The Contributor: December 4, 2024

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History Corner

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Ridley Wills remarks on the early connections between The United States and France. Find out why!

2024

Año 22 - No. 405

Newspaper Nashville

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“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Playa del Amor, son una experiencia única en la vida.

Para quienes prefieren un ritmo más tranquilo, la ciudad ofrece spas de clase mundial, campos de golf y paseos románticos al atardecer. La diversidad de actividades asegura que haya algo para cada tipo de viajero.

Photo: La Noticia Newspaper Nashville

Puerto Vallarta: The Mexican Paradise that Conquers Americans

canía del destino hace que sea perfecto tanto para escapadas de fin de semana como para vacaciones más largas.

Belleza Natural y Clima Perfecto Uno de los mayores atractivos de Puerto Vallarta es su belleza natural.

Con kilómetros de playas de arena dorada que se encuentran con las aguas turquesas del Pacífico, el paisaje es simplemente espectacular. Además, está rodeado por las montañas de la Sierra Madre Occidental, que ofrecen un contraste impresionante entre el mar y la selva tropical.

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bién es famosa por su marisco fresco, como el ceviche, los camarones al coco y los pescados preparados al estilo zarandeado.

Hospitalidad y Seguridad Los estadounidenses destacan la calidez y hospitalidad de los locales, quienes reciben a los visitantes con los brazos abiertos. Además, Puerto Vallarta se ha consolidado como un destino seguro para los turistas, con un enfoque constante en la tranquilidad de sus visitantes.

Un Hogar Lejos de Casa Muchos estadounidenses han encontrado en Puerto Vallarta un segundo hogar. Desde jubilados que buscan un lugar para retirarse hasta viajeros frecuentes que regresan año tras año, este destino ofrece una conexión especial que va más allá de unas simples vacaciones.

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Cultura Rica y Autenticidad A pesar de ser un destino turístico popular, Puerto Vallarta ha logrado mantener su encanto auténtico y su cultura vibrante. El famoso Malecón, un paseo marítimo lleno de arte, música y comida, es un reflejo del espíritu de la ciudad. Los visitantes pueden disfrutar de esculturas icónicas, artistas callejeros y vistas impresionantes al océano.

El clima de Puerto Vallarta es otro factor que atrae a los visitantes estadounidenses. Con temperaturas cálidas durante todo el año y una temporada de lluvias que deja los paisajes aún más verdes, es un lugar ideal para escapar del frío invernal de muchas ciudades de Estados Unidos.

El centro histórico de Puerto Vallarta, con sus calles empedradas y su iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, es un recordatorio del rico patrimonio cultural del lugar. Además, los mercados locales ofrecen artesanías, joyería y recuerdos únicos que capturan la esencia del destino.

Además, Puerto Vallarta alberga festivales gastronómicos como el Festival Gourmet Internacional, que atrae a chefs de renombre mundial y ofrece a los visitantes una experiencia culinaria inigualable.

Actividades y Aventuras Puerto Vallarta es un paraíso para los aventureros. Los visitantes pueden disfrutar de actividades como el buceo, esnórquel, kayak, paseos en barco, avistamiento de ballenas y tirolesas en la selva. Las excursiones a las Islas Marietas, con su famosa

Con su combinación de belleza, cultura y experiencias inolvidables, no es sorprendente que Puerto Vallarta sea un destino favorito para los estadounidenses. Es un lugar donde la magia de México se encuentra con la comodidad moderna, creando recuerdos que duran toda la vida.

sus sugerencias por e-mail: Vendors write in this La Noticia, one of theEnvíenos news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-582-3757 y Conectividad issueAccesibilidad about customers, leading Spanish-language Puerto Vallarta es un destino de fácil acceso para los estadounidenses, con vuelos directos desde muchas ciudades Gastronomía Excepcional accidents, advice newspapers in the nation, es una de principales como Los Ángeles, Dallas, La comida en Puerto Vallarta Chicago y Nueva York. El Aeropuerto las mejores de México, combinando Internacional Licenciado Gustavo Díaz sabores tradicionales con innovación columns, fathers and culinaria. Desde tacos callejeros hasta Spanish content to Ordaz recibe a miles de turistas cada brings año, ofreciendo comodidad y rapidez restaurantes de alta gama, hay algo para llegar al paraíso. Además, la cer- para todos los gustos. La ciudad tamforgiveness.

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Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una) Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

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Contributors This Issue J Rod Aichon • Benji Anderson • Julie B. • Norma B. • William B. • Linda Bailey • Paul Collins • Yuri Cunza • FreePressGMA • Chris Scott Fieselman • Amanda Haggard • Daniel Holmes • Mr. Mysterio • Judith Tackett • Ridley Wills II • Rose • Wendell Contributor Volunteers Christine Doeg • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Ann Bourland • Laura Birdsall • Matthew Murrow • Tyler Samuel • Jamie Dore

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Puerto Vallarta: El Paraíso Mexicano que Conquista a los Americanos

Puerto Vallarta, ubicado en la costa del Pacífico mexicano en el estado de Jalisco, es uno de los destinos turísticos más apreciados por los estadounidenses.

Su mezcla única de playas impresionantes, cultura Por Yuri Cunza vibrante, deliciosa Editor-In-Chief @yuricunza gastronomía y hospitalidad cálida lo convierten en un lugar irresistible para quienes buscan una experiencia inolvidable. En este artículo, exploramos las razones por las cuales este puerto pintoresco sigue siendo una opción favorita para los viajeros provenientes de Estados Unidos.

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HISTORY CORNER

The Nashville-French Connection

BY RIDLEY WILLS II

On September 21, 2024, my oldest grandchild, Meade Wills, married Cyril LeMay, a Frenchman from Paris.

Meade and Cyril have a home in Amsterdam. One hundred twenty friends attended the wedding from 17 countries. Because many were from France, I spoke to them, at the rehearsal dinner, about early connections between The United States and France.

Here is what I said: When James Robertson and his party arrived at the French Lick on the Cumberland River in December 1780, the settlement was known as Nashborough. The pioneers, however, quickly changed the name to Nashville. During the Revolutionary War The French, initially neutral, declared war on Great Britain in 1778, hoping to restore French influence in North America and take revenge for their losing the Seven Years War to the British.

