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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.