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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-05-13, Page 4PAGE 4—GODERlrH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, MAY 13,1981 dave sykes I can relate to hard luck stories and easily empathize with people of the Charlie Brown mold. Perhaps becuase my own life story could probably prompt a wide grin from the af- fable Peanuts character. But things are tough all over, right? The interesting thing about sad tales is that it takes a darn good bit of pathos to extract sympathy from others. Everyone has their own tale of woe that, in their own mind, precludes all the disasters known to man. I seem to be natural prey for fall guy situations and suspect my easy-going personality advertises that vulnerability. 1 mean I actually have faith that the Toronto Argonauts will win a football game or two, sneak into the playoffs and leave all other Canadian football teams humbly snivelling in their devastating wake. BLUE RIBBON AWARD Second class 1 mail registration number -0716 SINCE 1848 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT Founded In 1510 and published every Wednesday at Ooderlch, Ontario. Member of the CCNA and OWNA. Adver- tising rata on request.Subscriptions payable In advance '17.50 In Canada, .35.M to U.S.A., '35.00 to all other coun- trles, single copies 30°. Display advertising rates available on request. please ask for Rate Card No. 10 effective Oc- tober 1, 1100. Second class mail legistratlon Number 0710. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that In the event of typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for but that balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the eo- pllcable rate. In the went of a typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising Is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. the Signal -Star Is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing. pur- PUBLISHED BY:SIGNAL-STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ROBERT G. SHRIER-President and. Publisher DONALD M. HUBICK-Advertising Manager DAVID 'SYKES-Editor P.O. BOX 220,- HUCKINS ST.. 1M9!J TDIAl PARK. GODERICH N7A 4B6 Mandoes not live by reality alone my friends. Even as a child, I suffered under the misconception that the Toronto Maple Leafs were a hockey team. That was until I was old enough to actually stay up and watch them play another hockey team. In those prehistoric times, Ward Cornell and Murray Westgate didn't grace our screens until" p.m on bath night. As the evidence would indicate, I have a propensity for backing losers and it leads to a nagging suspicion that the loser image is a, reflection of my personality. Now don't be so quick to agree. But I contend that most people can relate to others misfortunes, although somewhat reticent to relent to the admission that there is a bit of loser in all of us. Everyone has conceded to being an underdog or at least cheered wildly for the little guy. A story in the daily press last week brought much warmth to my heart, tor there are people out there in the worldly jungle, with problems of great magnitude. Problems that seem to lessen the severity of my own day to day troubles. To the point of the matter, a fellow in Oshawa was most proud of the meticulous condition of his 1972 model Rambler, complete with air conditioning and vinyl roof, Admittedly there is an affectionate bond between man and machine and Keith McGuigan was no exception. Keith groomed his trusty Rambler into fine condition and only required a door latch to put the finishing touches on an outdated machine. So McGuigan sought this particular door latch at a wrecking yard to complete the Rambler reconstruction. And he was in luck too. After careful scrutiny -of several old wrecks, he found the latch to compliment his door hardware and happily wandered bad . to his parked prize. But, as is wont to happen to fellows of the losing persuasion, McGuigan's car had been reduced to a neat, compact pile of iron, glass and vinyl in a 10 -inch pile. Something that could easily be carried home in the 12 -pack fashion. So while, he had finally secured the elusive door Iatch, McGuigan had no car to attach the darn thing to. Apparently he had parked in a restricted area of the wrecking yard, and employees took it upon themselves to reduce his Rambler to a neat pile of metal scrap. His licence plates were spared the clutches of the metal crusher but it was of little consolation to the despondent owner. I only offer the sad tale in complacency, to point out that other people have their bad days. And it is consoling to drag other into my own depths of despair. Now I could tell you a story about.... FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES please phone (519) 524-8331 Where will rates end Where will it ends Consumers, homeowners, taxpayers andthese may be beating their heads againstthe wall there days with the propsect of infinite spiralling interest rates. The numbers aren't optimistic, whether they represent costs, taxes, interest rates, debts or whatever. Each day they are climbing. Last week interest rates on consumer loans, mortgages and bank deposits established records with conventional loan rates soaring as high as 22 per cent and mortgage rates quoted at 18 per cent at some banks. There may not be any relief. As long as inflation stays high, the rates will continue to push upward. In fact the rates could go as high as 25 per cent in the near future. One economist predicted that the days of the 8 and 10 per cent mortgage are gone forever. An eight per cent mortgage is now just a fond memory for most people. But as long as Canadians continue to borrow money, the rates will spiral. The banking world is probably astounded that