Opinion

A real challenge and a lifesaving opportunity in our midst.

Approximately every two seconds someone in America needs blood. Blood is needed every day for patients with blood disorders, those being treated for burns or undergoing chemotherapy, and premature babies, just to name a few. The need is constant.  

For several years now, I’ve heard stats released at the start of a new year about how much time the American workforce wasted in the past year, and how that time was spent.

Without fail, fantasy sports are credited, or blamed, depending on how you look at it, as being the largest waste of time in the average American’s work day. Anywhere from 30 minutes in some cases, to as many as two hours are spent on fantasy sports by some workers, and the employers are footing the bill while their productivity suffers.

Thanks to the trust of the people of Kentucky, I’ve received the privilege of another term in the U.S. Senate. That’s an extraordinary gift from the voters, and I’m grateful to have the next six years to serve our Commonwealth and our country.

As a new Congress and a new presidential administration begin, I look for lessons from great Kentuckians who have served our state in public office in the past. One who stands out is Wendell Ford.

Changes are coming to almost all businesses in today’s world, and the economy is behind many of those changes. We see people doing things differently in the way they provide services, and often, those changes are not for the better.

In our business here at The Springfield Sun, we realize we are part of a very different industry these days than just a few years ago. In fact, things are changing by the minute in the newspaper business in our country and even around the world.

When you get married you become as one with your wife or husband. What you do affects him or her as surely as it affects you. You’re responsible to that person by a bond of love. That love demands you make every decision in your life centering on protecting that relationship.

When you have children that bond and commitment multiplies.Major decisions you make at that point in your life can become complicated. It leads to conflict within you.

The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

“Hey, buddy, how are you doing? I haven’t seen you in years!”

We’ve all been there - you’re out in a store or restaurant, and suddenly you see someone you recognize, and they recognize you - but you just can’t remember their name. You try hard, but you can’t seem to come up with that name you once knew well, so you just call them “Buddy” or “Pal”, or some other vague name like that, trying to conceal your forgetfulness.

It never ceases to amaze me how impressed visitors to our county are with our community and the positive comments they make about our county. They speak of the beauty of our countryside, the obvious pride that our citizens take in their property, and the friendliness of the people they meet here.

Why do these themes seem to be prevalent among those who don’t know us well?

History can be read from a book, but there is nothing like learning real history, or lessons from life, from people who have lived it.

The following article taps into 277 years of living from Washington County residents Mr. Hugh L. Grundy (age 92), Mrs. Sadie Kate Leachman (age 94), and Mrs. Mary Ann Hardin (91).

The rest of this column comes from questions raised by Mrs. Heather Purdom’s North Washington Elementary School first graders and Mrs. Inez Grider’s eighth graders at St. Dominic Elementary School.