Living The Crossroads Magazine

Living The Crossroads Magazine

A publication of the big spring herald

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1627 miles … the distance from Big Spring High School to Carnegie Hall in New York City, just ask Mike Ritchey; he’s traveled it three times. This past summer, the Big Spring Steer Honor Band, for the third time, under the direction of Rocky Harris on June 15, graced the stage of Carnegie Hall. The trip has become a tradition for the Steer Band and Mr. Ritchey, a.k.a. The Band Equipment Driver.

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“When we found out the band was going to Carnegie Hall and Mr. Harris asked me to drive the equipment again, I got to thinking, of course, that’s my job,” Ritchey said.

The trips have become a family ordeal – not just Big Spring Steer family, but Ritchey family; the first go round, Ritchey was accompanied by his parents, the second trip the Big Spring Assistant Principal Tim Tane-

hill, and this past year, his son – Matt.

“When the second trip came around, I told Mr. Harris, ‘We have started something and from here on out, I’m your guy,’” Ritchey said.

“Even ve kids

ha as we g nd n lo s “A there a t e g o t nt et who wa g to work to g d lin their an are wil t e g n e ca all.” there, w t Carnegie H a perform though Mr. Har Har-

ris has since retired, should the band ever go back, if they will have me, I will be up for the trip.”

According to Harris, this year there were 96 students, parents, and directors who made the trip.

In addition to the Carnegie Hall performance, students were able to enjoy a little bit of siteseeing. The group visited Central Park, One World Trade Tower, took a ferry ride around the Statue of Liberty and made an appearance on the Today Show.

“The first performance we were able to have came after our submission was accepted and since then it’s been a standing invitation,” Harris said.

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“As long as we have kids who want to get there and are willing to work to get there, we can get their and perform at Carnegie Hall.”

For Harris, this wasn’t just another performance at Carnegie Hall, but a pivotal culmination of his career. This was the third band he had taken to perform there. This was a special performance in that the band was able to perform a world premier piece.

“The beauty of this experience is that typically you will hear a choir with an orchestra, but for this world premier piece we were paired with a choir,” he said. “We were on stage with five other choirs, most of which were festival choirs.”

For BSISD Junior and Drum Major Jason Davidson, this was his first experience at Carnegie Hall, but a dream that he has thought of for awhile.

“Playing in that very band you knew you were sitting with people that will never be with in the same exact band again, you will never sit beside that person and play an instrument by them again; nor will you sit in that hall with the same excitement and nervouse-

ness of wanting to go out there and play on that very stage with all of them again. All I can say to those out there who wonder how can you get to Carnegie Hall well for the Steer Band all we had to do was pracice, practice, practice,” Davidson said.

While Harris may have concluded eficial to

en this are b that “Trips like he hope is T . .. ts n e s, the stud t memorie a re g m e th t them it will give em and le th e ir p s in ith their but also n do this w a c y e th et older, know en they g h w s ie il own fam

his career with BSISD Pride Drive, the expectations and desires he has for the band do not diminish.

“Trips like this are beneficial to the students in that many of them have never made a trip to New York and many may never make a trip to New York. The hope is that it will give them great memories, but also inspire them and let them know they can do this with their own families when they get older,” Harris said.

