Opinion

Having a child allows you sometimes to relive your own experiences.

You start to remember early Christmases, the Halloween costumes and not having a care in the world other than why you can’t eat candy for dinner and why you have to go to bed so early.

Recently, I got to witness my 2-year-old son have several new experiences during our first family vacation to Florida.

It was a short three-day trip to the home of my wife’s best friend just outside of Orlando.

The first nausea-inducing hurdle was getting to the Sunshine State.

When I was a lad, the children’s warden read stories to me about the country mouse and the city mouse and lots of other little mice that were good little mice. Saturday morning cartoons showed how big bad cats harassed the good little mice.

Nine young men filed quietly into the Williamstown City Council meeting on Nov. 2.

They took their seats and focused intently on the people seated behind the raised, wooden platform.

Several of the boys’ parents also came to the meeting and sat a few rows behind their children.

The group, Cub Scout Pack 318, lead by Roy Osborne, were working on their Citizenship Patch. To earn it, they came and spent some time learning how their government works.

The meeting opened, as it always does with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the business at hand.

Mary Michael Kells, Sue O’Conner and Charlene Rogers were the driving force behind the most prestigious fundraising event to ever take place in Grant County.

The three “First Ladies of Fine Dining” spearheaded the Feed The People Charity Dinner held last Friday in the beautiful, brick dinning room at the former Forum Restaurant in downtown Williamstown.

My husband Bud can’t distinguish black from navy.

Every Sunday morning before church, he asks me whether his suit jacket matches his pants. Since my eyes are nearly as bad as his, I have him take the ensemble to the sun porch where the light is better.

I’ll spend several minutes trying to figure out whether the navy is actually dark blue or faded black. And if both the pants and the jacket are navy, are they the same navy?

Finally, Sunday, I gave up and shared one of my grandmother Vada’s tidbits of wisdom with him.

Did you know that Grant County’s Chapter of the American Red Cross needs volunteers?

Did you know that Horse Heritage Days had nearly as many teams as the Kentucky State Fair?

Did you know who died in our community last week or who was arrested for breaking the law this week?

Did you know which students were named star students and who got married or celebrated an anniversary or the birth of a new baby?

The date has been set for the last “Feed the People” charity dinner. I’ll refresh your memory as to what has happened so far.

The Free Kitchen, located in downtown Dry Ridge and easily recognizable by the FREE LUNCH sign on the sidewalk, feeds our community’s hungry every weekday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

It is a simple process. Anyone needing a meal goes inside and immediately begins filling their tray. There are no questions, forms or strings attached.

Last week, I was in the guidance counselor’s office at Grant County High School listening to Jodi Mulligan and Amy Caudill talk about Mulligan’s recent home renovations.

After a while, I asked, “Is this what adults talk about?”

Because I’m 24 years old, lived in my apartment for about a year and haven’t done anything to decorate.

I mean, I have bills, work 50 hours a week and have to cook and clean for myself, but I never thought about “growing up.”

Just when the weight of the world nearly embeds me into the suffocating depths of dust, something comes along and gives me strength to stand up again.

Into my office comes Kayla Eversole.

I met Kayla earlier in the summer. This young lady was with her mother, or possibly young grandmother, at the front desk. I initiated a conversation. Usually these conversations begin with me saying something like, “Hey, why aren’t you in school?”