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Willie,
They say laughing makes you live longer and your replies and opinions have given me countless more days to live. Thanks!
Willie says:
Thanks back at ya. May you “laugh” long and prosper!
Willie,
Your paper reports Ken Sloan of the Convention and Visitors Bureau as saying that Oconee County lacks a hotel and conference center where people can eat and sleep under one roof. My question: What is wrong with the Madren Center in Clemson? It would seem to fully meet Mr. Sloan’s requirements.
Willie says:
Madren Center is excellent. Any revenue there belongs to Clemson University. Clemson University is in Pickens County. Sound like that helps Oconee County in any way to you? Nope.
Willie,
Many, many thanks for some really thankless heroes. About six weeks ago, I went through a very depressing point in my life because of cancer and COPD that my partner in life has been going through. So, like any coward, I chose to take the easy way out and shoot myself. Thanks to 911, the police and air-rescue team were on-scene within minutes. Thanks to their quick response and teamwork, I was air lifted to Greenville Hospital and undergoing surgery before my family and friends arrived. I’m home now and doing pretty good now, but without these guys and their expertise I probably would not be writing this now. I don’t think enough credit has been given to these fine folks who work in all conditions and weather to help save a fellow human being. I got a phone call a few days ago from one of my saviors just wanting to know how I was doing and how I felt now. What an uplifting call. This man did this because he cared. Not many people would have thought twice about it. Over and done with and on to the next one. God bless all you guys and girls who give so much of yourselves so that others can have a second chance. Without them I would not be here to thank them. God bless you all again and keep up the great work you do each and every day and night. I’m now going to mental health to help with the depression and have a new view on life and hope and pray others in my position will think twice before trying to take the easy way out. There is a better way. Thank you all again and God bless you all.
Willie says:
Willie really appreciates you writing and sharing your story. It gives me chills to think that without the rescue men and women you would not have a second chance at life. Maybe reading your experience will help someone else going through hard times and depression. God bless you.
Willie,
You did put part of my comment in the paper, but left out the most important part. I called in about the speeders. What was left out was that the traffic on the Autobahn is not speed regulated and they have fewer fatalities per mile. This is part of the proof that our speed limits were designed to make money. If they were concerned with safety and safety only, the first thing they would do is get people out of the left-hand lane.
Willie says:
Fine. You go drive on the Autobahn. Willie will stay here and drive 55-70 mph, sometimes in the left lane.
Willie,
I’d like to commend and thank Blue Ridge Electric Coop for their fine gardening and landscaping. It looks so good. I was thinking how nice the county would be if everyone treated the land as neat, clean and landscaped as they do.
Willie says:
They’ll appreciate your compliment on all their effort and hard work.
Willie,
About the article about the church that wouldn’t help, God is love. I don’t go to church because churchgoers just put down people. I’d rather have church at my home. Like it says in the Bible, God can hear you any time and anywhere. Churches these days are getting too high class. God bless, America.
Willie says:
It also says in the Bible that Jesus said, “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church.” There are good people and bad people everywhere, including churches. Willie thinks that’s no reason not to go to one.
And …
Willie,
What has happened to honest people? What has happened to God’s word? There’s people whom I know who are/were Christians and now lie like the devil. What has also happened to respect? People put down the ones who don’t go to church. They need to sweep under their own doors first. I have friends who don’t go to church who have helped me more in my hardship than ones who do and claim to be Christians. Wake up, people, before the devil really takes over. And to the person who done damage to someone’s personal property, I hope you really put God in your heart and get forgiveness. You should know he don’t like that kind of mess!
Willie says:
Everyone makes their own decisions, and everyone pays the consequences sooner or later.
Willie,
In regards to the president meeting with Gates and Crowley, there are still some people in America that think it’s wrong to drink alcohol, and secondly, most people believe it’s wrong to drink on the job, as President Obama (did). It is a bad example for young people in our country to see him use beer in a peace process to settle and resolve a very important and serious incident that occurred in our country.
Willie says:
People who think drinking any alcohol is wrong should not want to deny others their free will. Obama is on the job 24/7. Beer is not evil. It’s what people choose to do with it that’s wrong — like getting drunk and binge drinking — none of which happened at the White House gathering.
Willie,
I had a yard sale a month or two ago and had some clothes and shoes left over. I didn’t want to store these two trash bags full of clothes so I took them to the local Salvation Army in Walhalla next to Ingles. My husband and I went around to the back like you are supposed to and started to get the bags out. My husband asked someone that worked there where we needed to put them. She asked what it was, so he told her it was mostly clothes and a few pair of shoes. Then she continued to ask questions: women’s or men’s? summer or winter? etc. After we told her it was a mixture of different things, she told us they wouldn’t take it because it wasn’t separated out, and they were only accepting winter clothes. (This was in June! Why wouldn’t they want summer clothes?) We were a little stunned, but all we did was say OK and got back in the car and left. This has been bugging me ever since. How could a place that relies on donations to run their business and help low-income families not accept my donation of clothes? I just don’t understand the logic in this ... do you? Thanks so much for trying to help.