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As BSISD students head back, the Big Spring Pride home, I no longer called this program a band. I called it Drive will be under the direction of John Landin. a family. The whole trip felt designed to bring us together The Big Spring Band students who have made the and teach us what some may not know about music and journey, along with Mr. Harris and Mr. Ritchey, will attest music history, and to show us some things we may never to the experience goes beyond any lesson that could be see again. This has definitely influenced me to further obtained in the classroom. pursue my musi musical career that I very much t because not every day you i , y “You learn just as much if not more from the experidesire, a aw miles d ences, which is why we (school district personnel and hat get to play in Carnegie n a s ou m in t r h t o f r a staff) encourage the students to join extra Hall.” e r g ove feelal to p i n i c y e fi n f b a curricular activities. The exFor many students, o cially got m felt so en such as Davidson, this o t h s i l w a d periences extend the les“Espe I n k nt ac or a l stude e to come b t count was the first time to go n hon sons and bring the lessons o a o s h c a w abl men high s to life,” Ritchey said. on this trip - or any trip ver be ry mo e e ll as a v n a e d h l e u k o Mr. Ritchey continued, this far outside of Big a to m at I w ,” h d t g a n s h i g I d “The band has been invited Spring and before he knew l n i i at bu re, so h t e d for a reason. They have prov- I was the about it, he looked up at the pictures on the i ins en they can perform at that walls like it was a dream to be reached. To be able to ob obelite level. Every group that has gone tain that dream, Davidson and the other band members has performed at the level and honestly it’s been hard learned valuable life lessons from Mr. Harris that not only to tell them apart; they each brought their own touch.” prepared them for the trip, but ensured the lessons would Carnagie Hall was designed to change many lives and carry them through their educational career and further. create so many memories. The opportunities opened “Some may ever know exactly what its like to be in a up to the students, parents, and staff who made the trip, program such as band. I have always known it to be imgained an unimaginable opportunity. portant because it keeps many students engaged in daily “Especially being over a thousand miles away, it was activities, and refrains some from giving into the contraan honor and it felt so official to perform in that hall as a band of our daily lives,” Harris said. “It also gives you a high school student. I also got many feelings that I would feeling of comfort and drive when you are learning set by never be able to come back when I was there, so I had to set or measure by measure on that late Monday night. If make every moment count inside that building,” Davidson schools do not have music arts, it is time to change that said. today to change lives for the better of our world.”

Davidson continued, “After the long awaited return

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Autumn is my favorite time of the year. Not only does it cool down, but there are signs of change everywhere.

School is back in session, the cotton harvest is about to start and the trees will be changing colors. Not only do the seasons change, but we also change as we go through the seasons of our lives. Let me share a few changes that are being made here at The Red Barn Studio.

Creating school portraiture has been a major part of our business for many years. We have decided to discontinue creating school portraits.

This was a very difficult decision to make as we really enjoy getting to know all the kids and watching them grow up.

We have been slowly cutting back on the number of schools for which we have provided school photography services.

Our remaining school that we provided school portraits for was Forsan ISD. We informed them after school this spring that we were not going to be able to continue to photograph their students. We had such great support from the staff and the students.

We will miss everyone!

We decided to make the change so that we can focus on the other services provided by our studio.

Many people don’t realize that we do much more than school photography. Family and high school senior portraits are a big part of what we do.

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We are going to do more marketing in this area to spread the word that we love to photograph families and seniors. I really enjoy capturing these special moments in time so that they will be remembered and shared for generations to come.

Our studio also has a commercial division. We create executive portraits as well as product photography. I am an FAA licensed drone pilot and we provide aerial photography for our commercial clients. We can also use the drone for outdoor portrait sessions. Our goal is to also let more people know about these services that we provide.

My passion for photography started back in 1970 when I was in the Navy. I bought a used camera for $30 and photographed the scenic locations in the different countries that my ship visited. I still have several thousand Kodachrome slides stored away somewhere waiting for me to start scanning them into my computer.

Belle and I want to be able to travel so that we can explore and capture landscapes images.

I will print my images and Belle will create oil paintings of the photographs she creates. Our goal is to create a website so that we can share our images with others and offer them for sale.

Events Oct 4 Oct 5 Oct 5-6

Oct 12 Oct 19-20 Oct 26 Oct 31

Prairie Dog Fly In Movie Night-Disney’s Planes McMahon-Wrinkle Airport. 8pm Prairie Dog Fly in Breakfast McMahon-Wrinkle Airport. 8am Cowboys and Heels Downtown Big Spring Trade Show www.cowboysandheels.com The Train Car Tracks Concert Series 100 South Main Street A Joyful Season Shopping Expo at the Dorothy Garrett Coliseum www.ajoyfulseason.com Young Marines Drug Demand Reduction 5K Dash At the Vietnam Memorial Halloween Safe Stops at Various Businesses

www.visitbigspring.com www.facebook.com/VisitBigSpring

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432-263-8235

I know this reads like one of those infomercials and I apologize for that. My goal was to encourage you to make changes if they need to be made.

As your seasons change take a look at where you are in your life and where you want to go.

I’ll close with a couple of my favorite Bible verses.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1.