A French nobleman, Marquis de Lafayette, arrived in Charleston on June 13, 1777, and enlisted in the Colonial Army, bonding with General Washington, who named him major general although Lafayette was only 20 years old. He first fought at Brandywine and was with Washington at Valley Forge the cold winter of 177778. Wounded in the leg in 1779, he returned to France to recover. After being imprisoned in Austria, he then returned to America, regaining his title as major general.

In 1781, American forces under Washington and Lafayette and British forces under Lord Cornwallis were headed to Yorktown for a final showdown. After a few initial successes, Cornwallis realized that he was trapped. French Admiral De Grasse had brought his navy to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay from Santa Dominga, where they were based, and, after defeating the British fleet in the Battle of the Chesapeake, blockaded Yorktown, then forced Cornwallis to surrender. Two years later, at the Treaty of Paris, Great Britain recognized the sovereignty and independence of the United States of America. Without the help of France, the fight for independence would have failed.

Forty-one years later, the United States invited the Marquis de Lafayette to return to America for a tour of the country. Nashville was one of his stops. He arrived there in the morning on May 4, 1825. Welcomed by 25,000 Tennesseans, including Felix Demonbreun, a French trapper who, during the 1770s, lived periodically in a cave

a few miles upstream from the French Lick, where he traded with the Inidians. On opening day, there was an elaborate parade, a reception by the ladies at the Masonic Hall, a dinner at the Nashville Inn, and a formal call on Gov. William Carroll. That night and the following night, Lafayette and his party had quarters in the home of Dr. Boyd McNairy, Meade’s direct ancestor, on Summer street.

Nashville's first physician had been host to many famous guests. On Friday, Lafayette reviewed the militia, visited the Nashville Female Academy and Cumberland College. That afternoon, he visited The Hermitage where he had dinner with General and Mrs. Andrew Jackson. Lafayette was so impressed with Jackson that he commissioned an artist to paint an oil portrait of Jackson. I own that portrait today. That evening, Lafayette had tea with Nashville Mayor, Robert Currey, followed by a brilliant ball at the Masonic Hall.

Lafayette and his party, which included hIs son, George Washington Lafayette, left on May 6 on the Mechanic headed to Louisville. When Lafayette sailed down Chesapeake Bay in September 1825, headed home, he had a large suitcase filled with American soil which he wanted to put on his grave. He also received a gIft of $200,000 in bonds given him by Congress. Four years after Lafayette’s departure, John Harding, another of Meade’s direct ancestors, named his Thoroughbred stud farm “Belle Meade,” which in French means “beautiful meadow.” Although the Hardings came from England to Virginia, John Harding’s grandfather, William Harding, married SaraLaForce in Goochland County, Virginia. Her father, Rene LaForce, a French Huguenot, died in 1728 in Goochland County.

So, Meade Wills LeMay has a bit of French blood. In 2024, she visited the French Huguenot Church in Charleston with her parents, who have a second home in the city.

Baron de Kerbreck and Captain De La Chere of France toured Belle Meade in the spring of 1881 as representatives of the French government inspecting horses and breeding establishments in the United States. In their report, they said that “the best specimen of a Thoroughbred horse” was at General Harding's. There, they said, they, "saw a crop of Thoroughbred yearlings that surpassed anything we had ever seen in England or France.”

Thursday, Dec. 5th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Benefiting homeless ministries outreach.

The $15 ticket includes: • Waffles, along with grits, a choice of Hattie B’s Hot Chicken or Puckett’s country bacon, or turkey hash made from the original Waffle Shop recipe, and a choice of Frothy Monkey Coffee or spiced tea • A free guided tour of the church’s beautiful historic Egyptian Revival sanctuary and an organ recital with an opportunity to participate in singing Christmas carols • Shop at the church’s gift shop which includes homemade baked goods and other holiday merchandise such as festive tins filled with Goo Goo Clusters • A chance to bid on wonderful items at the Silent Auction such as luxury hotel stays, sports tickets, and more Purchase tickets online at: dpchurch.com Tickets will increase to $20 the day of the event.

Free parking for patrons at Nissan Stadium and free shuttle service provided by Old Town Trolley Address: The Downtown Presbyterian Church 154 Rep. John Lewis Way N.

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December 4 - 18, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

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Local Choirs Holiday Cards Fun Crafts Delicious Cookies A FREE holiday event!

Festive wear and sweaters are welcomed!

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PAGE 4 | December 4 - 18, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

A FEW QUESTIONS

Q&A with Lonnell Matthews

BY JUDITH TACKET T

Lonnell Matthews was first elected as Nashville’s Juvenile Court Clerk in 2018. In this role, he serves as the keeper of records for the Juvenile Court of Davidson County.

“That means that all legal documents that are filed for court are filed and processed in my office,” Matthews explained. “We schedule all dockets for the elected Juvenile Court judge and the appointed magistrates here at Juvenile Court. We staff each courtroom with a clerk to keep a record of what happens inside the courtroom. And we collect any fees [for the] Juvenile Court. Those are our state-mandated responsibilities.”

But serving as the Juvenile Court Clerk was not the first elected office he held in Davidson County. Matthews previously served as District 1 councilmember from 2007 to 2015, following in Brenda Gilmore’s footsteps after she was term-limited. He was only 27 years old, one of the youngest council members (the age requirement to be able to run for Metro Council is 25).

“I had recently moved back to the neighborhood I grew up in,” Matthews said, adding that after asking his parents and several of their neighborhood friends, he decided to run for office.

At that time, he had already been engaging with young people through several youth outreach programs at the YMCA where worked from 2001 to 2015 before serving in Megan Barry’s Administration when she was mayor.

“I started off as a program director and then moved my way up, and by the time I left I was the district director over all of the youth outreach programs for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee.”

What are some significant changes you have observed in the youth services arena in Davidson County over the last two decades?

Davidson County is fortunate because we have a very rich nonprofit community. We have a plethora of nonprofit programs — not just to address youth, but to address many issues that the citizens of this county face. But for youth in particular, there are a lot of programs that are serving youth in various capacities. Whether it’s before and after school programs, whether it's intentional mentorship or mental health services and supports, whether it is job training or internship programs for young people, we have a great wealth of programs.

I've seen a change in the landscape over the last couple of decades. There is an increased

coordinated effort where we aren't duplicating services for the same group of youth or the same subsets of youth. We’re making sure that we're building capacity and serving as many youth as we possibly can, and we're building a strong infrastructure and network for youth to be able to engage with programming outside of home and school.

