The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 140, No. 91, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 13, 1994 Page: 4 of 36
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Page 4
THE BASTROP ADVERTISER
Thursday, January 13,1994
Issues & Opinions
Close to Eternity
bp dr. k/.f. "buzz" o'contiffl
The truth can heal
I have an undying admiration
for those rare ones who are
willing to tell other the truth
(called "feedback," in scientific
lingo) oat of love for the other.
They do so in such a way that
their friend can understand.
The giver frames his words in
a manner that the friend will
listen to. Of course the whole
process is done without judging
the personhood of anyone. In
feedback (or in just uncommon
common sense), the action can
be damned but never the person.
Even more rare, and even
more healthful, is when the
giver of feedback then asks for
the same about his or her be-
havior. The secret of the failure
of our institutions (now called
"dysfunctional" in scientific
logo) is that feedback about be-
haviors is given in a discour-
aged and discouraging fashion
in which persons are judged,
now and forever, and the de-
structive behavior gets worse
something like our tragicomic
War on Drugs or our violence
against violence...
What we have in politics is
now utter discouragement in
which we try to subvert and de-
stroy any efforts at sanity. We
have getters combining with
aginners. The good of commu-
nity is never a <
Hi&t's why I'm saddened by
the death of Tip O'Neill. He
was the last with 20/20 political
vision. He could keep the needs
of small community and great
nation combined in single vi-
sion. You don't learn that in law
school.
The contrast between Hp and
Ronnie is striking. Both had
humble beginnings, but Tip
never forgot his. I recall that
Robert Bly called Ronnie an
"enbalmed boy," meaning that
the boyish grin hid his inability
to take the consequences of his
behavior. Tip said Ronnie
would make a great king but
was a lousy president. He also
said that all Reagan knew was
on his three-by-five cards.
And yet they did not try to
destroy each other, mentally and
physically. Every Tip needs his
Ronnie, and vice versa, in the
dance of opposites. Without the
presence of opposites, united in
the giving and receiving of
feedback, the world would de-
stroy itself with mindless vio-
lence, like it's doing today...
We don't give healthy feed-
back because of our everyday
idolartries. We are afraid of
"hurting feelings," which means
we are leaning too much on the
opinions and actions of others.
We are really fearful that they
will hurt our feelings by telling
us that we are worthless, weird,
silly and not worth any atten-
tion. lip got into that situation
with LBJ, like most of our offi-
cials.
He opposed the Viet Nam
excursion as far too costly for us
to be involved in a civil war.
LBJ outwitted him by allowing
him to disagree while insisting
on public silence. Hp, I'm told,
never forgot that disloyalty to
his own value system. And if a
person cannot trust his own
goals in life, what can he or she
trust?
After all, it was Tip who said
LB J* greatest blunder was be-
lieving that anyone with four
stars on his shoulders was
telling him the truth. Only the
unwise will be totally dependent
on the unwise.
Psychiatry started to lose
touch with wisdom, the hidden
connection between all things,
about 40 years ago. There was
tremendous power and money
and professional advantage in
deciding all of life is nothing
but the random movement of
molecules. But such a choice is
destroying our health care sys-
tem and making aging such a
hassle.
One of our wisest psychiatrist
has spent his career researching
and treating the inner lives of
people and how we drive each
other crazy or sane. In this way
he was able to study the influ-
ence of community upon health.
"He coined the phrase
"articulated subjectivity" from
his experiences in Viet Nam. He
objected to the way in which
any opposition to authority was
seen as sickness, and agreement
with power was amply re-
warded.
Articulated subjectivity
means keeping your value sys-
tem out front, on your sleeve, so
you won't lose your sprft and
soul while winning a few child-
ish ego games. YouH never re-
form your political system until
we-all can give feedback to pro-
fessionals and politicians, like
Jesus did (and apparently wants
us to do). God bless ol' Tip for
really trying, even though he
was always capable of a few
foul tips dealing with power
critters like LBJ.
I never would have been so
concerned with Hp O'Neill had
it not been for my famous suit.