But they that wait re upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint: Isaiah 40:31.

I think that says it all!

Please let me know if you have any questions or com comments. My email is bruce@ theredbarnstudios.com and my website is www.theredbarnstudios.com .

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There are some exciting movies coming out between now and the end of 2019. That said, none of them are superhero movies (There’s one super villain movie – “Joker” – but it presents as almost more of a psychological drama than a comic book movie). Only one is a typical science fiction movie (The final Skywalker-saga “Star Wars” movie). And yet I’m excited about what’s coming.

So in this article, I’m going to provide you with a list of 30-ish movies I wouldn’t mind seeing this fall, and I’m also going to give you my top 10 most anticipated movies from now until year’s end, along with a brief breakdown of each of those 10.

First, a few honorable mentions: “The Addams Family” (Oct. 11, 2019); “Zombieland: Double Tap” (Oct. 18, 2019); “Harriet” (Nov. 1, 2019); “Ford v. Ferrari” (Nov. 15, 2019); “1917” (Dec. 25, 2019).

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BIG SPRING STATE HOSPITAL Are you ready to be professionally challenged? Are you looking to be a part of a dynamic team of engaged and committed professionals?

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Number 10 - Knives Out

Directed by Rian Johnson; Written by Rian Johnson; Distributed by Lionsgate; 2 hrs. 10 min.; Comedy/ Crime/Drama; Nov. 27, 2019.

Starring Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Frank Oz, Christopher Plummer, Don Johnson IMDb Summary: A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

This isn’t the Radiohead song of the same name. It’s got Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, an over-the-top Southernaccented detective investigating the death of the head of a family with arrangements of knives providing the primary decor of their homes. I swapped out No. 10 on this list a few times, but “Knives Out” feels like a good fit.

It has piqued my interest.

Number 9 - Cats Directed by Tom Hooper; Screenplay

by Lee Hall and Tom Hooper, based on “Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Webber and “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot; Distributed by Universal Pictures; Animation/Comedy/Drama; Dec. 20, 2019.

Starring Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Judi Dench, James Corden, Jennifer Hudson IMDb Summary: A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life.

I love me some musicals, both stage and screen varieties. And yet I’ve never seen “Cats.” I’m not even too sure what it’s about or if it’s any good (I assume it is given its popularity, but you never know). I love the signature song “Memory.”

Number 8 - The

Lighthouse

Directed by Robert Eggers; Written by Robert Eggers and Max Eggers; Distributed by A24 and Focus Features; Rated “R”; 1 hr.

50 min.; Drama/Fantasy/Horror; Oct. 18, 2019.

Starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson IMDb Summary: The story of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

The most “What the heck did I just watch in that preview?” movie on the list. Two lighthouse keepers have a “What?”-yelling contest for half the preview, I kid you not.

It’s in black and white; plus, tentacles, so there’s that.

Number 7 - Joker

Directed by Todd Phillips; Written

by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, based on characters in DC Comics; Distributed

by Warner Bros.

Pictures; Rated “R”; 2 hrs. 2 min.; Crime/Drama/ Thriller; Oct. 4, 2019.

Starring Joaquin

Phoenix IMDb Summary: An original standalone origin story of the iconic villain not seen before on the big screen, it’s a gritty character study of Arthur Fleck, a man disregarded by society, and a broader cautionary tale.

This trailer reminds me of the 1993 Michael Douglas movie “Falling Down” – a movie about a normal guy barely holding it together...slowly sliding into not holding it together anymore. It looks to be far more about the character of the Joker and how he got to be that way, than about his epic Gotham City battles with the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder. If Harley Quinn is in this movie, she’s not named as such in the credits on IMDb.

Number 6 - The Aeronauts Directed by Tom Harper; Screenplay by Jack Thorne, Story by Tom Harper and Jack Thorne; Distributed by Amazon Studios; 1 hr.

41 min.; Action/Adventure/Biography; Dec. 6, 2019.

Starring Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne IMDb Summary: Pilot Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) and scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) find themselves in an epic fight for survival while attempting to make discoveries in a hot air balloon.

I’m not quite sure what this one is all about. The trailer Living Magazine

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Tom Junod.

