Possum Philosophy: An opportunity

By ROBERT CAHILL/Columnist

This column marks something of a milestone for me. It is difficult to believe that this Saturday, Dec.5, marks the 14th anniversary of the first column I wrote for the Smyth County News & Messenger. I remember that then-editor Tim Thornton came to me late on Tuesday and informed me he needed a column for the Wednesday edition. He told me about how long to make it and said the rest was up to me. The column ended up being held for the Saturday edition and has run on that day pretty much ever since.
Oh was I thrilled. I thought of all the things I had wanted to say about various and sundry topics and just never had a chance to do so. Boy was I ever going to have my say. But then it hit me, just what was I going to say and on what topic? Not as easy as I first thought. After a case of near panic, it came to me. A young man who had spent his early childhood growing up in Saltville had been charged with murder in a Wytheville case.
This poor kid had been a victim of circumstances. He came from a dirt-poor family. He and the brother nearest him in age grew up on the street more or less. It seemed to several of us who knew him that the two did not have a chance and the parents apparently didn’t much care. I mean even in small-town Saltville, seeing a 6- or 7-year-old boy walking the streets by himself or with a brother who was no more than two years older, especially when it was almost midnight, in the winter; the two almost froze as they seemed to have few clothes and neither had a good warm coat.
My Dad who could be pretty gruff with his own sons couldn’t stand to see a child hungry or mistreated. He and my Uncle Kay operated the local arcade after they retired and these two frequented there. We even got to the point where we would not let them play games until they ate (Dad usually fixed a small meal) and did their homework. Both began doing OK in school; the younger one turned out to be really bright.
I remember one year at Christmas Dad strong-armed all his buddies and those of my brothers and me as well to take up a collection to buy the two boys a Christmas present. For all I know it may have been the first real one they ever enjoyed.
We came up with a couple of hundred bucks and Dad loaded the two along with a few of us and went Christmas shopping. He insisted they get warm coats and a few basic clothes. He also let them pick out a toy or two. Even these two streetwise urchins loved toys and games. But the thing that made us all happy yet sad at the same was that they asked if they could take part of the money and buy their mom and dad a present. Dad actually got teary-eyed. Of course we let them even though all of us knew that had the situation been reversed the money would likely have gone for cheap liquor or some other substance to abuse.
It wasn’t long until the parents moved the family to the Wytheville area (we always figured about one step ahead of Child Protective Services, although we could not say for sure). We lost track of them. That is until the news of the murder and his arrest for it. In that first column I simply gave the background as I knew it to be and mentioned what a shame it was as the boy had the potential to grow up to be a very intelligent and nice young man if given just half a chance.
As they say, no good deed goes unpunished. I was summoned to court to testify in the murder trial as a character witness for the defense. I explained it had been a number of years since I had seen the young man but the attorneys insisted they simply wanted me to read my column into the official record. I had no real choice in the matter.
Former judge Keith Blankenship, who has since faced a number of legal difficulties of his own, was the prosecuting attorney. As I testified, he made a couple of snide remarks. In the end he stated something to the effect that the column held what he considered a fair amount of editorializing. He asked if I would not agree. Never one who enjoyed being “talked down to,” I answered that since it was an editorial column that appeared on the editorial page of the newspaper I thought he had made a fair assessment. The judge presiding over the case found that quite funny and allowed me to then return to my seat. Mr. Blankenship was not so amused.
It is hard for me to imagine that since that first column I have written well over 700 more, especially since when Tim asked for the first one I did not realize he expected one every Saturday afterward.
It’s also hard to believe that this is the 12th month of the year 2009. There are only 29 days (this is being written on the second) left in the year. Christmas will take place only 23 days from now. Just 23 days left to shop, and Terry and I have barely started. Actually she has done a little more than me but not too much, which is unusual for her as she is an early shopper who likes having everything bought, wrapped and ready by mid-December if possible. To go any later gives her the willies. But my brothers love recounting Christmas shopping expeditions when we were escorted out of stores as they were busy closing down registers and turning off lights on Christmas Eve. But we have always managed to make it some way.
This brings me to another point of this missive. Mary Beth (Spence) Sheets is one of the driving forces behind Smyth County’s Santa’s Elves program. This program takes referrals from families with children who have no means of providing Christmas gifts for their kids. Mary Beth and her cohorts try to raise funds, interest and people who will adopt these families. It seems she and lots of other Smyth County folks are much like my Dad. They can’t stand to think of a child waking on Christmas and having no gifts under their tree or in many cases no tree or gifts either.
As kids, we sometimes went through lean years. But while sometimes we didn’t get everything we diligently wrote to Santa asking him to be sure we would receive, we always got something, usually far more than we needed or for that matter deserved. And even if the rest of the year had been a little on the rough and lean side, money-wise, we always had a glorious Christmas. (Due in large part to being part of a loving family where who you were and what kind of person you were ranked far more important than how much money you had. Fortunately for us, our many friends were the same.)
“We have been doing this for 28 years now. It is hard to believe,” said Sheets. “As of yesterday we have had 1,100 referrals, and we will still be taking them through Friday (Dec.4).”
Sheets said while they have some folks who are almost always on the list, this year apparently has been particularly lean for many area families. “We keep pretty good records. We are seeing some newcomers, but we are also seeing a good number of families who had found it necessary to come to us several years ago, in the early 2000s, but who had been employed and doing OK until this year. Now they need help for their family once again. And what we are hearing mainly is ‘I lost my job’ or ‘I’ve been laid off.’”
“Something else I see that is good in a way, people aren’t asking for big ticket items,” Sheets said. “Oh, we have a few that put on their list they would like to have Guitar Hero or a Wii System for their child. But most folks just ask for something so their children won’t be without on Christmas morning.”
“I am a little concerned about the number of sponsors we have signed on so far. We normally have about 170 sponsors already signed on. So far we only have 80. But I believe they will come through,” Sheets said. “I have faith in the citizens of Smyth County. In the 28 years we’ve had some close ones, but our citizens have always come through. We have never not met the needs of these children. I am proud of our citizens for that.”
Remember, you don’t have to donate a fortune to help. Just skip lunch one day; or for smokers, skip a pack of cigarettes. Pass on buying a big dessert. Then donate the cost of these pleasures to the Santa’s Elves program. It likely won’t hurt you (maybe even do you some good), and it could make a big difference in a young child’s life here at Christmas.
One last thing, I want to thank those of you reading this column. I appreciate the wonderful comments I occasionally receive. It means a great deal to any of us who write for the public to read. Thank you.