Here we are into another year, and I don’t have to tell you that I am not ready for it. You can surely see that I am just as scattered as ever and maybe even more so. My habit is to hold onto the past and have to be dragged into the new year with countless exclamations. If I didn’t get a job done during 2012, why should I think I will be more successful in 2013? Nevertheless, I continue to fall back on one of my old practices, that of taking things one day at a time.
I always feel more content if I keep reminding myself that “this is the day that the Lord has made.” Then I have courage to insist that “I will rejoice and be glad in it.” True, I do miss the “good ole days.” By that, I mean it was once good to listen to the news in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. But now if I’m not tuned in to the news all day, I have a nagging feeling that I am missing something important. By “important,” I mean “did someone try to blow up something or someone important?” Or maybe, “Did a calamity take place on the other side of the world but the U.S. is somehow involved or ought to be helping the wounded and homeless?” The older I get, the more responsible I feel for the situation, whatever it is. And then, on top of that, I ask, “What should I do about it?”
The truth of the matter is that as a retired public school teacher, I don’t have that many resources, especially since we retired teachers haven’t had a cost of living raise in about a dozen years now. Please don’t tell me to stop harping on this situation. I happen to know that we retired school employees do a great deal of volunteering which saves the community and the state. We have book drives, and we participate in the religious and civic activities of the community and state.
At our meetings of Navarro County Retired Teachers Association, we have programs which keep us up to date on the needs of the community and provide us with opportunities to participate more fully in the betterment of our social and educational activities. It is becoming more and more difficult to keep up these practices, since our buying power has been hit hard by the economic downtown. People who have been retired since 2001 have lost at least 30 percent of their purchasing power. Now consider the fact that this adjusted consumer price does not factor in the cost increase in food and energy. The Texas Legislature decides these matters. It has to pass any additional benefits, whether it is a permanent raise or a supplemental payment.
Thinking back I remember that I taught 32 years and retired in 1992. But I can’t remember a single day in which I went to work thinking about how much money I would make that day. In fact, I often forgot to pick up my paycheck, and the principal would put it in the vault and wait to see how long it would take me to remember to pick it up. In fact, one Christmas the principal appeared at my house and said, “I thought you might need this” and handed me my check which, as usual, I had not remembered to pick up.
The truth of the matter was that my thoughts were taken up with what I could do to enlighten my students. I had really good teachers when I went to school in Corsicana. So when I came across a problem with a student or a class, I often thought to myself, “What would Miss Julia Kiber or Miss Annabelle Kiber do?” Something would always occur to me. Let me tell you that it would often be surprising and enjoyable for both the students and the teacher. I’m glad I had dedicated teachers to inspire me.
No, I did not go in to the teaching profession to make a million dollars. But I believe that I had the right to expect a cost of living raise during my retirement, since social security retirees get one.
The public schools of Texas have always been one of our greatest assets. During my teaching career, I had students from other states come into my class, and they were usually surprised at what was expected by our curriculum, especially in the Advanced Placement and Honors classes. It does not seem right to discourage beginning teachers by holding back raises for retirees. I paid into the system 32 years because I had faith in the Public School System of Texas. Was I wrong?
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Gelene Simpson is a Daily Sun columnist. Her column appears on Tuesdays. Want to “Soundoff” on this column? Email: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com
Opinion
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Gelene Simpson is a Daily Sun columnist.
Discussion
Same song, second verse
- Opinion
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Dumb people in the news
In the news this week was an on-line press release from the Department of Environmental Protection for the state of Pennsylvania that they’ve lost a nuclear device off the back of a truck somewhere between Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The Troxler Model 3430 is a radioactive gauge that takes measurements in the ground. The press release from the DEP states that anyone finding the box should not “tamper” with it.
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Editorial: Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
This amounts to spying on an American news organization — common practice in dictatorships but scary conduct in a democratic system that prizes the public value of an independent watchdog press. -
Flying the “Delta Connector”
I had an unfortunate fall earlier this week and wrecked my back to the point where I cannot spend much time sitting up at my desk to write. Therefore, I am recycling a piece I wrote many years ago about our first trip from Corsicana back to Denver.
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It's my job
A couple of weeks ago, some chowderheads released a study saying that the worst job in America is that of newspaper reporters because of the low pay, long, odd hours and stress.
Number two on the list was lumberjack, which makes sense because trees kill.
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Message from the Mayor: Safety first
The tragic incident that recently occurred in West serves as a stark reminder that disasters can occur at any time or place.
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Angels among us
The winds have dispersed the mushroom cloud that hovered over the small town of West. The dust has settled. The President of the United States, the Governor of Texas and other dignitaries have come to join in the memorial for those who lost their lives.
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Missing the fun
Sad to say, in the 11 years The Little Woman (don’t call me that!) and I lived in Navarro County, we never attended the annual Derrick Days festivities. We followed all the events in the Daily Sun, but we never schlepped into town to “walk amongst em.” I guess, if I were to be honest with myself, I am the reason we never went.
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Need a job? Leave the cat at home
The USA Today has printed an article this past week of advice to newly minted college graduates on how to get a job which basically boiled down to “don’t be stupid.”
This is excellent advice for any situation, but particularly that crucial job interview. -
Plenty to do
I don’t wanna hear anyone griping about “there’s not anything to do around here.”
In fact, there’s SO much to do around here, I’m not sure how anyone can get to it all! -
Letters to the Editor 5/4/13
To the Editor: Education, in my opinion, is the key to solving the problems we face in today’s world. We owe it to every child in Corsicana to provide him/her with the tools to reach their fullest potential.
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