HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1977-08-31, Page 2Ontario. Weekly Newspaper Association
We need trees
"I think that I shall never see A pciern lovely as a
tree."
Amen
• by Karl Schuesshir
How do you cope ?
Brussels
11141 1,0
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1977
Serving Brussels and the surrounding community.
Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros. Publishers, Limited.
Evelyn KenfICCly - Editor. Dave Robb - Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
•
*CNA
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $8.00 a Year, Others
$14.00 a Year, Single Copies 20 cents each.
If the present generation doesn't act soon, there's
a distinct possibility that our children and our •
children's children will be saying simply. "I think
that I shall never see....a tree."
That's right, trees are quickly becoming an
endangered species in our part of 'Western Ontario
A recent session of Perth County Council heard that
tree coverage in the county had dropped to below 10
per cent: •
While Perth representatives took no action to.
incraase the tree population, they should be
congratulated for at least discussing the matter.
Several reeves,, including Hibbert's Ross McPhail,
had constructive ideas for improving the situation.
Tree planting prograMs, more reforestation areas
and paying farmers for planting trees on roadsides
were among them. -
We don't know too many people who are opposed'
to the idea of more trees. It's a pretty hard position to
argue because the benefits of trees in reducing
erosion, holding' back snow, cooling the land in the
summer and supplying oxygen to the atmosphere are
pretty well universally acknowledged:
No, the declining tree population in Perth, and in
Huron has come about through carelesSness and the.
urge tc- make a buck, rather'than through any` policy
of deliberate destruction.
In the short View trees on land that could grow a
cash crop seem a waste .... they show no immediate
economic return.
In the same short view, trees .along roadsides
mean branches to trim after bad Storms and
obstacles for road and ditching machinery to dodge.'
But we have to stop taking the short view and
remember that what trees contribute our
environment is More important than the money Chats
to be made through their removal. . ,
OUtin Western Canada quite a bit of land has been
reforested. That's bedaode,'ithe.W.est.saW, .during the,
-0,4kreAsien; 414:fetiiik: agricultural land
ikeniided. of trees storms the erosion .
e •
wtitoOrif
It's just pcissi •. art. of .the Warne for the '
dust, as Well as for our blown in roads in winter can
be laid to the lact that trees are becoming more and
more scarce. • • •
For those reasons and so that future generations are
acquainted WithAree_s*attheir various shapes and
Sizes •it would be good to See Perth, Huron and in fact
all the Wetern ,Ontario counties encourage the
planting of trees. •
Urge your elected representative to act.
Last week one of the producers at CBC
came up td me and said, "Will you write`up
a Proposal for an hour's documentary? I
think people would like to hear how other
people overcome Obstacles in life."
-All-the metaphors for an obstacle popped
into my head: Hurdle, pitfll, shortcoming,
roadblock ; setback, interference,
weakness, handicap, dark days, shadows,
impedement, rough hoeing, stumbling
block, bumps in the road, and rocky road.
I'm sure there are more.
The next thing I knew, I was thinking of
famous people who overcame big obstacles
in their lives. Like Abraham Lincoln with
his nagging wife, epilepsy for "Julius
Caesar. The Civil War general Ullyses S.
Grant was also scared of crowds. He said
he'd r other go to battle than get up to
speak. Moses had an impediment in his
speech.. Demosthenes, the Greek orator,
put pebles in his mouth to overcome his
problem.
Then there's Mr. Bowman who keeps
Winning tournaments at the tennis court.
You always see him wearing white jogiing
pants to cover-up his one.leg that's shorter
than the other and the.foOt that's turned in
at , a 45 degree angle. „.
Helen Keller was both blind and deaf.
Beethoven iost hearing and what a
loss for a musician used fo dig his
teeth into the piano ttsf lhea the Y4bratiO4s,
BeethoYeitgrit*Sleethat4sair;?:'*11"*ake
'the thlOitqq;
. , *hen I.tholOt
1 ,wtites ;a ,column
ttaitie 6.,v'efecities,
ijthout4rnis.'$he
do with our itOeS";
feet. AbOtAt teeth --ter'
father sayS.iElaine4i,:as.iiq cleanest
n town: 2'
Physical haixticaps come to :mind
because they're, so Whgr abOnt
the ex-convict having served his sentence;
comes home for a job • and acceptance by
the .Coinintinity?' '
What about Mail defects " and
personality quirks ?What about those who
can't get along with people or hOltr down a
job? Psychological hang tips?
Well, I'm not going 'to catalogue
obstacles. We all knoW:Whaesst •adding, in
our way. But What can we dO• about theiii?
Have you ever thought of writing a letter
to Amen? How do you handle the
roadblocks in your life? Send, your letter to
this newspaper. Call it COPING. Here are
a feW ideas to start :you thinking '
some people use to cope.
1. DENY REALITY. One family
explained away a 'child's mother's death by
saying, "She's simply gone away ...• but
she'll return."-This method doesn't work
in the Jong run nor iri the short run. It's
both a lie and running away from reality.
2. RELATIVE SEVERITY. Hospital
patients try -to comfort themselves by
saying, "Yes, I've got it bad, but I'm not
nearly as bad-off as the guy in the next
bed!" This is the old
had.no shoes till I met a man'
ictohmnpol afei nedt
nientality.Or "I thank thee Lord I'm not as
bad off as I could be."
3. PIE IN THE SKY BY AND BY. "I may
have to bear heavy burdens here on earth,
but when I get to heaven, someone will lift
all my burdens." You could also call this
"bargaining with the futtire" method.
4.. GOD MUST BE PUNISHING ME.
This comes from the wrong kind of guilt, or
forgetting that God is forgiving, or the
need to find a reason for -every event and
condition in life. Related to this•is the GOD
MUST BE PURIFYING ME method or
GOD MUST BE DISCIPLINING ME -L
need .to see 0:3file pay-off fOr suffering.
5. POOR ME. Self-pity wbrks. And it's
common. The. most common I suppose;'
,Bukt . it weakens .rather than strengthens
people for facing rOaiiblockS. A persecut1pli
-self-image . itd4eilieS this °tic
MeboCi, always ,OCking on -me."
**day loyeOne :dot• even g6d,"
,f,A)Dc
darn of . ,
.0iy*voi?;. OCoginsd6Y*.k.'4 •
around e..copter..
008*R't Oa. Mit; "
604 fEktilisdi t
OiljEkr
4-1t- nave•`• • ,t0, pis* 'the.J
world's cOgs,tion about grief and
pain.' The gi_eat_stifferei Job tised:to,ask
in the Bible. In "Fiddler on-,the hoof';
tTotayredil he tx pa vt sns. h' hi§ fist clenched
Thisittiethod or question denies the Creator
His right to call th e shots in His Wald,
8. SCAPEGOAT. It's my parents fault,
Or Serdiety,or economic conditions: Or itg
'' add's .fittlit.- "He Messed things up
OtL-:i'attch
iee is a•
ii;ii orniaaideonitie.e'd060 ita;:i af twYaoyll o
..find someone to blame --
peOple around.
9. MESSIAH, "I'm gditig Ave oilier .
Phea(541i,eetatopb,:'ian4Sustielfde°041‘gapriadt it.isiS:.)1 title co:JOY
A' butterfly t.