As we now have entered the 11th year of this century many news sources offer in-depth looks at what has transpired over the last year. The major are being reviewed and assessed as to their impact on society and on the individuals who were front and centre to the featured event.
I won't go into any of the top stories since they are already splashed all over other print and electronic media sources. I will look though, at the fact there was a definite mix of feel good and heart wrenching stories placed before us.
Often it is said the news looks only at the bad things that have happened and never shows us the good since that does not gain as much attention. This year the feel good story that was probably front and centre was the rescue of the Chilean miners from what could have been their mass grave in the depths of a coal mine's bowels.
We have seen numerous examples where society and cultures have been riveted on the fates of others and have been overjoyed at a positive outcome due to the efforts of many going the extra mile to make sure lives were saved.
I know I often get caught up in big headlines that show disastrous outcomes and that things in this world are going to hell in a hand basket, but then, when I peruse the Internet news and printed news sources that are so readily available to us, I can see that it is not all bad. There are regularly a good smattering of stories that uplift my belief that even though there are bad happenings and people who would prey on their fellow man, they are still in the minority in our world.
I find the thing that puts a fog over all of the good things happening is that the greatest number of the good Samaritans in this world go about their efforts quietly and behind the scenes. They ask for no accolades and in humility keep in the shadows without heralding their accomplishments. Thankfully there are others who take the bull by the horns and create venues to proclaim those in our society who have given so much of themselves for the betterment of all.
A couple of these are the wall of fame in the Frontier Mall in North Battleford, the Baseball Hall of Fame, the volunteer awards and others who record and make known the efforts of many. The only drawback is that we know there are others who deserve the same accolades but have worked so quietly their efforts are below the radar. In so doing they do not enter onto the balance sheets of good and evil.
As an old friend of mine states, for every good deed that we see blazoned across the headlines remember that there are hundreds we will never see, but that does not mean that they are less in the machinery of society.
I have heard that there have been quite a number of disgruntled comments about the cancellation of the New Year's Eve dance in Meota. The most common comment from the information I have is that someone would have bought several tickets. This shows their feeling that the group organizing made the wrong decision.
I would like to set the record straight as to the reasons the group was forced to make the decision they did. To run an event like the one planned included significant expenses that in some way have to be recouped without the organizers making up losses in some other way. The situation that caused this cancellation was that, at a point a week before the event was to take place, the band that had been booked needed to know what was happening so that if it was not going ahead they could make alternate plans. Where I am heading with this is that, when the decision to go or not had to be made, there were only four tickets sold. This left the organizing group with no choice other than to cancel.
They had no indication that there would be enough tickets sold to pay the costs of the evening thus there could be no other decision made.
I have run into this many other times where people figure they can turn up at the last minute and the event will be happening. This does not take into account the requirements of the organizers who need to know how many folks they are going to feed and provide with liquid sustenance. In fact, I have seen an event where people who came at the last minute got fed and some who had bought tickets a month before went without food. This was not fair to those who had planned ahead or to the organizers. Caterers need to know how many they need to prepare for; just as do those setting up tables and buying other supplies need something to go on.
Yes, when organizing, a person always plans on a few last minute stragglers showing up but, when nobody commits ahead of time there is no possible way to run an event thus, this year in Meota, there wasn't any New Year's Eve celebration.
This leads to a question. Do those who had done everything they could have for this year try again next year or do they just give up and not try again? I wonder if those who came and expressed their objections to this one being cancelled will come forward to help something happen next year.
In January, Meota ADRA will again be presenting a movie night. There will be popcorn and refreshments supplied and the only cost will be a silver collection that evening. These have been well accepted in the past, so come on out Jan. 28 and join us at the Do Drop In for a couple of hours of entertainment.
Dec. 22, Ventures in Paradise Limousine service of Meota gathered up as many of the local youth as possible and gave them a tour of the town to judge the Christmas lighting displays. This is the second year Lloyd has done this in conjunction with the Meota Lakeshore Lions Christmas Light contest. From what I am told, the kids had a great time looking at all the displays and coming to a decision as to who had the best display this year. Thanks Lloyd for taking your time and donating it to a doubly worthwhile project. First place this year went to Pearl Hawkins and Airy Breeschooten, second place went to Leo and Joyce Brassard with third place being a tie between Florence and Maurice Bru with Lawrie and Shirley Ward.
Quote: "I never worry about being driven to drink: it is just better to worry about being driven home." W.C. Fields.