We still have a long way to go. I think there are plenty of opportunities as Nashville continues to grow, but we’re on the right track when it comes to serving our youth.

Are you involved in any of the youth safety programming that our local government has focused on in the last few years?

I am, and I won't get too far ahead of Mayor O’Connell’s office on some things that we’re currently working on. [In the former council,] — there was a large effort to do some violence prevention work within the city. There was a lot of research on doing more preventative work rather than the responsive type of work we do here at court or through law enforcement.

The prevention work, I think, is really where the resources need to go. We need to do more to stop violent incidents from happening. We need to do more to make sure that young people are prepared with conflict resolution skills, that they're able to communicate effectively with one another, that they're able to understand emotional intelligence and where they are with social-emotional alignment, and we need to address adverse childhood experiences.

The Metro Council is working with Mayor O’Connell’s office on creating an Office of Youth Safety for Metro government. We’ll look to manage and coordinate a lot of that prevention work with young people and families in the communities to make sure that we’re stopping violent incidents from occurring before they even happen.

I’ve made myself available as a consultant and advisor to councilmember Delishia Porterfield who is leading the efforts from the Metro Council side, also to the Mayor’s Office which is trying to build out the scope of what that office is going to look like, and the Southern Movement Committee, which is the community group that has been advocating for it as well.

What are some of the biggest issues that you see youth and young adults struggling with

in Davidson County?

First is to make sure that they have the opportunity to have a voice. Youth voice is something that a lot of advocates in the youth services arena push to make sure that young people have a platform, especially when conversations are happening that affect them, to ensure they are part of the solutions that are being cultivated within our community.

When youth get those opportunities, some of the issues they voice [include] their concern for safety. When we talk about safety, they specifically talk about their perspective of being able to use public transportation and feel safe about it. All of our public school students have a free bus pass that is included in their student ID. So, a lot of them have access to public transportation, but they don’t feel safe using it.

They also have been very vocal about affordability issues. They are very concerned about the cost of living, potential rise of poverty in Nashville, and homelessness has been one of the issues they have been very vocal about as young people. That is not an issue that’s foreign to them. They notice what is happening in the community. They see how affordability issues have bubbled up, and they don’t want to see the problem of poverty get out of hand in the city.

Traditionally, tokenism has been a barrier to truly engaging people who we intend to serve as equal partners in the decision-making process. How do you see decisionmakers trying to overcome tokenism?

One example — and this is actually happening across the country at different organizations — is that the [Nashville] school board has two student representatives. Now, they’re non-voting members because they were not elected, so they don’t get to actually vote. But they attend all meetings. They get to speak from the floor.

They are included in the discussions, and they’re embraced by the elected board members to help lead some of the conversations about the direction that our public school district is heading in.

I see that type of inclusion happening with other youth services organizations and nonprofits that are having young people on their board of directors to make sure they [include] youth voices in their decisions and [in their conversations] about how they’re governing themselves as organizations. I realize this is a double-edged sword, but young people have also been able to

December 4 - 18, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

take advantage of social media platforms to make sure they are able to voice their concerns and be heard by a larger audience that they probably ever had the ability to be in front of before.

So there is a lot more access for young people nowadays, but I think that our young people tend to meet the bars that we set for them as a community and step up to the plate when it counts. We just have to make sure that there are enough opportunities for them to have a sense of belonging and to engage in the community.

Talking about community engagement, you served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Engagement under Megan Barry. What do you view as critical community engagement efforts in Nashville right now?

Something that I’ve been paying close attention to, even during my time in the Barry administration, is the cost of living and wealth gap – not just in Davidson County but in all of Tennessee. The gap between poverty and what is considered comfortable [to live] in Tennessee is really growing. The middle class is shrinking and that’s very concerning to me. I really noticed it before the pandemic when we had very low unemployment, but we had a lot of under-employment. The jobs that they were getting, they probably were overqualified for, and the jobs were not paying living wages. There is not enough economic opportunity. On top of that, in Davidson County, the cost of living is going up while people are not making enough. That’s when you start to see that wealth gap increase.

That to me has become a community issue.

Nashville is very unique, and we’re very fortunate because we have a lot of different communities with a lot of different [characteristics]. But in all of these communities, we need to think about what economic development looks like within the character of the community. And we need to make sure, as we continue to grow, that we think about the health of the community. We have to take a holistic look at how people live, work, play, and get educated in those communities, and how neighborhoods are being built to be complete neighborhoods so that people have the ability to grow up and age in place and not be pushed out at a certain point.

I think affordability has to drive that thinking as we think about how we’re developing as a city going forward.

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PAGE 6 | December 4 - 18, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

VENDOR WRITING

Special Customers Who Have Stuck With Me Through Thick And Thin

BY J ROD AICHON, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR At this time of year, I often reflect on some of my “special customers” who have done what I consider to be some EXTRAORDINARY things for me.

Here are two shining examples: Mark and Mari learned my granddaughter had her eye on a special dress for an upcoming school function and realized this would be difficult for me to do on my own (even though it was reasonably priced for that style of dress).

They stepped up and made sure she not only got a dress for the occasion, but THE DRESS that she REALLY wanted. As EVERY girl knows it’s all about the dress, right?

Not wanting to leave me out, you could say they went the “extra mile” or at least across the street to Cinco Di Mayo and brought me some tasty fajitas with ALL the trimmings, yum.

(They’d went there for lunch that day.)

I unexpectedly ran into Mark downtown when I was getting the latest issue of the paper a while back, and I got to show him a picture of Avani in the dress that they made possible.

I thought maybe I offended him somehow, or maybe he didn’t like the dress, because I haven’t really seen either one of them since then.

However, Mari recently stopped by and told me that Mark had been in the Critical Care Unit at the local hospital with pneumonia, and that he celebrated both his 60th birthday and their 7th wedding anniversary from a hospital bed, which IS NOT his style. He’s more of a hard working farm/country boy. To complete the look he ALWAYS wears his overalls and a baseball cap.

I must admit, I missed seeing him in those overalls. (Not just anyone can pull that look off, and he does it SO well, it reminds me of my Pop ­— and there’s NO higher compliment than that!)

Mari told me he watched over me when I’m at my spot from his hospital room, but NOT in a creepy way though.

Mari’s generous soul has been equally missed! She’s given me A LOT of winter gear to keep me warm and dry this season.