Perhaps Fred Rogers would have been a better star than Tom Hanks for a biopic about the star of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.” Perhaps. Hanks looks spot-on in the trailer, and it’s about time we learned the story of the man who brought fascination and wonder to kids for so many years.

seems steampunk-y, and I like steampunk, but it also seems to be based on history, but with a fictionalized female balloon pilot. Again, this one intrigues me.

Number 5 - Motherless

Brooklyn

Directed by Edward Norton; Screenplay by Edward Norton, based on the novel “Motherless Brooklyn”

by Jonathan Lethem; Distributed by Warner Bros.

Pictures; Rated “R”; 2 hrs. 24 min.; Crime/Drama; Nov. 1, 2019.

Starring Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Leslie Mann and Bobby Cannavale IMDb Summary: Set against the backdrop of 1950s New York, Motherless Brooklyn follows Lionel Essrog, a lonely private detective afflicted with Tourette’s Syndrome, as he ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna.

The IMDb summary says it all – hard-boiled crime drama, 1950s New York, detective with Tourette’s. An all-star cast. What more can you ask for?

Number 4 - A

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Number 3 - Doctor

Sleep

Directed by Mike Flanagan; Screenplay by Mike Flanagan, Based on the novel “Doctor Sleep” by Stephen King; Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures; Rated “R”; Horror; Nov. 8, 2019.

Starring Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Jacob Tremblay IMDb Summary: Years following the events of “The Shining,” a now-adult Dan Torrence meets a young

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Directed by Marielle Heller; Screenplay by Michah Fitzerman-Blue and Leah Holzer; based on the Esquire article “Can You Say...Hero?” by Tom Junod; Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing; 1 hr. 47 min.; Biography/Drama; Nov. 22, 2019.

Starring Tom Hanks IMDb Summary: Based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist

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girl with similar powers as his and tries to protect her from a cult known as The True Knot who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.

“The Shining” is both a great book and a great movie, and the tension between the two visions – King vs. Kubrick – is legendary. Now the story continues with a grown-up Danny. Looking forward to this one.

Number 2 - Jojo

Rabbit

Directed by Taika Waititi; Screenplay by Taika Waititi, Based on the novel “Caging Skies” by Christine Leunens; Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Rated “PG-13”; 1 hr. 48 min.; Comedy/Drama/War; Oct. 18, 2019.

Starring Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi IMDb Summary: A young boy in Hitler’s army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

Not 100 percent sure what’s going on here, but the trailer looks hilarious. I think it’s the WWII German Nazi Youth Corps learning how to be good little Nazis and being typical mischievous, childlike and rambunctious kids at the same time. Plus Hitler. Good times.

Number 1 - Star

Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Fall Release Schedule: October 4: Joker The Current War October 11: Gemini Man The Addams Family October 18: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Zombieland: Double Tap Jojo Rabbit The Lighthouse November 1, 2019 The Irishman Harriet Motherless Brooklyn Burden November 8, 2019 Doctor Sleep Midway Arctic Dogs November 15, 2019 Charlie’s Angels Ford v. Ferrari The Good Liar November 22, 2019 Frozen II A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Directed by J.J. Abrams; Written by J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio; Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Action/Adventure/Fantasy; December 20, 2019.

Starring Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill IMDb Summary: The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more in the final chapter of the Skywalker saga.

This is it, folks. The end of 42 years of the Skywalker story arc of the Star Wars movie franchise. I still remember my first Star Wars. I wanted to go see “The Rescuers.” My parents dragged me to this stupid thing called “Star Wars.” I was certain, for some reason, that I was about to see Hollywood stars competing in lame sporting events. My parents are occasionally right about certain things.

So there you have it, folks. Those are the movies I’m most excited to see between now and the end of the year. Enjoy!

November 27, 2019 Knives Out December 6, 2019 The Aeronauts December 13, 2019 Jumanji: The Next Level December 20, 2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Cats December 25, 2019 Little Women 1917 Spies in Disguise Living Magazine

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M

ixing various watermedia into one work of art should be embraced. Layering these wet paints does not threaten or detract from a great watercolor either. If you are open to taking a chance with watersoluble media and are eager to see what they will do when combined, then mixing it up is for you.

