February 29, 2020 Issue, Page 4 of 14

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Saturday, February 29, 2020 The love of your life Opinion Page “ElkCituNews Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 Glynda Lomax is a Chris- mitment to someone because happen to you. I once knew tian author and podcaster they are beautiful or hand- a lovely young woman of who resides in the Ozark some and then they lose their about 22 who was totally in Mountains of Northern Ar- kansas with her two very beauty, will you still be com- love. One day she and her bossy dogs. She wrote her mitted? man went for a motorcycle (first About Life column in Tf you make a commitment ride and they were broad- 2003 for a newspaper in because someone has a high sided by someone who ran a Dallas. She is planning her paying job and a fancy car or stop sign. She wasn’t wear- next book. anice house in the right part ing a helmet. After the acci- of town and they lose that, dent, she was still lovely, but “I'd rather have bad will your commitment still her mentality had gone from times with you, than good stand? her normal 22 to having the Glynda Lomax times with someone else. I'd ‘We must base our commit- mind of a 12-year-old and falling into poverty. Physical rather be beside you in a ments on more solid, lasting the condition was irrevers- chemistry won’t help when ible. She still has the mind they (or you) are diagnosed storm, than safe and warm characteristics than beauty by myself. I'd rather have of a 12-year-old today. with a terrible debilitating or handsomeness, and on hard times together, than to a 5 less fickle characteristics Everything can change in illness. have it easy apart. I'd rather If your feelings lessen Coronavirus. Photo by WebMd.com than their current income one hour, in one day, and have the one who holds my level, where they live or your life together will never with a change in their looks, heart.” —Unknown be the same again. with illness or poverty, what Are the Olympics what they drive. Life has a way of happening when you How can we know if you feel isn’t real love at all. In the journey of life, there What you feel is infatuation. least expect it and in one day, someone is the love of our is no greater treasure than to everything can change and The love of your life is on or off for 2020? lives? If we love them just love and be truly loved in re- that one person you can’t turn. fortunes can change with as much in the bad times as When we are young and them. One day they’re on we did in the good. When live without regardless of By Don Munsch, Editor searching for love, we gen- the way up, and the next day there’s not enough money, their circumstances. When So I heard a story Tuesday that the Olympics in Tokyo erally look for all the super- they come tumbling down. and the lights get cut off but you are with them, it’s not When you are in love and we still love them. If we love fireworks, but a quiet con- could be canceled with no chance of postponement or a ficial things — the handsome or beautiful face, the mus- have stars in your eyes, you them just as much when they tentment that fills your soul shift to a new location because of complications in dealing don’t think sickness or pov- are diagnosed with a terrible and you feel complete. If cled body, the shiny car, the with the spread of the coronavirus. physical chemistry. What we erty could ever strike your illness as we did in happier they are taken from you in Then came Wednesday, when the Tokyo 2020 organizing should be looking for is the life — that only happens to times when they were well. this life, it feels like half commitee CEO Toshiro Muto told reporters that the Sum- beautiful soul, the body will- other people, right? Wrong. If we love them just as much your soul has been ripped ing to serve others and an at- Diseases like cancer and in the hard times as we did out. The love of your life is mer Games will go on. The Olympics are scheduled to be- traction to them that does not MS can strike even the very in the fun times. If we love that one person you are still gin July 24. change when their face and young and without warning. them just as much fat as in love with even as you An Associated Press story reported International Olym- body do. draw your last breath. And with longer life spans, slim, unattractive as hand- pic Committee senior member Dick Pound saying Tuesday The beauty of a body with having a sick spouse can some, sick as healthy, poor Real love draws you closer muscles or curves lasts a turn into decades of chal- as rich. If our love does not in the bad times. If they be- the 2020 Summer Games could be canceled if the virus little while, but a beautiful lenges, financial burdens change when their circum- come ill and you really love isn’t contained. The Olympics can’t be postponed because soul lasts forever. The physi- and lessened physical at- stances do, that is real love. them, not only do you want of the logistics in rescheduling an event a few months later cal chemistry might last a traction. Instead of roman- The bottom line is, physi- to take care of them, you with so many moving parts, Pound told the AP. few years, but the beauty of tic weekends, even young cal chemistry won't get can’t bear the thought that “Our basic thoughts are that we will go ahead with the Kindness towards others, in couples can end up filling you through the hard times. anyone else would get that humility and being gracious