2004 highs and lows years ago
Since the year is for all intents and purposes over, I think it's probably safe to recount the moments that will most stick out in my memory whenever I think of 2004.
There were many positive things, of course — family, coffee in the morning with my closest friends, and the privilege of being a member of the Sassy Silk Hatters.
I even attended my second high school reunion in 35 years and had a wonderful time.
In fact, if I truly count my blessings, I have a lot of things for which to be thankful.
On the other hand, there are those things that fall into the category of "things I'll laugh about later," which really means, "I don't happen to find that very funny right now."
If you own a very old house and/or large appliances, and let's say you quit your job, a signal is triggered somewhere out in the great beyond.
It takes anywhere from six months to a year for that signal to reach a switch that, when thrown, announces you have become a nonproductive member of society and must be punished.
I shall always remember 2004 because that was the year my entire sewer crashed. My AC went out and my washing machine went tub up.
I was forced to purchase four new tires and hail damaged my roof. My house needs painting and my gutters need replacing.
I had the AC fixed and paid off the tires on time. The new washer went on my overused credit card. Insurance paid on the roof.
Every time I make a payment on the loan I had to take out to pay for my completely new sewer, I console myself by remembering the bucket of kitty litter I was reduced to peeing in for eight very long days. Now I understand my natural aversion to camping.
If you should ever be so careless as to lose your Social Security card, don't wait until you absolutely need it to start replacing it.
I can understand the identity theft problem. I also can understand the care Social Security must take to ensure I am who I say I am. But if you haven't seen the form required to acquire or replace a card, let me tell you, it requires a fair knowledge of your ancestry.
As I read it I couldn't help but envision three heavily cloaked, shadowy individuals in a secret room hunched over The Awesome Book of All Knowledge About Everyone And All Things, busily fact-checking my form.
That isn't the worst part. I waited three weeks before checking on the progress of my application only to be told, "a lot of deserving people are waiting for their cards," implying I wasn't in that category. I incurred two additional weeks processing time.
My last memorable moment of 2004 gets a bit sticky. It involves the discussion that took place in Wichita about changing the Winterfest Christmas tree into a "community" tree because the word "Christmas" might be offensive to non Christians.
The first thing that came to my mind was boo-hoo, I have to admit. Then I remembered that 2004 will live in my memory as a year when the things that make us all part of a community, like our traditions, and our respect for our differences came under assault almost daily.
Funny thing is, I don't believe it really is the religious faithful who are intolerant of one another. That just leaves the "spoilers" who have nothing better to do than step all over other people's joy in life.
With all the talk about what our forefathers intended or were thinking way back then, I just wonder how proud they would be to find that some Americans would have America's melting pot diluted to the extent of becoming generic.
Here's wishing everyone of every religious persuasion, atheist, agnostic, Republicans, Democrats and anything in between a happy and productive 2005.
— Dinah L. Richmond
