was not pleased! There was no homework hotline in those days, but that was OK I had something even better: my dad! He was really good at all that stuff, and clearly I wasn’t. He had taught me when I was young how to call him collect
THEME: BOTA N Y 101 ACROSS 1. One’s arbitrary assertion 6. “Swan Lake” step 9. Not Sunni 13. Mountaineer’s tool 14. Tolkien creature 15. Bebe Rexha’s “____ to Be” 16. Artificial or mannered 17. Snow runner 18. Nylon or Kevlar, in chemistry terms 19. Scooby-Doo’s best friend 21. *Between order and genus 23. *Marine botany is study of plants living here 24. 35mm, e.g. 25. Public health agency, acr. 28. Partner of void 30. Small lynx 35. Stewart and Blagojevich 37. Grazing lands 39. Jawaharlal ____ 40. g or cm
41. Smelling ____, athlete’s pick-me-upper 43. No neatnik 44. Lay to rest 46. They are hairy on a hobbit 47. Hefty volume 48. One in line, during COVID-19 pandemic 50. In the middle of 52. *Grain-bearing tip of a cereal plant 53. Cattle meat 55. Fleur-de-____ 57. *Pollinator attractors 60. *Food for a pollinator 63. One there at the beginning 64. Famous T-Rex 66. Lowest deck 68. Forearm bones 69. Cassius Clay, ____ Muhammad Ali 70. Private instructor 71. ____-do-well 72. Thus far 73. Inflict a blow DOWN 1. Female sib 2. “Hamlet” has five
3. Sure or uh-huh 4. “The Forsyte ____,” pl. 5. *Product of photosynthesis 6. One of a pocketful, according to Mother Goose 7. Genesis vessel 8. “The Matrix” genre 9. Highway hauler 10. Icy precipitation 11. Dr. Jones, fictional professor of archaeology, to friends 12. Filled up 15. Biblical personification of material wealth 20. Olden-day Celts 22. Priest’s robe 24. Blank leaf in a book 25. *Seed holder 26. “Death, Be Not Proud” poet 27. Mine passages 29. *Food manufacturer 31. Superlative of better 32. Actress Sevigny 33. Something in the air 34. *Potato, e.g. 36. Proofreader’s mark 38. *Plant support 42. “...he found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked ____” 45. Sales lure 49. Electric fish 51. *Not monocots 54. Piece of writing 56. Pull strings 57. Carpet attribute 58. Marine eagle 59. Russia’s famous Peter 60. Sans mixers 61. Choir voice 62. *Plant anchor 63. Good times 65. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s guitar 67. Prefix for prior
in case of an emergency — and for me, this Algebra class was an emergency! So I began calling regularly and he would patiently go over my homework step by step. He never complained except to say that his arm was falling asleep, or that he felt tethered to the wall because of the phone cord. (This was before the cordless phone was a thing.) These calls became routine, that is until he could no longer afford his phone bill. Our “quality time” suddenly ended, but it was nice while it lasted. Although to be honest, I’d much rather those conversations had been about something other than algebra, especially since he died so soon after that. Dad, can you believe they came out with a cordless phone? No more being tethered to a wall by a phone cord! They even have cell phones and you can get service practically anywhere! And those astronomical phone bills, they too are a thing of the past with unlimited long-distance...Oh the conversations we could’ve had! Thanks for all the help in algebra, though! I want you to know that all your hard work was not in vain. I passed college algebra with a C — barely. There were lots of other tutors along the way, but you laid the groundwork, and I never totally forgot all you taught me!
Love Not Hate BY JOHN H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Many Americans who voted for Donald Trump mostly have the same attitude. Racist or either prejudiced. You be surprise of many people how they do what others do instead of what God put us here on earth to do. Hate in our country increased at least 20 percent since Trump was elected. Just the other day shopping at Kroger, upon leaving, I saw a elder lady pushing her shopping cart to her vehicle with two kids hanging from the sides, one age four and the other five. I offered to help the elder lady and she gladly accepted. When we got to the car she opened the back, I started to put bags in rear as she seatbelted kids in their chairs. The kids kept saying something to me but I just couldn’t figure out what was being said. After I finished with bags I walked around as she introduced them to me and they
started again. This time I caught on to what they were saying. “Hee! Hee! Hee! God loves you.” The elder lady told me don’t pay them no mind. Immediately I said to her, that’s a good thing. She went on to say that she pick them up from the babysitter everyday and they learn all this from daycare. To make a long story short, she said that she decided to adjust their atmosphere, their way of demonstrating and enjoying life, and how her life has changed tremendously since she has come to a closer relationship with her grandkids. Then one of the kids interrupted and said, “Walk by faith and not by sight.” I was so excited just listening to these kids. I told the grandma, let these kids go to preschool forever. The world can be a lot better if parents start learning from the kids too.
Good Luck Happening BY WILLIAM B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR The thing is, when I’m out on the streets, constantly I’m watching around me. You know how people used to pick up pennies a lot? Well I pick up the dimes, quarters, nickels and dollars. Last week I found a $20 bill! Another thing I lost earlier this year was a small cup for my coffee. Believe it or not, I found that. It’s been at least six months. And I found it at the Goodwill. Another good thing that happened this weekend. I was out in Berry Hill playing my music and selling my newspapers. I got a call and they said they was going to have a little fair at my church because of the pandemic going on. We were just going to get back together and see each other. This is my church family I miss so much.
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I packed my things, I got back on my scooter. I rode my scooter all the way home. I got there in plenty of time. I’ve been pretty well blessed. The Lord gave me many gifts in my life. I have gotten to do many things that I never dreamed I’d get to do. Especially doing stories, writing my stories out of my head about my life. My memories go up and down. I need to get these stories out to you people who read our newspapers so you can tell other people. Without you out there and others like you, we cannot survive with The Contributor. We advance to a better life. I’m going to say this to you, the Lord is good, always good. He loves you, I love you and it’s going to get better.