Opinion

By Mike Ruffin

One of the interesting things about living in these days of COVID-19 is how our commitment to being apart has brought us together. We have come together in our commitment to stay apart.

Many of us—not all of us, sadly, but many of us—have done everything we can to keep a safe distance from others and to take whatever other steps, such as wearing a mask, that we can take to stop the spread of COVID-19. We have tried to listen to the medical experts and to follow their guidance. We have tried to filter out the noise put out by the politicians so we can concentrate on the information provided by the scientists and doctors.

We have banded together in our efforts to stay apart. It’s been a challenge, but we needed to do it to flatten the curve, to limit the spread of this deadly disease.

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By Walter Geiger

A review of issues of the Barnesville News-Gazette from October, 1918 revealed an epidemic of Spanish flu was plaguing the area to the extent classes at Gordon Institute were suspended. There were also multiple obituaries at the time listing flu or pneumonia arising from the flu as the cause of death.

Here is the Oct. 17, 1918 front page report of the suspension of classes at Gordon in the flowery, run-on sentence writing style of the era:

Gordon Institute suspended last Friday for two weeks on account of the influenza epidemic which has the country in its grip, the announcement of the suspension coming somewhat as a surprise to the citizens of the community. The students assembled at school that morning and the announcement was made by Dr. E.T. Holmes, president.

The suspension was largely a precautionary measure. There had, however, been a number of cases of the disease here among the students and among the people of the city. Dr. Holmes was receiving daily inquiries from the parents scattered over the state and nearly all of them expressed anxiety over the situation. After fully considering the matter Dr. Holmes and the school authorities decided that the wisest course lay in suspending and thus avoiding what might perhaps result in disaster, which move is heartily commended by the patrons of the school and the citizens generally.

Dr. Holmes hopes to resume operations within two weeks at the outside, but this will depend, of course, on the course of events. It is sincerely hoped that Gordon and Barnesville will escape the serious epidemic which has prevailed in many other places.
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By Mike Ruffin

I’m a words guy. Math isn’t my strong suit, despite the best efforts of Mrs. Pitts, Mrs. Fambro, Mrs. Heinz, Mr. Myles, Mrs. Easton, and Mrs. Byars. Lord knows they tried.

(Full disclosure: my math grades were fine. Math just didn’t become part of the fabric of my being as reading and writing did.)

But even with my limited mathematical prowess, I know that fifty is greater than forty. (Feel free to check my math, but I’m pretty confident about this.)

I bring this up because we have just exited the season of Lent, which lasts forty days, and have entered the season of Easter, which lasts fifty days. The Easter season begins on Easter Sunday and ends fifty days later on Pentecost (which means “Fiftieth”) Sunday. So after mourning our mortality and repenting of our sins for forty days, we celebrate resurrection and new life for fifty days.
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By Walter Geiger

For about 25 years, I have watched the Palm Sunday worship service at my church from the choir loft. This year I watched it via video stream on my iMac. All involved did the best they could. They gave it their best shot but it just wasn’t the same.

When you get right down to it, nothing is really the same.

There is no school; no high school, middle school or recreational sports. There was no NCAA basketball tournament, no Masters and the pro baseball season has been delayed which also puts off the annual disappointment for Braves fans at the end of it.

Kids who should be in school are at home. Many parents are likewise at home, having been laid off, furloughed or instructed to work from there. Those kids can’t be taken to the movies or out to eat. This has had one positive effect, I have seen more kids playing outside in the past few weeks than I have in a very long time. Hopefully, they will grow to like that and not be so dependent on electronics for entertainment.
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