people are still borrowing money, and have obligingly raised interest rates on savings accounts to about 15 per cent to keep the flow of funds steady for investment purposes. Canada is a credit nation and while our prices may not reflect those of other countries, our debt load is second to none. Canadians are billions of dollars in debt without including mortgages. The debt load is staggering considering the rate of in- terest today. Yet people think nothing of rattling off purchases on credit cards and paying interest in the 24 w cent neighbourhood. If the rates go up,the monthly payment is the same for the consumer, but the debt is just stretched out over a longer period of time., Credit is necessary way of life. Many items that used to bought with cash now have to be put on credit. It is con- venient and the interest rate doesn't hurt as much in small monthly doses. . Credit is less a matter of choice these days than necessity. Purchases such as tires for the car or a washer were once paid for at the store but now monthly payments are easier to handle even if the interest is quite high. As long as Canadians demand the convenience of credit, it will be there with inflated rates. Many low income families simply can't handle one payment on products and the credit line is simply extended. The poor carry a large debt load in this country, in some cases as much as four times their income. In 1977 for people earning between $11,000 and $25,000, the average debt was almost$15,000. There is problems on both sides of this issue. Both with consumers and the credit granting industry. Canadians must first realize that credit is not to be taken lightly. Sometimes: buy novlpay later is simply a euphemism for large debts. D.S. Welcome to new Kinsmen Service clubs play a vital role in the .development of a community and the contribution of service clubs in Goderich is most evident. The town of Goderich can boast of a fine complement of service groups for both men and women and their efforts have assisted 1n many worthwhile and deserving projects. They fill a definite need in every community and are essential for progress and development. The area has the pleasure of welcoming a new club to , the fold this week after the Dungannon Kinsmen Club received its official charter Saturday from District 1 Governor Grant Burgerner of Cayuga, Ontario. The formation of the dub was initiated by members of the Goderich Kinsmen and their diligent efforts resulted in 20 men accepting the Kinsmen charter for the 1 haven't decided whether to title this week's offerings "Little Boys Are Not Human" or "Mothers Have It Rough". Let me qualify these highly controversial statements. Little boys in quantities of one are not hard to get along with. But take three of the species whose combined height is less than ten feet and you have a zoo. The mother of a group such as this has it un- deniably rough. I know. I was the zookeeper last weekend. Given that Sunday was Mother's Day, the mother in question grabbed the given and took off - so to speak. The father in question went with her and I was given the keys to the zoo which included one six-year-old, one nearly -three-year-old, one 15 -month-old, one large dog, and my own cat. 5 p.m. Saturday: parents sneak out door, but do not escape watchful eye of youngest son who commences to scream bloody murder at the 'unfairness of life and mothers. He refuses delicious supper of Kraft Dinner. Dungannon area. Gerry Paolin of the Goderich said there was a need for a service group north of Goderich and the rural community answered the call. The Dungannon Kinsmen Club will serve an area bounded by Kingsbridge, Port Albert, Nile and Dungannon. The new club is screening several potential service projects in their area and their efforts will un- doubtedly be a great asset to the rural communities. The 20 club members accepted their charter with great fervor and enthusiasm and hopefully that dedication will be channelled into many worhty projects. and be main- tained for many years. The Dungannon and area will be well served by the Kinsmen Club as long it has theupport of the communities it serves. D.S. 6 p.m. Saturday: youngest has forgotten parents' existence and is happily feeding cold sticky Kraft Dinner to Tess the Cat and often throwing noodles against the wall. Oldest son is creating a supper of unknown origin. Middle son is washing his hands, the bathroom sink, the floor, walls, etc. 7 p.m. Saturday: two oldest boys are fighting over a Tonka truck. The younger is winning. The older's pride is injured. The youngest is practicing new-found ability to climb the stairs and fall down them. 7.30 p.m Saturday: two youngest boys are in bathtub with assorted toys. The older hits the younger over the head with a plastic alligator. The younger decides he is clean enough and submits to diapers and jam- mies. 8:00 p.m. Saturday: youngest in bed, oldest flaked out in front of TV, middle son announces he has a hurting tummy. He is given a pink aspirin and a hug. 9 p.m. Saturday: storytime. Boys fight 4 Rains of life DEAR BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER by Cath Wooden READERS What causes your most depressing moments? That's an age old question, I know, because if you could actually put your finger on the cause of your depression, you could more easily remove some of the depression from your life. At least that's the way it is supposed to work. For most of us though, the weather is by far the Most common depressor. And as I look out my window today to see yet another day of cloud and rain, my spirits dip to a new low ebb. While having lunch with my husband today, I claimed that this is a day to turn on all the lights in the house, put some lively music on the stereo and bake