Whenever I walked about in the
V.A. Medical Center wearing it,
some visitors would back away
and whisper, in all seriousness,
"There goes Tip O'Neill." It got
to be a standard joke with the
staff, calling me ol' Tip, so I
found yet another reason for not
wearing the suit.
I did wear it for my official
retirement photo. I sent one to
one of my .old friends of my
pick-and-shovel days who was
living on Cape Cod. Little did I
know at the time that he was the
barkeep at Tip O'Neill's country
club.
When he saw the picture, Tip
was delighted to know that even
Texas had "rumpled Irishmen."
I never did tell him that this
Texan was born less than 10
miles down the road from him,
just like a trip to Bastrop these
Just remember that feedback
is not always "negative." Be
sure to tell someone how they
have encouraged you to have
the courage to be imperfect in
everything you do.
Dont lose your spirit and
soul to sullen silence.
Dr. O'Cormel, 68, ot Bastrop is for-
mer Clinical Associate Professor of Psy-
chology in Psychtahy. Baylor College of
Medane. His current professional inter-
est is in the interrelations of psychologi-
cal and physical health for the ekferty.
Questions about aging and health can
be addwsssri to Mm by writing to 106
Kalay Road Bastrop. TX 78602.
WAT-CHIN
CO UN TV
dBEMki
Donating blood is a gift of life
A Sheriffs
department
responds
Dear Editor:
On December 30 we drove
by my mom and dad's vacant
house in Cedar Creek and saw a
strange vehicle parked behind
the house. We went to a nearby
phone and called 911.
We were very concerned be-
cause this house has been van-
dalized numerous times in the
past.
Within five minutes, a sher-
iffs deputy arrived. We were
very impressed with the re-
sponse time and his profession-
alism.
This could have been a very
explosive situation had we not
had such a quick response.
Thank you, Sheriff Fred
Hoskins, Deputy Chris McMa-
hon and all involved for a job
well done.
Willie Adams, Jr. &
Charles Adams
Cedar Creek
The physicians of Texas
Medical Association urge you to
start a lifelong habit of donating
blood. January, National Vol-
unteer Blood Donor Month, is a
good time to begin.
Blood donation is a gift of
life for the approximately 4
million ill and injured patients
who need blood transfusions
each year and rely on a safe
community blood supply.
The demand for blood is
greater than ever. About 14
million units of blood are do-
nated every year by about 8
million volunteer donors. While
more than half of Americans are
eligible to give blood, less than
5 percent actually do.
People in good health who
weigh at least 110 pounds can
donate blood. The donor's body
replenishes the fluid lost from
donation in 24 hours. Blood can
be donated every eight weeks.
Giving blood is completely
safe because sterile procedures
and disposable equipment are
used for every donor. Before
donating blood, donors are
asked about their medical his-
tory and activities that could in-
crease their chance of transmit-
ting infectious agents.
In addition to tests for blood
type, separate screening tests are
run for human immunodefi-
ciency virus, the virus that
causes AIDS; human T-cell
lymphotropic viruses; and Hep-
atitis B and C viruses. Blood
also is tested for evidence of
syphilis infection.
As of Sept. 1, 1993, a new
law allows 17-year-olds in
Texas to give the gift of life
without parental consent "We
needed this bill because we need
to assure we have an adequate
supply of blood products in the
future. With advancing technol-
ogy, such as bone marrow
transplants, patients are using
more blood products," says Dr.
Cathy Spadaccini, a San Anto-
nio pathologist who is chairman
of Texas Medical Association's
Committee on Transfusion
Medicine.
Patients often can donate
blood for personal use when
blood transfusions are antici-
pated, such as planned elective
surgery. The process of provid-
ing your own blood for transfu-
sion is called autologous blood
donation. Autologous donation
in which the patient donates his
or her blood prior to surgery is
the most common form of au-
tologous transfusion.
If you have questions about
blood donation or would like to
donate blood, contact your local
blood center or hospital.
