Opinions

My grandfather was born in 1877, not too long after the civil war was over. His grandfather had been wounded in the battle of Cassville, Georgia and was crippled up the rest of his life. So a hard life was even harder. Such it was for my grandfather. He was never able to go to school other than an occasional rainy day. So when he turned 21 years of age he was unable to write his name. After he became a man of his own, he went to Atlanta, Georgia and got a job driving a peddler wagon for a one legged man. This man taught my grandfather how to write his name.

The other morning as I was standing in front of my house watching Venus look over the moon’s left shoulder, I thought about all the circumstances that brought me to this one place and moment in time; and I imagined in what ways my life might have been different if I had “gone for it” instead of hesitated; said yes instead of saying no; or continued straight ahead till morning instead of turning left at the first decision that crossed my path.

Halloween is not the only occasion people disguise themselves as someone they’re not. Impostor scammers are out in full force all year long. While there has been a decrease in the number of victims so far in 2020 - the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports approximately $300 million in losses – a 15 percent increase over 2019 numbers. Better Business Bureau serving Central East Texas (BBB) cautions consumers to verify all calls, texts, social media messages and emails from well-known organizations or individuals, particularly if they are requesting payment or personal information.