Before she left, I gave her several papers to share with Mark. She said he told her he now knows what a cat feels like as it looks out the window wanting to get out, but can’t.

I asked if she could do me a special favor and give Mark the biggest hug he could possibly handle and let him know it’s from me, (but NOT in a creepy way though) and she assured

me she would.

With that, we shared a good laugh and away she went.

I’m happy to report that he has since made a full recovery. Most recently they stopped by as they were headed out of town for a much needed vacation.

It doesn’t seem right to do an article like this without mentioning Larry and his lovely wife Dee. They have done SO much for me over time. If I were to recount their acts of kindness, it would take multiple pages of the paper, but as a sign of their modesty they prefer to be low key about all they do to help others. (For the record, they’ve done things for other vendors too, not just me.)

Most recently, I had a serious craving for Mexican food. Molcajete in particular. It’s similar to fajitas with shrimp, chicken, beef, chorizo, and cactus. Not many restaurants have it, but Las Fajitas that recently opened in my strip mall does!

I called Larry and he came to the rescue!

He got the latest issue of the paper since his subscription was out at the time, and he made sure I was well taken care of.

Drivers Should Be Careful I’ve written several stories about getting hurt as a pedestrian. People need to listen more. I was on the sidewalk on 9th Ave South on my way home. There’s a parking lot there on the same side of the street that I was on. A car pulled out of that parking lot and hit me. He hit my scooter and ran over my foot and got around me and took off down the street.

I was pinned under my chair. It took me a while before I could get some help, but finally someone came out of a nearby building. They heard me screaming and came to my aid. I asked if they would please call me the poilce and an ambulance.

He’s always done things like that for me.

When Whataburger opened in Hermitage, he brought me one to try, and he waited over an hour for it — yikes! I would’ve NEVER waited that long for a hamburger!

Turns out, I REALLY liked the spicy ketchup. I didn’t think the hamburger was anything special, but I DID appreciate the effort he put forth!

In addition to things like that, he’s well known for making deliveries, everything from flowers (he used to deliver flowers for the In Full Bloom flower shop) to papers (he’s delivered numerous papers for me to a endless line of traffic at my spot before the light changed- before he had his heart and kidney transplants).

Recently, he delivered multiple issues of The Contributor to a few of my customers so I didn’t have to pay to mail them. Most notably the local councilwoman Erin Evans. (He’s wanted to meet her for quite a while now so it was a win win for everyone involved.)

These are just two perfect examples of what I mean when I say: it’s NOT just about the money, it’s about the connections you make with the people you meet.

Ask A Vendor

BY WILLIAM B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

BY JULIE B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

I told the police and ambulance attendants that I would go to the hospital, but they had to follow me home to drop off my chair first.

I would not leave my chair. It’s my pride and my joy. They didn't want to do it, but they did.

That’s twice this year that I’ve been hit in my chair. I want people to know that if they don’t start looking both ways and being more careful when they come out of a parking lot, they’re gonna kill someone. If they want to live with that, it's up to them, but I couldn't live with it if I did that and that's all I can say about it.

I’ve got a broke bone in my foot, but it could have been worse. It makes me feel like people

Hi, my name is Julie B. and I'm a Contributor vendor. If you have any questions or need any advice, please write in to The Contributor at editorial@thecontributor.org and they will get a hold of me and I will answer your question in the paper.

I will answer any question you have and I will answer anything you want to know to the best of my knowlege.Just email it into The Contributor and they will get a hold of me.

don’t care about nobody out there. They are in a hurry just to get nowhere.

Understanding Brings Forgiveness

BY J ROD AICHON, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

A long time ago I realized that I hated my father ... I blamed him for many things in my life, believing that he was responsible for many, if not most, of the negative parts of my programming ... I WAS ANGRY As time, emotional distance, and pain overshadowed our difficult relationship, and all of the early relationships and experiences of my life, I intuitively knew I needed to somehow overcome my issues.

Although I barely understood myself at the time, I felt deep pain from the idea that I would never feel love for my dad, or from him.

I began to spend huge amounts of time wondering why and how I came to hating him so much.

More importantly, how could I someday salvage a good relationship with him with such a mountain of tension and obstacles in between us?

Years passed by, with no change, then suddenly ... I had an epiphany!

I had the intuitive idea that if I stopped blaming him, and tried accepting him unconditionally into my life, he might also accept me into his.

Yeah, it was a long shot, but I wanted his love ....

You see, I had finally grown enough to accept emotional responsibility for how I felt, and secure enough in myself to face my fear that he didn't love me ... It was this realization that was our beginning of change.

By facing my fear, removing my ego, and checking my anger, I was then able to approach our relationship with maturity. I was then able to see things differently and learn. By learning, I then could understand his reasons, motives, personal hardships, and begin to heal the failure of our relationship ....

I had to step up first. I started trying to communicate with him in any and every way I could. I began asking him about his life before me and his feelings toward his father. I learned

so much so fast about him that it was astounding! After years of anguish, fear, and contempt, I realized an amazing fact, HE LOVED ME! I could see him now as a man, and my expectations of him as my father evaporated. He was released from the burden of performance, and the guilt of failure to meet my expectations as his son ....

The act of putting my fears aside, listening to his story, and learning about his life experiences, led me to a new understanding, and to this simple truth: I am no more or less of a man than he, and he is no more or less of a man than I. Every one of our lives are presented with a plethora of burdens, heartaches, difficulties and circumstances in which we are pushed toward making some kind of individual choice.

We make assumptions, judgements and decisions, which seem right for the time, without realizing the deeper truth of those moments, without seeking, and rarely asking for the an-

December 4 - 18, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

swers we need, to wisely act upon this beautiful gift of free will. What we do in these situations, how we choose, what we choose, teaches us how to love ourselves. In every situation are opportunities to grow.

It is our singular responsibility to ourselves to find peace and happiness. We are each given the burden of living and learning from life, and all of us experience pain. We can choose to blame someone for it, or we can accept the responsibility of understanding it.

We can also choose to forgive or deny forgiveness. Every experience leads us to a choice.

Every uncertain opportunity, holds a place for a hopeful outcome ....

I am happy to say that although we spent many, many years hurting each other, my choice to understand him led us to find and eventually show love to one another.

Dad died in '98, but when he died, He was my friend ....