An exciting idea of working wet into wet leads to all sorts of surprises. On wet paper, paint can move freely and mingle with the other substances. Dampness of the paper and the amount of moisture in the paint will determine how far the paint will travel from the shape of its original brushstroke.

Some watermedia you may have on hand are watercolor, gouache, acrylic paint, acrylic gesso and ink. Think how thick paints and thin paints move. If you let media of different viscosities meld into one another, what happens? Maybe a happy accident!

Get your own materials and try the effects of combining some of these aforementioned media wet into wet. After the paint dries, see how the media interacted with one another and what types of edges and shapes you were able to achieve through each process.

Combining one or more of these media allows you to do the following: * heighten the contrast of transparent and opaque marks * work with slow-moving and fast-moving paint

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* change areas by painting over them with opaque colors * create interesting edges and textures caused by the mingling of the various media For this article I have used three media: Watercolor, white gesso, and India ink on a 16x12 sheet of Italia 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper. Front and back were wet. Two colors of paint used first were arylide yellow and quinacridone gold watercolors, brushed rapidly on in a smooth wash. Full strength ink was dropped onto above wet wash.

Undiluted white gesso was put on over an ink area. (Ink colors were yellow ochre and terra cotta by Dr. Ph. Martin, and Higgins brand black ink). Next diluted gesso of half water/half gesso mixture was mingled with ink and watercolor. Watercolors were brushed on over some wet gesso or ink areas.

Lastly diluted ink with water was brushed in followed by black intense ink, then gesso mixed with watercolor over small areas finalized the abstraction.

Experiment and try some of these or other watermedia and become comfortable with how they interact with one another and don’t be afraid to try your own concoctions for layering.

Enjoy the process; that is what it is all about!

Visit Brushworks Studio, 2106 Scurry or online at https://kaysmith.artspan.com

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I

n 2018, more than 250,000 new cases of breast HBOT addresses cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women the lack of oxygen in the United States (US), and roughly one in eight in the cells caused women will develop breast cancer over the course by radiation damof her lifetime. This means that over time, breast cancer age by increaswill play a part in nearly everyone’s life. ing the amount After being diagnosed with breast cancer, there are a number of different treatments a person may go through. These can include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Though powerful, these treatment options can be accompanied with side effects causing or exasperating wounds and other various conditions.

Chemotherapy: Chemo can cause skin reactions including photosensitivity, nail changes, transient erythema, hyperpigmentation and palmar/ plantar syndrome.

Chemo can inhibit cell division and put the patient at a greater risk of infection.

Surgery: Side-effects from surgery tend to result in wounds that are complicated and difficult to heal.

Radiation: Long term effects of radiotherapy on the skin may include microvascular damage, skin atrophy and soft tissue fibrosis.

It’s easy to read the news on the go with our newly renovated Some side effects associated with website. Simply go to www.bigspringherald.com to see the breast cancer treatments can be addressed with advanced wound care daily news updates and featured stories. With the recent and, when appropriate, hyperbaric upgrade to our website, it’s even easier to browse on your oxygen therapy (HBOT) at a Wound mobile device, too!

Care Center®.

Visit Our Newly Updated Website Today!

www.BigSpringHerald.com

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of oxygen within the tissues to aid recovery.

This October, the Center for Wound Healing at Scenic Mountain Medical Center wants to encourage you to raise awareness and get screened.

If you have a hard to heal wound, you can reach the Wound Care Center at (432) 268-5370 or visit them online at https://www.scenicmountainmedical.org/.

About The Center for Wound Healing The Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine offers a comprehensive wound management approach to healing through an interdisciplinary team approach. As an outpatient, appointment-based program, the Wound Care Center’s staff is committed to providing each patient with an advanced, individualized treatment plan for their chronic, non-healing wounds.

These wounds are defined as sores or wounds that have not significantly improved from conventional treatments.

The experienced medical staff treats patients with the following conditions: Diabetic wounds and foot ulcers, Pressure ulcers, Venous stasis ulcers, Skin tears, Traumatic injuries, Gangrene, Post-surgical incisions, Radiation wounds, Burns, Severe anemia, Treatments and services we offer include: Bio-engineered skin grafting, Compression therapy, Debridement, Diabetes education, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Infectious disease management, Nutritional management, Revascularization, Specialized dressings.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)

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Dr. Steve Ahmed

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(432) 264-1900

is an intensive daily treatment for management of certain approved problem conditions and wounds.