their schedules with visits to Superficial attraction can’t privilege. Olympic and Paralympic Games as scheduled,” Muto said the oncologist’s office and Real love doesn’t change never dies. hold up under the trials of Wednesday, in an AP story. “For the time being, the situa- Thomas Nashe said, chemo treatments. real life. Having a beautiful with the circumstances. tion of the coronavirus infection is, admittedly, difficult to “Beauty is but a flower, When you’re young with or handsome face to look at True love is born of expe- predict, but we will take measures such that we'll have a Which wrinkles will de- stars in your eyes, you don’t won’t make up for the lack rience, not fairy dust. - Ja- safe Olympic and Paralympic Games.” vour.” If you make a com- believe accidents could ever of comfort when you are nette Oke It’s difficult situation to navigate at this point. On the one DEQ regulations, other hand, you'd hate for people who have trained for years to miss their shot to win a medal at the Olympics. You’d espe- cially hate it for the athletes whose window for competition could close after 2020 either because of personal interest — they want to move on from competing — or because of skill decline or depletion. On the other hand, government and public health officials bills pass committee have to look out for the public first and foremost in these By Rep. Todd Russ for septic systems and will Bill 3823 by House Speaker quickly catch up to read on matters. The public’s health ultimately supersedes the de- Right now at the Legisla- grant the agency the exclu- Charles McCall. This would grade level with their peers. ture, we are still busy hear- sive jurisdiction for regulat- allow doctors who agree to Also, this past week, we sires of those who participate in or have some stake in the ing numerous bills in com- ing solid pipe fittings used practice in rural communi- held FFA Day at the Capi- Summer Games. If there is no way the Olympics can be mittee meetings before theyin the conveyance of waste- ties with 25,000 people or tol. I met with officers from postponed until 2021 or 2022 or moved to another country come for votes on the House water from the stub-out of a less and that are at least 25 groups from Sayre, Elk City, unaffected by the coronavirus on short notice, it’s just going floor. house or business to a septic miles from the nearest mu- Cordell and Burns Flat-Dill This past week, I was able system. nicipality to claim a $25,000 City and got to recognize to have to be a tough pill to swallow for all concerned. to pass my House Bill 3461 Of course, our prior- annual tax credit. Rural resi- these groups from the House You have to wonder whether contingencies are factored out of the House Energy ity is that this work be done floor. FFA is such a phe- dents value their way off in when Olympic Games are awarded years in advance. Committee with a vote of without jeopardy to public life, but they also need ac- nomenal organization that Weather, political unrest or war and pandemics can all de- 19-0. health. The rules also are cess to good medical care. does so much to prepare our rail the Summer or Winter Games. But isn’t there a fallback This bill was a request to take into account all rel- This bill will help us recruit young people not only for from the Oklahoma De- evant studies performed in good doctors to our rural ar- future careers and leader- plan in place if a host country can’t fulfill its duties as a partment of Environmental 2018 and 2019 by accredited eas and give them an added ship roles in agriculture but host site? Quality, and will allow them academic institutions within incentive to stay. in life in general. It is always Granted, no one can predict a pandemic or war years in to develop rules to manage the state as well as a review A bill to add dyslexia an honor to meet these out- advance, but shouldn’t there be a plan to execute — and an some of the septic systems of corresponding statutes or screening for any public standing future leaders. alternate site picked — in case of an issue that would cause in rural Oklahoma. I have rules from adjacent states Thank you for giving me school student in Kinder- worked with DEQ for the and any available instruction garten through third grade the opportunity to represent the Games to be halted? Sure, the Games might be post- past eight years on this mat- data. This measure would who is not reading on grade you at the Capitol. God bless poned by a year or two, but athletes still would get their ter. require the department to level starting in the 2022-23 you and God bless Oklaho- shot for glory. Under this legislation, the adopt emergency rules to school year passed in the ma! IfI can every help you In any event, I will feel bad for the Olympians if they department will be able to implement the provisions of Common Education Com- in any way, please contact promulgate rules for reduc- this section no later than Oc- mittee this week. Research me at Todd.Russ@okhouse. miss their shot to compete. But right now, the concern of ing the minimum trench tober of this year. shows that children who are gov<mailto:Todd.Russ@ the public should be on watching what happens with this length of new conventional Another bill that passed properly diagnosed early okhouse.gov> or (405) 557- disease. subsurface absorption fields committee recently is House and get the proper tools can 7312. Have something to share? Send your editorial to [email protected]