PIECES OF POETRY - 39

Bullets in My Gun

Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015

One Day

Written by Chris Scott Fieselman, Vendor #0015

Garbage in and Garbage out.

This was written,

You can see what’s coming out of them.

For my youngest daughter,

You can only imagine what’s being put in?

Beth Danielle,

Somebody has to put good stuff in.

During the holidays,

An Opportunity, a Responsibility,

When her dad was in Jail,

An Obligation and a Commitment.

For Crack.

I just “Keep Hanging on for The Ride” And keep “Trusting in God till the End” Bullets in My Gun...

Well, I know that you miss me, As much as I - miss you...

You reminisce about all the things,

Somebody loses when somebody wins,

We used - to do...

Somebody has to be #1.

And I long to be there by your side,

When a long hard day has been well spent,

You know that it’s true...

And the dawn of a new day is so far away,

But this hard time we’re apart you’ll find,

Remember the night is still young.

We’ll make - it through, And...

Bullets in My Gun...

One... Day... Our time apart will end.

THEME: M A NI A S A N D PHOBI A S ACROSS 62. *____mania, obsession 25. Glittery stone 1. Figaro's solo, e.g. with oneself 26. Carpet style 5. Not sin, as in math 63. Cough syrup amt.

27. Lily genus, pl.

8. Designer Laroche 64. Additional 28. Angers 11. Pi-meson 29. "All for one and one for 12. Cut, like a log DOWN all," to Musketeers 13. *Telephobia, or fear of 1. *____phobia, fear of bees 32. Egyptian goddess of this device 2. Bananaphone preceder fertility 15. "He's Just Not That 3. Itty bit 33. Hair raiser ____ You", movie 4. Language disfunction 36. *____ effect, or com16. 2D measurement 5. Indigenous person of pulsive handwashing 17. Gives a helping hand Lesser Antilles 38. Pileus, pl.

18. *Ludomania, obsession 6. Track and field star, 1936 40. Entomologist's catcher, with ____ Olympics sometimes 20. Therefore 7. Tear in pantyhose 41. Agora, plural 21. Poetic feet 8. Struck with a mallet 44. Tannery supply, pl.

22. Accident 9. Back arrow key 46. Delphi talker 23. *____mania, obsession 10. Indeed 48. Room partitions with wealth and power 12. Against the stream 49. Lowest deck on a ship 26. Type of throw, in swimmer 50. Full of excitement baseball 13. Say "pretty please" 51. Home to Baylor Uni30. Miner's load 14. *____phobia, fear of versity 31. Member of Round snakes and crocodiles 52. Lion's share Table 19. Uncooperative, like a 53. Hockey score 34. Quartet minus one mule 54. Commits a faux pas 35. Spacious 22. "Battleship" success 55. A in IPA 37. Last word of "America 23. Kind of mushroom 58. Increase the Beautiful" 24. Grind down 38. Young chicken 39. Cocoyam 40. Largest Asian antelope 42. Haute couture gala location, with The 43. Slimy phlebotomists 45. *____phobia, fear of public speaking 47. Took the bait 48. Tempter 50. Dumbstruck 52. *Gamophobia, fear of ____ 55. September stone 56. Cantina cooker 57. Apple leftover 59. Lakes, in Scotland 60. ____ gin 61. "On a ____," or carefree

I can’t forget the things that I’ve done.

I’ll be with you again.

I’ve never been one to turn and run.

We’ll think of these times as back then, And...

The Party’s just starting.

One... Day... If we hold on,

The Fun’s just begun.

I know we can.

A spark in their heart they didn’t see coming.

This will all be forgotten,

Bullets in My Gun...

And we’ll never be apart again.

Like writing the words to a really cool song,

Now, I know it’s all my fault,

That will probably never be sung.

And there’s no one to blame...

Constantly wondering what I’m doing wrong?

And not only myself,

And why the hell is it taking so long?

I caused my loved one’s pain...

To learn what it takes?

And I know I never want to go,

To have what it takes to be Strong?

Through this - again...

Bullets in My Gun...

If that was what it took to change?

Nothing will ever be the same, And...

We need good people to be the example, Of what good people are supposed to be?

One... Day... Our time apart will end.

You’d better have a back-up plan,

I’ll be with you again.

You’re talking to people who don’t understand,

We’ll think of these times as back then, And...

You’re something they’d rather not see.

One... Day... If we hold on, I know we can.

I’m trying to get them to provide a place,

This will all be forgotten,

For The Life of a Pioneer.

And we’ll never be apart again.

This is America, Worth working for,

Well, I’m sorry ‘bout the way,

And where do we go from here?

You feel - right now...

Freedom for an American is not a new idea.

And I’m sorry ‘bout the pain you feel inside...

Paid for with loss and suffering,

If I could, I would be there,

Courageousness and tears.

With you - somehow...

I’m part of the solution,

Wipe away the tears you’ve cried...

Written in The Constitution,

Help you make it through the night, And...

Founded by Pioneers.

Willing to fight for what’s right with their lives,

One... Day... Our time apart will end.

Despite the Hardships, the Doubt and the Fear.

I’ll be with you again.

There’s a reason that I’m here,

We’ll think of these times as back then, And...

And that reason is perfectly clear.

One... Day... If we hold on,

The same old un-resolved problems,

I know we can.

Just don’t seem to disappear.

This will all be forgotten,

Bullets in My Gun...

And we’ll never be apart again.

PAGE 8 | December 4 - 18, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams (1941)

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. First published in 1941, this series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver

First Sunday in Advent GOD is intelligible light.

Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

GOD is that which demands absolute love.

Kierkegaard: Fear and Trembling.

THE beginning is faith, the end is love. And the two blending in unity are God, and all else follows on these, ending in perfect goodness.

St Ignatius: Epistle to the Ephesians.

A NOBLE lover does not rest in the gift, but in Me above all gifts.

Thomas à Kempis: Imitation of Christ.

CONSOLE thyself, thou wouldst not seek Me, if thou hadst not found Me. Pascal: Pensées.

HOW admirable is thy Justice, O thou First Mover! Thou hast not willed that any power should lack the processes or qualities necessary for its results!

Leonardo da Vinci: Notebooks.

1st Monday in Advent GOD is Love; and He cannot deny Himself.

Doctrine in the Church of England, Report of the Commission.

WHEN God was made man, the innermost heart of the Godhead was put into man.