Bastrop Pink Santa sends thanks
Dear Editor:
Bastrop Pink Santa would
like to take this opportunity to
say a big Hiank You to all of
the individuals, groups, organi-
zations, churches and businesses
that made donations of money,
food, toys, clothing, tooth-
brushes, stockings and time in
making this a successful year.
Because of the generosity of
so many caring people, Bastrop
Pink Santa was able to serve
136 families, give toys, food
and clothing to 455 children and
180 adults.
Thanks to the donation of so
many coats, which were cleaned
free of charge by Bastrop
Cleaners and Tomsu Cleaners,
we were able to provide over
125 people with clean, warm
coats.
A bigger thank you to the
wonderful volunteers who came
and did the hard work of sorting
things and putting the food,
toys, clothing and stockings to-
gether for the families.
While it is impossible to
name every group, person,
church or organization who
supported Bastrop Pink Santa
this year there are some who de-
serve to be named and they are:
the Wal-Mart employees who
chose to give Pink Santa a per-
centage of their Friday after
Thanksgiving sales, Sim Gideon
Power Plant, LCRA Bastrop,
United Charities employees for
their cash donation and contin-
ual support each year, The
Ladies of Charity who have
been a supporter from the be-
ginning, Drs. Rassner, McDon-
ald & Emmert for the donation
of toothbrushes & toothpaste,
The Boy Scouts and the Girl
Scouts who did three fund
drives at Wal-Mart, Super S &
HEB, The Lions Club, Rockne
Youth Group, the students of
Genesis & Gateway Schools,
The Key Club, Bastrop High
school Student Council, Chris
Walker and the Bastrop County
Sheriffs Dept., Mike Fisher and
the Bastrop Fire Dept., Ronnie
Duncan and Bastrop Police
Dept., Clyde Clardy for the
headquarters building, the em-
ployees of Aqua Water and the
sheriffs department who did the
delivery, and Lula Jones, who
we couldn't do without
Again, thank you all for
making it possible to provide
Christmas for so many families
who wouldn't have had one
other wise.
Brenda Sellers
Bastrop Pink Santa Chair-
person
Sign division
disheartening
Dear Editor:
r
It is very disheartening to me
to see the division in the Bas-
trop Community caused by the
Berdoll sign. One writer ques-
tioned the idea that it actually
ruined the view, but the fact is
that coming into Bastrop from
the west you used to see un-
touched blue hills and now the
sign is splattered right across
that vista.
I'm sure no one would argue
with the right or the need to ad-
vertise your product, but it
mystifies me how the Berdolls
could take such care to build an
attractive store like they have
and then right beside it place
such an ugly, garish sign. One
can only hope that at some time
their community spirit will
move them to replace it
Maybe they can even inspire
the members of fast food alley
to beautify our stretch of High-
way 71 as well.
Elaine Blodgett
McDade
Paatrop tAi>frertiser
TEXAS'OLDEST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Saturday and Thursday at The Bastrop Advertiser office, 908 Water Street,
P.O. Box 459, Bastrop, TX 78602. Non-sectarian, non-partisan, devoted to
the welfare of the people of Bastrop County. Subscription rates: $2550 per
year delivered la county, $27.50 per year delivered out of county, (AD are
payable In advance). Second class postage paid at Bastrop, Texas 78602.
POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to The Bastrop Advertiser, P.O.Box
459, Bastrop, TX 78602.321-2557* 321-6444
Dave Smith * Publisher
Steve Taylor-General Manager
Davis McAuley - Editor
Ellen Moore - Events
Chris Stockton - Sports
Janice Butler - Reporter
ADVERTISING
Erlene Goertz - Sharon Roper
CIRCULATION
Wesley Norton *
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
Carolyn Wright
PRODUCTION
Ginger Coplan - Wesley Norton
BASTROP ADVERTISER (USPS045420)
MEMBER TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
1994 j
t»i jiiiel
MEMBER 1994
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 140, No. 91, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 13, 1994, newspaper, January 13, 1994; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth409785/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.