Willie says:
I will tell you what Willie thinks and maybe others will have more insight. A charity may only have limited storage space to store donations and only limited floor space to put them out for shoppers. They may have an overabundance of summer clothes that would be going out of season soon and needed to start stocking more winter clothing as cold weather approaches and folks needs change to warmer clothing. I hope you found another charity that was able to use your donation at this time.
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August 6, 2009
12:35 a.m.Report inappropriate content
I know many people who abuse the church charity programs. I have seen first hand of how they take advantage of clothing, food and money. These folks are on disability, medicaid and who knows what else, and they still get to sift through everything that their church has. Just because it is christian based doesn't mean there can't be caution. There is always someone who needs it more than these leeches.
August 6, 2009
6:53 a.m.Report inappropriate content
Willie, I think you missed the point. The act of using beer as a mediator is a bad message to youth and people that struggle with beer. (Like Me, any excuss is good for me to drink. I just can not stop. And many, like me, find this a hard message when we are trying to get beer off the streets and out of our schools.) 23 and need someone to have guts and stand up
August 6, 2009
8:53 a.m.Report inappropriate content
I agree dsw7333, young teens and adults need role models. Some people probably think if someone like the president can sit and have a drink then it is also ok for them to.
August 6, 2009
2:08 p.m.Report inappropriate content
Oh good grief, get off the beer thing already. Enough is enough people we get the message but there's nothing you can do about it. I am not a drinker but you all are going to drive me to drink by dwelling on this situation. There are more important problems in this country: child hunger, homelessness, uninsured children, proverty, drugs, murders, cancer, Parkingson's Disease, Diabetes Disease, Alzheimers, illegals, and the list goes on and on. Let's stop focusing on what other people do and focus on what you can do for others. Get a life, get out and help someone in need, read to the sick, take a meal to an elderly person, volunteer at the Humane Society or FoxNest's Animal Shelter, call a widow/widower and brighten their day. Make this country a better place, support and love each other. If you teach your children right from wrong and let them see you reaching out to help others, they will realize what is most important in life. Raise your children right, teach them morales and they will be good adults. It is not President Obama's or anyone else's responsibility to raise your children - you had them, you raise them.
August 6, 2009
5:03 p.m.Report inappropriate content
To the person who wants to turn our highways into the autobahn and wants to get people out of that left lane,
I too like to drive fast and frequently drive in the left lane. Since I pay taxes on both lanes I feel no guilt.
August 6, 2009
11:25 p.m.Report inappropriate content
Yea sounds good raise your kids right and teach them right from wrong, then you get a stupid neighbor that supposed to be a parent that shoves beer down your teen over and over before you find out. Tell me who is the grown up. The teen or the neighboring grown forty something year old. And for witchy- sounds like you have had plenty of time to think about what you could be doing. you need to use your time to do some volunteering.And yes mind you I did hve my kids and tried to raise them only to be underminded by a drunk parent.parents are supposed to be able to trust one another. There are cruel people in this world, I hope nothing similar ever happens to you, you might be busy volunteering somewhere....and for somethingstinks, who's the grown up in this story? which one should've had self control? the teen or the neighboring father???????
August 7, 2009
9:36 a.m.Report inappropriate content
Thank you, somethingstinks. And Yes, babysgone, I am out with my 18 yr old daughter volunteering time to a community of less fortunate. I volunteer my time after working a full time job, cooking meals from my family and an elder neighbor and even after making sure my house is clean. Wow, it's amazing what you can do when you know how to manage your time correctly. My daughter has had people offer her beer and pot and because my husband and I had taught her right from wrong - she rejected it. If a child is offered beer or drugs he/she should know better than to take it or to alert their parents. I agree the neighbor had no business doing that, but at the same time the child should have known better than to take it.
August 7, 2009
1:37 p.m.Report inappropriate content
Ever heard of peer pressure?? Every person is different, depends on the pressure the kids are put under at the time. I did my job as a parent. I know my child should've said no. The guilty party in this situation is THE GROWN PARENT!! I can't monitor my child 24/7. I put trust in another parent, but I have learnt a valuable lesson. Now I have to deal with the after math. I also have a family to look after, and I also do some volunteering. I cook and clean too.
August 11, 2009
8:06 a.m.Report inappropriate content
I think perhaps in focusing on the beer thing, we have missed the point. Our president, who has the responsibility of managing the largest, most powerful and strongest country in the world, can't manage his own tongue. He made a big-time mess out of a small-time arrest and now he is trying to clean it up.
Yes, there are TONS of things more important than the beer. (And I agree with those who feel it was inappropriate.) Our president should be focusing on those things instead of mucking out his messes.