Eckhart: Sayings.

FROM all bodies together, we cannot obtain one little thought; this is impossible, and of another order. From all bodies and minds, we cannot produce a feeling of true charity; this is impossible, and of another super- natural order.

Pascal: Pensées.

1st Tuesday in Advent THE will to all goodness, which is God Himself, began to display itself in a new way, when it first gave birth to creatures. The same will to all goodness began to manifest itself in another new way, when it became patience and compassion towards fallen creatures.

But neither of these ways are the beginning of any new tempers or qualities in God, but only new and occasional manifestations of that true eternal will to all goodness which always was and always will be in the same fulness of infinity in God. William Law: The Spirit of Love.

1st Wednesday in Advent THE years a.d. 1–30 are the era of revelation and disclosure; the era, which is shown by the reference to David, sets forth the new and strange and divine definition of all time. The particularity of the years a.d. 1–30 is dis- solved by this divine definition, because it makes every epoch a potential field of revelation and disclosure.

Barth: Epistle to the Romans.

WHAT was the purpose of the Incarnation but this—that the flesh which had sinned could be redeemed by itself?

St Ambrose: On the Incarnation.

1st Thursday in Advent THOU hast united, O Lord, thy divinity with our humanity and our humanity with thy divinity, thy life with our mortality and our mortality with thy life. Thou hast received what was ours and given unto us what was thine.

Syrian Liturgy of St James.

O make this heart rejoice, or ache; Decide this doubt for me; And if it be not broken, break, And heal it if it be.

Cowper: Olney Hymns.

1st Friday in Advent

2nd Thursday in Advent

RELIGION is the possibility of the removal of every ground of confidence except confidence in God alone.

Barth: Epistle to the Romans.

. . . WHEN a soul is truly troubled about the mighty burden of his stony heart interposed, hindering him from coming to Christ; I say, when he is seriously and sincerely solicitious about that impediment, such desiring is a doing, such wishing is a working. Do thou but take care it may be removed, and God will take order it shall be removed.

Thomas Fuller: A Wounded Conscience.

NOTHING burneth in hell but self-will. Therefore it hath been said, Put off thine own will, and there will be no more hell.

Theologia Germanica.

1st Saturday in Advent A CERTAIN brother asked an old man, saying, “What shall I do because of my negligence?” The old man said unto him, “If thou wilt root out this small plant, which is negligence, a great forest will come into being.”

The Paradise of the Fathers.

EVEN the things which you do after the flesh are spiritual. For you do all things in Jesus Christ.

St Ignatius: The Epistle to the Ephesians.

YOU will never be younger; if not done soon it [the work] will never be done, to the end of all eternity . . . You may indeed excuse yourself and see reasons why the work should not have been done, but it will not have been done.

Gerard Hopkins: Letters.

THOU, O God, dost sell us all good things at the price of labour.

Leonardo da Vinci: Notebooks.

2nd Friday in Advent WE are further required by this consideration of Christ crucified to work out our own salvation; for God himself, so exalted (and so far removed and strange unto us), did use such diligence in obtaining our redemption and salvation that it is our bounden duty to take heed for ourselves and our salvation and to further the will of God, showing penitence for out sins.

Angela of Foligno: The Book of Divine Consolations.

COME and come strong, To our conspiracy of spacious song.

Crashaw: Hymn to the Name of Jesus.

Second Sunday in Advent

2nd Saturday in Advent

WHAT, then, is God? As regards the universe, He is the final end; in respect of election, He is salvation; as regards Himself, He is self-knowledge. What is God? He is almighty will moved by loving-kindness, virtue, eternal light, incommunicable reason, highest blessedness; He is the creator of minds to enjoy Himself; He endows them with life to perceive Him, disposes them to long for Him, enlarges them to receive Him, justifies them to be worthy of Him, fires them with zeal, fertilizes them that they may bear fruit, guides them into sweet reasonableness, moulds them into lovingkindness, regulates them for wisdom, strengthens them for virtue, visits them for consolation, illuminates them for knowledge, preserves them for immortality, fills them for happiness, is about their path for safety.

St Bernard: On Consideration.

THIS therefore is a certain truth that hell and death, curse and misery can never cease or be removed from the creation till the will of the creature is again as it came from God and is only a Spirit of Love that wills nothing but goodness. All the whole fallen creation, stand it never so long, must groan and travail in pain, this must be its purgatory till every contrariety to the divine will is entirely taken from every creature. Which is only saying, that all the powers and properties of nature are a misery to themselves, can only work in disquiet and wrath till the birth of the Son of God brings them under the dominion and power of the Spirit of Love.

William Law: The Spirit of Love.

Third Sunday in Advent

BY love all God’s chosen have been made perfect; nothing is well pleasing to God without love.

St Clement: Epistles.

HERE is opened to us the true reason of the whole process of our Saviour's incarnation, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven. It was because fallen man was to go through all these stages as necessary parts of his return to God; and therefore, if man was to go out of his fallen state there must be a son of this fallen man, who, as head and fountain of this whole race, could do all this, could go back through all these gates and so make it possible for all the individuals of human nature, as being born of Him, to inherit His conquering nature and follow Him though all these passages to eternal life. And thus we see, in the strongest and clearest light, both why and how the holy Jesus is become our great Redeemer.

William Law: An Appeal.

2nd Tuesday in Advent

3rd Monday in Advent

GOD is in all things as being, as activity, as power. But he is procreative in the soul alone for though every creature is a vestige of God, the soul is the natural image of God. This image is perfected and adorned in this birth. No creature but the soul is susceptible to this birth, this act.

Eckhart: Sermons and Collations II.

OUR relation to God is unrighteous. Secretly we are ourselves masters in this relationship. We are not concerned with God but with our own requirements, to which God must adjust Himself.

Our arrogance demands that, in addition to everything else, some super-world should also be known and accessible to us. Our conduct calls for some deeper sanction, some approbation and remuneration from another world. Our well-regulated, pleasurable life longs for some hours of devotion, some prolongation into infinity.

And so, when we set God upon the throne of the world, we mean

by God ourselves. In 'believing' on Him, we justify, enjoy and adore ourselves.

Barth: Epistle to the Romans.

2nd Monday in Advent IN every soul, even that of the greatest sinner in the world, God dwells, and is substantially present. This way of union or presence of God, in the order of nature, subsists between Him and all His creatures.

