WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Happy New Year and welcome to 2023. This year can be anything you want it to be. It’s entirely up to you to make it the best it can be.
Because of some of the volunteer work I’m involved in, I receive an over abundance of calendars every year. I have one hanging in my office and most of the rest of them I hand out to whoever might need a reminder of what day it is. If you are in the same boat, I suggest you take a few of them to the Commission on Aging office at 1200 West Broadway in Three Rivers. If you live close to Sturgis, you might check with the Oaks Enrichment Center, 306 North Franks Avenue. Finally, if you know of an assisted living center, some of the residents there might welcome a calendar.
We recently had the opportunity to do business with Three Rivers Health as an outpatient. This health care facility is better known now as Beacon Health. You don’t have to go far to hear negative things about any facility that offers service to the public. We have visited the local hospital several times over the past several years, both as an outpatient and inpatient, and I am proud to say that we have nothing but kudos to the staff we have dealt with each time we visited. Everyone has been courteous and patient with us.
Along the same line, we recently needed help after a fall. We called 911 seeking assistance. The response time of the ambulance crew from Station Number Two in Three Rivers was less than ten minutes. The two responders were polite and very helpful. The Three Rivers Fire Department has a reputation of having a very fast response time. I’d like to personally than Chief Paul Schoon and his crew of professionals for being there for us all.
You watch on the news or hear things about poor service given out all the time. If you have experienced a disservice, ask yourself what kind of a patient or customer was I? Were you over-demanding, or possess less than normal understanding? I have found that over-demanding people have never spent any time whatsoever in customer service. Waitresses are probably some of the best customers when it comes to dining out. We all need to be more patient with those serving us. Just my opinion.
Children can come up with weird questions all the time. In case a child asks you, “Why did you say God Bless You after I sneezed, here is one answer: In ancient times, it was believed that the soul left your body when you sneezed and that evil spirits could then enter. Blessing you with the name of God was supposed to prevent this. In the Dark Ages, it was believed that your heart stopped momentarily when you sneezed. You were, in effect, dead for an instant and had to be blessed. I prefer to think that it is just common courtesy to bless someone.
Another thing that comes to mind about sneezing, is it’s almost impossible to leave your eyes open when you sneeze. This is because your body reacts automatically when you sneeze and your eyes close automatically. If you were to force your eyelids open and sneeze, your eyeballs would fly out. I know this is true, because my older brother told me so.
See you Out and About!
Submitted by Norm Stutesman