some wildly extravagant cookies. "There's nothing like a happy home and the smell of home baking to cheer up the unhappy," I told him. Everywhere I go today I hear people crabbing at each other. There aren't many sunny smiles and folks are truly making an effort to get through the day. That in itself is depressing. There's nothing much you can do about the weather. It was my clever mother who used to say, "We're going to have weather whether or not." I've learned she was absolutely right about that. I don't try to fight it. But just as I have finally learned to cope with the whims of the weatherman, there's a new public depressor. Strictly speaking, I suppose, one would have to say the "press" isn't new. It has been around,for centuries in fact. But today's "press" is everywhere. It comes to you via your daily or weekly newspaper, your radio and your television. over which books to read. They agree on the two longest ones they have (The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back). They insist the light be left on and the door be left open. 10p.m. Saturday: house is quiet except for large barking dog outside whose supper has been forgotten: I fall asleep in front of hockey game. 11:30 p.m. Saturday: middle boy cries out in a loud way after he has become sick in bed. Being of a very weak constitution, 1 gather up the Sesame Street bedclothes and dump them in laundry room. Middle boy falls asleep on new bedding feeling much better. I don't feel too great. 12:30 a.m. Sunday: house is quiet except for a strange noise coming from the heat ducts. It turns out to be the cat who has discovered it is a great place to march around. I plead with her to come out. 3 a.m. Sunday: parents arrive home and find several descriptive notes from me as to health and happiness of zoo. It rides to work with you in your car, and it makes you more irritable with every mile you drive. It comes to you with your breakfast each morning and spoils your digestion for the entire day. It bombards you in your own livingroom or bedroom and in public diningrooms, hotels, camp grounds, banks, service stations .... everywhere. There's no escape from it. It is a kind of om- nipresent love -hate situation. The trouble is, most people have no understanding of the limitations of the "press" and no immunity to the barrage of gut -wrenching messages it sends out time and time again. Take the Bobby Sands story. Now that was a thriller wasn't it. A whole generation of kids were eating their supper every night with the ghastly details of what it is like to die of star- vation. Blindness. Constant pain. Disfigurement. Or how about the El Salvador tales. Bloody nuns. Riots. Hatred. Nice stuff to take just before bedtime. Not long ago, it was the assassination attempt on the life of the president in the United States. The full gory details of Ronald Reagan's brush with a crazed gunman flashed into our homes and cars and businesses. People were glued to their televison sets, unable to tear themselves away from history in the making. I know one man who gets so upset when he reads the evening paper he actually loses control of his composure. His wife will tell you he balls the newspaper up and throws it as far as he can across the livingroom. "Aren't there any normal people left in the world?" he exclaims night after night. 8 a.m. Sunday: middle son awakens brightly and noisily. Youngest son awakens brightly, noisily, and with dirty diapers. They are clothed and fed after several conflicts over who gets the most attention. Oldest boy then awakens and creates break- fast of unknown origin after seeing a Corn Flakes commerc ial. 10 a.m. Sunday: I am trying to keep house quiet for sleeping parents upstairs. Children cannot go outside due to rain. We pile in car for a drive to feed animals in Holmesville. Each Is given some bread to feed the ducks and deer. Youngest elects to eat bread himself. 11:30 a.m. Sunday: we arrive home to find parents lounging about drinking coffee with euphoric looks on their faces. After being keeper of the flock for that short period of time, I cannot fathom how the flock's mother can possibly keep up that pace day after day. I am dumbfounded. My hat is off to her. There is no wonder that people are depressed. Every hour on the hour we hear about the latest strikes, unemployment figures, higher interest rates, lowered living standards, traffic ac- cidents, environmental atrocities. You name it. Chances are you've heard it or read it in the last day or two. And how do you deal with it? Take it from me, ladies and gentlemen. The people who gather the news and write it for your edification are just ordinary people like anyone else you know. They aren't gods. They aren't infallible. They aren't possessed of special powers to predict the future. Keep this in mind the next time you read a what is to you a shocking story in your newspaper. Or hear an expose on radio. Or watch some nuts performing on your television. The reporters are only people like you and like me. The events they report have happened, that's true. But their own personal observations and impressions are only that - their own. And while they have "the power of the press" behind them and a way with words andpictures and sounds, they needn't strike terror in your heart. Simply hear them - think about what they say if you like but always take time to sift through and discard fact from opinion. • Keep your head about you and some distance between you and the media. Don't let the "press" control your emotions, your thoughts, your dreams. - Remember that old wise prayer. "Lord, give me the courage to change those things I can change and accept those things I cannot change. And give me the wisdom, Lord, to know the difference." cath wooden 1