As I see It
Coffeeville Principal Elected Calhoun County Superintendent
Congratulations to those who were elected to public office last Tuesday . One thing we must understand when we become a candidate for office is that someone will win and someone will lose. That is the nature of political races. I have always believed that poor losers do not make good winners.
Voters crossed over into Yalobusha County and selected Coffeeville High School Principal Mike Moore as the Superintendent of Calhoun County Schools. Mr. Moore and his family are long time residents of Calhoun County and he understands the needs of our district. I certainly look forward to his leadership. I was told by a resident of Coffeeville, “Coffeeville High School’s loss is Calhoun County’s gain.”
Last week I mentioned some of the things that I did not like about “The good old days.” Someone asked me if there were things I did like about yesterday and my answer was a definite “yes.” I firmly believe that families were much closer when I was growing up than they are today. Our family always ate together. My mother did not know what a short order cook was. She prepared three meals a day and we were at the table when meal time came. If you look at surveys taken from families today I think you will find families eating in shifts or picking up something and eating while traveling to the many places they go. There are so many demands on families that families simply do not have time or take the time to be a family. Thus the disintegration of American families.
In what I have called the “good old days” churches and the local school were the center of communities. These were places where the communities met together to worship as well as fellowship together. Again the entire family was involved. Many of you my age can remember the two week revivals held each summer. Usually everyone attended revival services in the various churches. I regret to say I simply do not believe people today would be interested at all. Again there are too many things that take us in different directions.
In those days parents did not have to worry about dirty movies on TV or at the theatre. There was a time in my early life when we did not have a TV. I can well remember our first TV set and the necessity of a very high antenna outside the house. Even then it was difficult to tell if you were watching Lawrence Welk and all of his bubbles or if it was just the snow that came with those early sets in the country. There was one show that the old folks (they were about my age now or a little younger) thought was a little off color. That show was broadcast the night Elvis Presley made his appearance on Ed Sullivan. He wiggled and twisted way too much. We did go to the movies some and the pictures were clean and fun to watch. I well remember when Clark Gable, playing the part of Rhett Butler in “Gone with the Wind,” uttered the sentence, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” If only the bad language had stopped there.
“Grandpaw tell us about the good old days.”
(Billy McCord is a retired school administrator and an elder in the United Methodist Church. He is pastor of the Shady Grove UM Church in Calhoun County. and a member of the Calhoun County School Board. Contact him at: billymc@tycom.net)
