Time For Change

As I drive to work (like hundreds of my fellow West Virginian’s crossing a state line. I ponder why. Why do we continue to leave a wonderful state to work? Could it be that our elected officials have let us down for years or is it that no body wants to come to our state? Should we like lots of fellow statesmen move away. Or should we fix the problem. Why does the states around us continue to thrive and we continue to fall? We have a great location situated close to major markets. I feel that we have been afraid of change every election we continue to vote the same people into office, but we continue to complain about them. I like many have done this for years, so why do we continue to settle for the same results? Do we say “oh we can’t vote against this person or that person or is it this fiend or that friend?” Or maybe it is “they have been in office to long, you can’t win”. I think most people are comfortable with how things are. Well things could be better. If you would truly look around yourself you would realize that we need to change. Our wonderful state continues to plunge into the hole of poverty business continues to look elsewhere. Why? Why do we have to stand for it? We don’t. We have to accept change it is that easy. Change should not be something to fear; we change our clothing daily and don’t complain it is habit. We were taught to do this a child.

Speaking of child do you look forward to the day your children start driving this long drive to go to their job? I doubt that any of us want that. How many school special moments in your children’s lives have you missed because of work. How many times have you rushed up Rt. 50 to see your son/daughter in a school function? I know that I have, and I am tired of missing these things. So what can we do about it? Nothing? I think not I know the path we need to take. Change. Change the people that we have trusted for so many years to look out for well being. Vote! Don’t just hope that the right person gets into office. It can’t happen overnight our state did not plummet overnight. But we have to start. Think of who you went to school with how many are still in the area? I doubt that you can find half your class. I know that my class has left. What are we going to do about it? We all need to take a hard look around us.

Our county (Mineral) wants to beautify the appearance well the only we can, is if we can afford to do that. The only way we can afford to do is if we are working and where can we work, not close to home because there is no jobs. We can’t work close to home because our officials have let us down and not addressed the real issues. Change

We have to have it. It is the only way we can truly fix the problems. How many of us are ready to make that change? I hope to think I am not the only one that is ready for it. So this year let’s join together and make a change, In the Primaries and in the General election in November.

John Barnett

Purchasing Manager

Leesburg, VA

I can't be the Grinch

I hadn't realized this would be the case when I took on this crazy business, but for the first time in my life I have been accused of ruining several people's Christmas dreams this year. Of course, I didn't ruin Christmas fun or family time, didn't overcook a meal, nor did I force my staff to work overtime during this season, but my company does still send bills in December, and some are even due on Christmas Day. That cuts into the gift budget and I have officially ruined Christmas for several people. In the past, my wife was a loan originator and she too ruined Christmas for many a child when her underwriters denied loans to customers. And, even if I didn't ruin Christmas, I have had my head torn off by several people who are really stressed this time of year.

It seems that money, or the lack thereof, is the number one concern of many people during a time of year that might be better spent if we took more time off of work, spent more time with family reflecting on the year that passed and planning for the next year. Of course we couldn't outspend our income by 2.2% each year if we did that. Plus, the economy would surely crash due to low sales at major retailers and life might cease to exist if we didn't over do it this year. All of a sudden we are obligated to overspend during the Holidays just to keep this country on track. I hope you and I didn't drop the ball this year.

Of course, I love gift giving (I am a little more partial to gift receiving), but I don't view the dollar value of the gift as a measurement of the strength of my relationship or feelings for the other person. I was raised to believe that my parents gave the best Christmas they could out of love and not obligation. It was a time to make sure I understood why they worked so hard during the other 364 days...to help my siblings and me build a better life than they had. Christmas morning was a slow, family focused, and ultimately fun event. Probably the longest my siblings and I sat in the same room all year long. I remember few gifts that I received, but I do remember that my older sister never ripped wrapping paper, my little sister counted her gifts vs everyone else's, I sat in a specific chair every year, my brother and I got a lot of the same clothes in different colors, mom insisted that we enter the living room at the same time to see what Santa brought, and dad gave several speeches about why we did all of these things in such a drawn out manner and how much we meant to my mom and him.

As most first time parents, my wife and I were really excited to do our first family Christmas shopping trip. Of course, the stores were not flowing with Christmas cheer nor decorations for that matter. It was not magical, but rather it was a little like walking through a warehouse in many cases. I was hoping for a trip like the one on "A Christmas Story" ending with a visit to Santa, maybe a ride down an over sized slide, but it was a little different. In the end, my wife and I had fun together and made it a wonderful date, but we were constantly surrounded by fighting, arguments about over spending, and even profanity at The Children's Place. We all have the desire to give the best gifts to our children, believe it or not, it is hard-wired into our DNA. That desire to shower our children with the best gifts in the world is seen in the reason that we celebrate this Season...God's giving His son for the salvation of mankind. But God didn't give us expensive toys, or the latest fashionable article of clothing, He gave us the best gift He could to improve our lives. I understand that lesson more now than ever before.

My daughter is getting some great gifts this year, but I am hoping that the message of why her mother and I want to shower her with the best of everything we have to offer is what stays with her, not the memory of a toy that we pulled off the shelf of a fairly dirty toy store. We have dedicated ourselves to providing a great life to our kids, we strive 365 days a year to show that as do most parents, and it is my hope that my children will never confuse how much I love them with how many gifts I am able or willing to give during Christmas. By letting that be the focus of my trip and not focusing on which item would best indicate to a toddler that I love her, I was able to simply enjoy the experience (despite the grumpy people around me).

I wish all of you the Merriest Christmas and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year.