In HBOT, a patient relaxes in a pressurized chamber while breathing in 100 percent oxygen, accelerating the healing process by allowing the delivery of high concentrations of oxygen to the bloodstream and wound bed.

The Healogics Wound Science Initiative, an effort launched in 2017 to provide peerreviewed research, recognizes the value and relevance of big data and advanced analytics to drive continuous, collaborative learning towards a better understanding of how to efficiently utilize healthcare resources for patients with wounds.

For additional information, please visit Healogics. com.

Rolling toward a dream

In life we each are dealt a hand, and how we play that hand is strictly on us. We each have a choice to see the positive side of things in spite of the obvious obstacles placed before us - or to let the mountains stop our journey.

Coahoma Sophomore Vance Ott has not only chosen to see the positive side of life, but has been making his mark and laying a path for his future. This summer he competed for the first time in the Junior

Nationals.

"Vance has a great attitude about life. He is passionate, dedicated and hard working. If he sets his mind to it, he will not accept anything less," Marlana Ott, Vance's mother, said.

Vance and his family traveled to Eden Prairie Minnesota from July 14 to July 21, where he competed in the U17 with numerous others from around the states. According to Vance, several of those competing have multiple years of experience at this level. While Vance may have been competing in the Junior Nationals for the first time this year, athletics is not unfamiliar territory for him. He Living Magazine

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easy, but it is not," Ott said. "Now I am going to focus on preparing for UIL State and then work on qualifying for Junior Nationals once again. I am excited about next year State and Junior Nationals."

While Vance is enjoying the accomplishment, he hasn't limited his vision of what could come from this competition. The hard work he has put in not only paid off in the competitive state, but it has and will continue to benefit him on the health side. He is also keeping his eyes open for college scholarship opportunities.

"I want to be on the podium next year at UIL state 2020," Ott said. "I have been blessed to have great coaches who believe in me and pushed me, Coach Leggett, Coach Joslin and Coach Arista."

serves as football manager, takes part in track and field and takes part in stock shows.

Vance earned his way to the Junior Nationals after making his mark at the local level and placing amongst the top qualifiers.

"They took my times and distances from my UIL meets and the Texas Regional games," Ott said.

This past year, his accomplishments include: State UIL 100 meter and 400 meter placed 4th, placed 7th in shot put. At the Junior Nationals he brought home the gold medal in airguns, 4x100 and the 4x800 medly, silver in shot put and power lifting; bronze in the 100 meter, 5th in the 400 meter and 200 meter. He was part of Team Texas and overall the team ranked 3rd.

"It isn't as easy as people think. It may look

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In order to make sure his goals remain a pose from Coach Saul. The collision caused me to d ther be flipped out of my chair." n a sibility Vance keeps a strict workout g n azi Despite the hits, Vance didn't stay down schedule. His workouts as am ng the way, w e c lo ien s a r i e d long - at the competition or in life. Before happen s p r e x e n the e I lear to oth e l s i e g h long, in true Vance fashion according to his daily, v i n . i g .

W . h " I can eral t e up, v e v i e c i mother, he was back up in his chair and which g s v r e d e wer d just making light of the situation with humor. e of a d nev n c n a e a i is p g h t t n s or chi the be your self w "While the experience was amazing and someis wat e " n o e w m mple. o a s x there were several things I learned along thing he t e to kno a d ow th a goo n k e the way, the best piece of advice I can carried b s y o Alwa ber t m e give to others is to know your self worth and never over m e r give up," Vance said. "Always know that someone is from his training earlier this year, and include lots watching and just remember to be a good example."

