WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND…….

Just thinkin’ :  times are tough !   Bad news is rampant, crime has become an everyday occurrence, ,  the validity of our votes is in question,  politics is nasty,  viruses are killing us ,   and, in general, our nation seems to be going to hell in a hand basket !

But, is it really much different ?  Communication is quicker and the mode has changed with the times, but the substance remains virtually the same.    What goes around comes around.

When I was a little girl growing up in Lavonia, we lived in a log cabin in these Roberts Woods that Byron and I live in now.  Some 20 acres of woods gave us much privacy, but the real upside was that we were only 2 blocks from downtown Lavonia.  Not sure that I gave it much thought back in the day but realize now that it was, truly, the best of both worlds.

But that is not to say that there was not a downside or two.

Our house was broken into twice !

The first was escaped convicts who broke windows to enter ————although every door was unlocked !  Some things never change.  There were three of them and they made themselves at home by vandalizing the house : refrigerator pulled from the wall and food strewn all over the kitchen, including blackberry juice intended for jelly-making.    The beds were a mess with covers and pillows tossed  and turned—– and vomit all over one of them.

I remember well coming home on Daddy’s shoulders and the abject shock that he displayed !  It was indeed a frightening experience———–and it took place in the  “good ole days “,  not now when we all feel that life is in such turmoil.   The convicts were caught and punished.  But it’s an example of  ” what goes around, comes around “.

The second break-in was young teens who lived not so far away.  They did not vandalize nor did they throw up, but, rather, they stole whatever they could carry away.  It amounted to mostly jewelry, clothes,collectibles, etc. and most of it was found and returned.  Upsetting ?  Absolutely, but not as threatening as the convicts.

BUT———the saddest part was that they were the same children that Mother had observed being barefoot during cool weather.  She took the lead, got other mothers involved, and purchased shoes and jackets for these very children who broke into our home and stole our valuables !   This happened in the  ” good ole days ” and is another example of  “what goes around comes around “.

On a different note, voting legalities/illegalities/fraud/undue influence/ you name it !

Back in the “good ole days “, influencing votes was not as sophisticated , but no less effective.  In Franklin County, the most used bribe was a free ride to the polls  ( vehicles were not as prevalent then and only the comfortable middle-class and/or wealthy actually had access to a car or truck ) or a pint of whiskey ——–or , often, a combination of the two !   A ride and a drink for a vote.  What more could an uninformed or uninterested voter ask for  ?   This happened in the  ” good ole days ” and is another example of  ” what goes around comes around “.

And the viruses : I grew up in the polio era.  I had a friend , Jeanine Sewell , who developed polio. Jeanine lived on West Avenue in downtown Lavonia  and  she was terribly sick, almost to the point of death with very little effective medical help.  The entire town rallied around the family, offering what little reassurance there was.   And the fear of the virus was tangible…………

The upside was that when she recovered sufficiently to attend school, once it re-opened, a plan had to be in place to move her from floor -to-floor , classroom-to-classroom.  Our principal , Nannie Sue Maret, orchestrated the process and different boys at different times carried her on her gurney up and down the steps.  Lavonia Elementary School did not need the federal government to provide ;   Mrs. Maret was in charge !

Iron lungs, crippled children, quarantines, schools and swimming pools locked down, frightened parents, and death all around.  Not really much different from COVID.  What ” goes around, comes around “.

My point ?   No argument that these times are mostly unpleasant, in a generic sort of  way, but there are blessings to be recognized and appreciated, just as there were in my growing-up days.

My suggestion ?   Contact your Congressman,  your Governor,  your Legislator ,  your Commissioner,  your Mayor,  and keeping your cool,  share your opinion.   And then,  have a nice dinner,  hug your family members,  call a friend,  read a book,  go to church,  do a favor, rescue a lonely pet,  plant a flower, and,  just simply, seize the moment.  It won’t come back…………………