St John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel.

GRACE is indeed needed to turn a man into a saint; and he who doubts it does not know what a man or a saint is.

Pascal: Pensées.

2nd Wednesday in Advent FAITH, therefore, is never identical with 'piety', however pure and however delicate. In so far as 'piety' is a sign of the occurrence of faith, it is so as the dissolution of all other concrete things and supremely as the dissolution of itself. Faith lives of its own, because it lives of God. Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.

ALL faith consists in Jesus Christ and in Adam, and all morality in lust and in grace.

Pascal: Pensées.

3rd Tuesday in Advent HE enters by the door, who enters by Christ, who imitates the suffering of Christ, who is acquainted with the humility of Christ, so as to feel and know, that if God became man for us, man should not think himself God, but man. He who being man wishes to appear God, does not imitate Him, who being God, became man.

Thou art bid to think less of thyself than thou art, but to know what thou art.

St Augustine: On the Word.

Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisher

December 4 - 18, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.

“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

L a N ticia 2024

GRATIS Diciembre

Newspaper Nashville

Año 22 - No. 405

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

w w w. h i s p a n i c p a p e r. c o m

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Nashville, Tennessee

Puerto Vallarta: El Paraíso Mexicano que Conquista a los Americanos

Puerto Vallarta, ubicado en la costa del Pacífico mexicano en el estado de Jalisco, es uno de los destinos turísticos más apreciados por los estadounidenses.

Su mezcla única de playas impresionantes, cultura Por Yuri Cunza vibrante, deliciosa Editor-In-Chief @yuricunza gastronomía y hospitalidad cálida lo convierten en un lugar irresistible para quienes buscan una experiencia inolvidable. En este artículo, exploramos las razones por las cuales este puerto pintoresco sigue siendo una opción favorita para los viajeros provenientes de Estados Unidos.

Belleza Natural y Clima Perfecto Uno de los mayores atractivos de Puerto Vallarta es su belleza natural.

Con kilómetros de playas de arena dorada que se encuentran con las aguas turquesas del Pacífico, el paisaje es simplemente espectacular. Además, está rodeado por las montañas de la Sierra Madre Occidental, que ofrecen un contraste impresionante entre el mar y la selva tropical.

El clima de Puerto Vallarta es otro factor que atrae a los visitantes estadounidenses. Con temperaturas cálidas durante todo el año y una temporada de lluvias que deja los paisajes aún más verdes, es un lugar ideal para escapar del frío invernal de muchas ciudades de Estados Unidos.

Accesibilidad y Conectividad Puerto Vallarta es un destino de fácil acceso para los estadounidenses, con vuelos directos desde muchas ciudades principales como Los Ángeles, Dallas, Chicago y Nueva York. El Aeropuerto Internacional Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz recibe a miles de turistas cada año, ofreciendo comodidad y rapidez para llegar al paraíso. Además, la cer-

Playa del Amor, son una experiencia única en la vida.

Para quienes prefieren un ritmo más tranquilo, la ciudad ofrece spas de clase mundial, campos de golf y paseos románticos al atardecer. La diversidad de actividades asegura que haya algo para cada tipo de viajero.

Photo: La Noticia Newspaper Nashville

Puerto Vallarta: The Mexican Paradise that Conquers Americans

canía del destino hace que sea perfecto tanto para escapadas de fin de semana como para vacaciones más largas.

Cultura Rica y Autenticidad A pesar de ser un destino turístico popular, Puerto Vallarta ha logrado mantener su encanto auténtico y su cultura vibrante. El famoso Malecón, un paseo marítimo lleno de arte, música y comida, es un reflejo del espíritu de la ciudad. Los visitantes pueden disfrutar de esculturas icónicas, artistas callejeros y vistas impresionantes al océano.

El centro histórico de Puerto Vallarta, con sus calles empedradas y su iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, es un recordatorio del rico patrimonio cultural del lugar. Además, los mercados locales ofrecen artesanías, joyería y recuerdos únicos que capturan la esencia del destino.

bién es famosa por su marisco fresco, como el ceviche, los camarones al coco y los pescados preparados al estilo zarandeado.

Además, Puerto Vallarta alberga festivales gastronómicos como el Festival Gourmet Internacional, que atrae a chefs de renombre mundial y ofrece a los visitantes una experiencia culinaria inigualable.

Actividades y Aventuras Puerto Vallarta es un paraíso para los aventureros. Los visitantes pueden disfrutar de actividades como el buceo, esnórquel, kayak, paseos en barco, avistamiento de ballenas y tirolesas en la selva. Las excursiones a las Islas Marietas, con su famosa

Gastronomía Excepcional La comida en Puerto Vallarta es una de las mejores de México, combinando sabores tradicionales con innovación culinaria. Desde tacos callejeros hasta restaurantes de alta gama, hay algo para todos los gustos. La ciudad tam-

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una) Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

por

www.juanese.com

juanese@gmail.com

PAGE 10 | December 4 - 18, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Hospitalidad y Seguridad Los estadounidenses destacan la calidez y hospitalidad de los locales, quienes reciben a los visitantes con los brazos abiertos. Además, Puerto Vallarta se ha consolidado como un destino seguro para los turistas, con un enfoque constante en la tranquilidad de sus visitantes.

Un Hogar Lejos de Casa Muchos estadounidenses han encontrado en Puerto Vallarta un segundo hogar. Desde jubilados que buscan un lugar para retirarse hasta viajeros frecuentes que regresan año tras año, este destino ofrece una conexión especial que va más allá de unas simples vacaciones.

Con su combinación de belleza, cultura y experiencias inolvidables, no es sorprendente que Puerto Vallarta sea un destino favorito para los estadounidenses. Es un lugar donde la magia de México se encuentra con la comodidad moderna, creando recuerdos que duran toda la vida.

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-582-3757

FUN SAGITTA R IUS

Every morning I walk the dog around the perimeter of the backyard. She’s very old and moves pretty slow so it takes us a while. Usually I flip through bad news on my phone while we walk along the fence and I get impatient and anxious and she plods along. But lately I’ve been leaving my phone in my pocket. And lately I’ve been noticing that there’s often a deer right on the other side of the fence. And she watches us make the walk around and now we notice her back as part of our morning ritual. And I wonder what else I’ve been missing, Sagittarius. And I wonder if you might be missing some things too.

