Birthday cheer

WHAT A wonderful day this has been. I have just returned from Food Giant where, among other things, I bought a bottle of wine. I was asked to show proof that I was over 21. Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 80. Today I had to prove I was over 21. Thank you, Food Giant, for the loveliest birthday present I have ever had. You absolutely made my day, maybe my week, maybe my month. Wow!

Post office on farm

THE PROPER place to put a new post office would be out on the north side of William Street just west of Interstate 55. The U.S. Postal Service would have a place to keep its mules and oxen, because I know that's what brings the mail around. I get a couple papers from central Illinois. It takes up to three weeks for those papers to get here. If the postal service can't make 200 miles in three weeks, it's undoubtedly using oxen to bring the mail around.

Teaching at home

I HAD to chuckle regarding the comment about "teachers' expectations." Teachers are about to receive two weeks off with pay for Christmas. As a parent, I will be going over fractions with my child because the math teacher uses classroom time to have the students grade their own papers. I have a family too, and I get frustrated going over pages of text after school because some teachers forget these children want to learn. My child makes the A honor roll with my help.

Inspecting dams

I FIND that with this tragedy of this dam giving away, we better have our people working in Washington, D.C., and Jefferson City enforce a better inspection law. If things were properly inspected, we wouldn't be seeing things like this. Inspectors need glasses, or they need to be given a walking license. I'm not just hitting on the good inspectors. But we need to find out why they're not living up to their occupation.

Making sacrifices

NO OTHER profession expects you to work extra hours without compensation? My spouse is a salaried employee, and he's expected to work beyond 40 hours a week and often does. Professionals are that: professional. They don't complain or whine. They do the work that's needed. Teaching is a service job. Jackson Middle School has the most excellent teachers who were willing to stay after school for special programs and go beyond the call of duty and make sacrifices. If you don't want a service job, you don't go into a service job.

Learn to co-exist

THERE HAS been a lot of discussion recently about children-free restaurants and stores. I would like to see senior-free restaurants and stores. Seniors walk slowly, don't hear well, have poor vision, can't work a soda machine and take forever at the salad bar. Do I really feel this way? Of course not. I am sensitive to those among us in their older years who have difficulties. What I would like to see, of course, is some sensitivity by some of my older brothers and sisters for the younger ones among us. It's the Christmas season, for heaven's sake. Can't we all, young and old, learn to co-exist?

Airline concerns

A RECENT comment about the fourth flight into the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport said if you don't use the fourth flight, you might find out you don't deserve to have a subsidized flight. As a taxpayer, we do not deserve a subsidized flight. If you can afford to fly, then pay the fare. Why should taxpayers pay part of the fare? I predict that within a couple of years there will be no air service to Cape Girardeau. President Bush has proposed the elimination of that subsidy. Also, American Airlines has said it is going to stop flying to Cape and smaller airports because of the deal with the Wright Amendment. Cape seems to like bankrupt airline manufacturers, so maybe it should go into the airline business.

Do some good

TO THE group that put the hate advertising on television against U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson: Why don't you give that money to somebody who needs it. It's Christmas time. That money could be used for needy people. Do something good instead of spending it for hate ads.

Thanks for the help

SUNDAY MORNING I had a flat tire on Mount Auburn Road. A young woman stopped to assist me, and then a man changed my tire and brought me home. In my anxiety, I failed to thank the young woman. I apologize. I deeply appreciated her help.

Getting the money

IT'S FUNNY that the government doesn't have any money to give to the poor or to take care of day care in America, but Southeast Missouri State University is getting out of hand. Now there's another $8 million swimming pool going up. Can't anybody besides the university get any funds to use for something other than education? That's not helping anybody on their education. That's taking away from students.

Old deceptions

GEORGE WILL'S Sunday column paraded out the same deceptive misrepresentations first used by Dick Cheney in April 2001 that oil drilling in the ANWR affects only 2,000 acres. That is like saying that your car affects only the 40 square inches where the tires touch the ground. Gale Norton was deceptive in July 2001 by saying that the caribou herd in the area of the Trans Alaskan Pipeline has increased. This represents the success of the Endangered Species Act and fails to mention that the Fish and Wildlife Department reported a decrease of 20 percent in birth rate in the affected area. These pundits need to use some new deceptions. These were exposed long ago.

Window memories

MY FAMILY and I, once again, enjoyed the Christmas display in the Hutson's Furniture window. It's especially special this Christmas because we walked down memory lane and enjoyed all the Christmases past down through the years. To those responsible, your hard work is enjoyed by so many. God bless you.

Angel buys lunch

MY HUSBAND, son, daughter and I had lunch Sunday afternoon at Lambert's in Sikeston. After eating more than we needed, we went to pay our bill. The waiter told us an angel of the Lord has taken care of us. Please accept our thanks and appreciation. May our loving God richly bless you, your family and friends. Your kindness will never be forgotten. Merry Christmas, and thank you so much.

Careful vigilance

PARENTS AND grandparents must be vigilant in protecting and supervising our children while they're using computers and watching and playing video games. I was visiting a friend one day, and her 12-year-old grandson was playing a video game that was disturbing to me. He said he was killing people. I asked if that game made him feel good inside. He said no. I asked him to find a game that makes him feel good inside. He did, and I alerted his grandmother to my concerns. I hope she's watching over him and protecting him, because our children and grandchildren are our future. God bless them all.

No secrets

IN OUR war against terrorism, why not renew the Patriot Act? Real Americans have nothing to hide. But creeps and terrorists those who support them may have something to hide. What great secret do decent people have that they're afraid to disclose? I would secretly tape everyone protesting and degrading our country and our military.