By Mack Thompson, Editor

I first want to thank my Pastor, Brother Larry for inspiring me with his sermon to write this column. By now most of you have taken down the last of your Christmas decorations and given up on those New Years resolutions. If you are a faithful reader of this paper, you have read about all of the good deeds done by so many for others in the last few editions. From Shop with a Cop to Angel Trees to civic organizations making Christmas special for so many. The senior citizens at our local nursing homes were also visited. The mood among the folks in the community always seems to improve. Even with the stress of the holidays, people smile a little more and are more patient with their fellow citizens. My pastor told the story of a family being visited by a friend after Christmas that noticed a single Christmas ornament hanging from the mantel in their living room. When he asked if they forgot one, they told him no they always leave one out all year to remind them that the Christmas spirit lives 365 days a year. What a wonderful thought. What if we all did that? It’s great that we do for others during the holidays, but we forget that that need is year round. Let us all agree to help others all year in any way we can. Smiles are free… spend them the same way. Imagine in a world that is locked by strife and divisiveness if we could make a little difference. I heard a man tell his friends that he was gonna change the world. His friends scoffed at him for his ambition and asked how he was gonna change the world. He told them he was gonna change himself first and then his family. After that his neighbors, then his city and county. When he was finished with that he would move onto his state and country and then the world. Lofty ideals but is it truly impossible? I don’t think so, We can all be a messenger for change in a good way we just have to take that first step. So I challenge all of you, me included, after reading this column to do a good deed for someone or make someone’s day a little better. You’ll feel better and maybe, they will pay it forward starting the change we talked about. As for me, I’m going into the basement and find an ornament to hang in my man cave so I remember what I should do.