CAPRICORN

The ad in the corner of the screen has a picture of mashed potatoes underneath the words “‘Tis the season of thankfulness!” I’m not sure where the potato people get their information, Capricorn, but in my house ‘tis the season of scrolling through my news feed until I feel so anxious I can’t remember what obligation I’m avoiding. Gratitude is hard, but you can find some if you look. If you can’t find gratitude for your circumstances today, be grateful for the life of somebody you love. If you can’t find gratitude for somebody you love, be grateful for the ways you’ve protected yourself.

If you can’t find gratitude for the choices that brought you here, be grateful for mashed potatoes. Start there and see what gravy of gratitude you can pour on top of it.

AQUA RIUS

On my way to work today I got a fancy coffee – just as a little treat.

When I got to work there was a box of doughnuts so I had a couple – just as a little treat. At lunch I remembered I had a coupon for free french fries so I added those on – just as a little treat. And at the end of my shift – just as a little treat–I took home the expired Red Vines from the display case. You deserve a little treat too, Aquarius. Not that you need an excuse to eat or drink or take a break. But I think you deserve something even better. Maybe an hour of reading a book or a walk on the trail in the park or a phone call with somebody you miss.

Give yourself what you actually want. No guilt, no regret — just little treats forever.

HOBOSCOPES PISCES

What’s the happiest you’ve ever been, Pisces? Maybe a single moment or maybe a time in your life. For me it was probably my 8th birthday when all my friends came over and we had an ice cream cake and somebody got me the action figure of the jetpack guy with the launchpad and the working visor. And maybe that happiness lasted an hour. And then there was something else that I wished was different or something I thought was missing. An hour is a pretty good run for happiness, but for some reason we always think we’re just around the corner from finding a happiness that lasts, Pisces. What if happiness isn’t the goal? What if the goal is having a life you’re interested in and learning to better love and understand the people around you? You can also have a piece of ice cream cake.

ARIES

I’ve been so chilly in the mornings lately, Aries. And I’ve been getting by with this old hoodie, but today I dug through the winter box in my closet and found my good jacket. It was a relief to put it on and know that I’d be protected from that crisp pre-dawn wind. I’d forgotten about the hospital visitor sticker that I still had on it from last year. There’s been so much since then, Aries, so many losses, declines, bumps, and barricades. And peeling that sticker off this jacket reminds me that those things don’t ever really stop. But I hope it’s a reminder, Aries, that it isn’t just you. And that we do have each other to stay close and block the coldest gusts of wind.

TAURUS

Are you getting taller, Taurus? I could’ve sworn we used to be the same height, but now I barely come up to your shoulder. Oh, I see now. It’s the boots. Those things must add at least six inches! How do you even walk in those? I know it’s been hard having all the right answers and nobody to take you seriously. But I wonder if looking down on the rest of us is really going to help you to be understood.

Take the boots off and have a seat. I’ll make us some smoothies and maybe we can have a real conversation. But first, could you hand me that blender off the top of the fridge?

VIRGO

GEMINI

Yeah, Gemini, now that you mention it, I actually have done a little modeling. I was the “before” picture in the Dr. Pillow’s Full Body Cradle Fort and Sleep System ad from a couple of years back. My agent said he got a lot of feedback that I looked “too tired to be believably alive” which is what I was going for, so I’ll take that as a rave review.

I’ve always thought of you more as an “after” picture model, Gemini, but I know that doesn’t mean you’ve got it all together. For instance you’ve been pushing pretty hard the last few weeks and, although we’d never know it to look at you, I think you could do with a little more rest.

CANCER

There are forces in this world, Cancer, that thrive on your attention. They drink it up like mosquitoes. It doesn’t even matter if you’re praising them or shouting your disdain.

They can soak it all in and it just makes them bigger and stronger. I’m not telling you to ignore any harmful reality in this world, Cancer, but this week you might try ignoring those forces that make you want to rage at them across the internet. It might be that your rage is some of the only fuel they’ve got. And it might be that you find a new place to put your attention that feeds some joy into the world.

LEO

Want to feel old, Leo? Opossums in the wild only live for about two years.

I guess, whatever your age is, divide it by two and that’s how many generations of opossums have come and gone during your time on earth.

Just think of that marsupial family-tree with all the grandparents and great grandparents and great great great grandparents. They work their opossum jobs and elect their opossum leader (Currently Chancellor Bernice Snozzlefitz) and all the while, you’re just one life living in one direction, stretching across all of their opossum history. Really makes you think, Leo, that it’s not really about how old you are or how much of the yard you’ve seen, it’s just about what you do next in this short amount of time you’ve got.

Everything’s feeling a little frozen lately. I mean, sure, there’s the thin layer of ice on my windshield and the crunch of frost in the grass. But even before the freeze you could feel it. A slight hardening of the water that makes up most of your body. Little cracks when you straighten your knees and your elbows. There’s so much to be done, but it just feels less possible than ever to get moving. I feel frozen too, Virgo.

I think what we can do today is make a big pot of soup. Far too big for one person. Take a bowl for yourself and as you start to warm up, take the rest next door. Your neighbor might be just as cold.

LIBRA

The holidays are about family, Libra.

But then again, so is The Godfather Part II. Sometimes it feels like the people we came from are so different than what we’ve become. It seems dangerous to even be in the same city, much less the same room. But if I learned anything from The Godfather Part II, it’s that family members need to be able to say who they are and what they think about things. If we keep too many secrets, we end up hurting each other and, sometimes, create an international crime-ring. I guess what I’m saying, Libra, is be honest about what you need and how close you can be. And don’t let anybody tell you that you have to be in a room you know you can’t be in.

SCORPIO

I’ll tell you what I like to do with my frozen pizza, Scorpio, is I get an extra bag of shredded mozzarella and spread it on top and then add some sliced tomatoes and black pepper. It comes out of the oven all cheezy and crispy. Then, and here’s where things start to get weird, I put a little mustard on my plate and dip the pizza in it as I go. I know, I know, you were with me at first but then I lost you on the mustard.

It reminds me, Scorpio, that sometimes we have different preferences on how to enjoy our lives. I believe those differences can live side by side just like pizza and mustard. Just look out for the ones who think pizza is best enjoyed with arsenic.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, an experienced “during” model, or just a leaf. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

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ABBY R. RUBENFELD Attorney at Law

arubenfeldlaw.com December 4 - 18, 2024 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

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