Vance and his family want to extend a special thank of longer distances. He is currently "I wa n you to Dixie Electric, Noel Olivas and Gartman taking a couple of week off to heal abilit t to than Heating and Air. from some stitches. diffe y to do a k God f or gi rent l l t "I want to thank God for giving "While this was a great experih v i ... I w s i alwa ant t and for ng me th me the ability to do all ence, one of the biggest things y s b m o tha e and nk m aking m push elieving this and for making me I learned is that I need a bigger in m e y in different," Ott said. "I gas tank. I needed to intensify e, su parents neve g me m p y f r or want to thank my parporti who let m par my practices," Vance said. ng m le life e tak e "During the competition, I also ents for always believing . e the T easy hey hav had my first collision. While we were e in me, supporting me and way. practicing we had lanes 1 and 2; a kid from a pushing me my whole life. " different team was not paying attention and hit me They have never let me from behind while I was sitting still getting instructions take the easy way."

Living Magazine

21

“H

e’s looking for you.” Renee takes a sip of her coffee.

Matilda looks up at her, eyes wide.

“He’s in Sara’s office. Word is he’s trying to pin the Salsberg thing on you.”

With a sigh, Matilda puts her head in her hands.

“If I were you, I’d keep my head down for the rest of the week.” Renee says over the rim of her mug.

“It’s Monday.” Matilda says. “Sara won’t believe him.

Will she?”

The question hangs in the air between them. Renee stretches out a hand and pats Matilda gently on the shoulder, the way you would a child.

“Sara is…fair.”

Silence thickens the room until Rene shuffles slowly out of the cramped break room. Left alone, Matilda’s shoulders droop forward, and a frown deepens the lines on her face. Without enthusiasm, she stabs the last bite of egg onto her fork. She lifts it to her mouth, but decides against eating. Rising from the cold metal chair, Matilda catches a glimpse into the hallway. A man with thinning brown hair and a cheap tweed suit is making his way towards her. Their eyes meet and his pace quickens. A knot twists Matilda’s stomach as she tosses the remains of her breakfast into a trashcan and steps into the hallway to greet her boss.

“My office, now.” George stomps past Matilda, not even glancing back to see if she’s following.

George’s office is scarcely larger than the break room, but he he has a nameplate next to the door - which is more than what Matilda has. The decorations are spare and basic. A plain metal desk sits in the middle of the

22 Living Magazine

room, facing the door; a tattered desk chair sits behind it.

Two hard chairs, upholstered in a disgusting orange fabric, sit opposite the desk. Matilda stands in the doorway, trying to appear unconcerned.

“Sit down.” George waves towards the chairs and Matilda begrudgingly obliges.

George occupies his desk chair and steeples his fingers together. It’s his go-to power move. It makes him feel important. Or, at least that’s the assumption that Matilda has come to over the years.

“Martha, you’ve been with us for a long time.”

“Matilda.”

He pauses, confusion spread across his face.

“My name is Matilda.”

“Right. You’ve been with us for four years, correct?”

Matilda nods. George leans forward.

“That’s quite a long time. Have you enjoyed your time at the company?”

Matilda nods, unsure of her voice.

“That’s good to hear. You know, there’s an old story that my father used to tell me about a rich man and his dog.

You see, the rich man hated his dog but-” The phone begins to ring, interrupting George’s speech.

“Excuse me,” George holds up a finger before picking up the receiver. “Hello?”

He nods his head as if the person on the other line can see him.

“Yes, I understand.” A pause. “I’ll be right there.”

He drops the receiver down with a clang and walks around to the front of his desk. Leaning back against it, he crosses one ankle over the other.

“Where was I?” “The story about the rich man who hated his dog.” Matilda offers.

“Yes, my dad used to tell me that story all the time. I’ll have to cut this meeting short because I’m needed elsewhere. I’m a busy man, you know.” He winks at Matilda. “You have been a valued employee, but it has fallen to me to inform you that your services are no longer needed. Especially after that incident with Salsberg. In short, I’m afraid, you’re fired.”

“Fired?” Heat rises to Matilda’s cheeks.

“For what?”

“The company is downsizing and needs to consolidate your position.”

Matilda rises from the orange chair but then sits back down heavily. The cushion wheezes as the air is pushed out of it.

“Excuse me,” George shimmies toward the door. “You have until the end of the day to clean out your cubicle. It was great working with you, Madeline. I wish you the best.”

George sticks out his hand but Matilda just stares at it blankly. Her eyes fill with tears that she tries to fight back, refusing to cry in front of him. He exits his office, the scent of sweat and musk trails after him.

“It’s Matilda,” she whispers to the empty room.

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Living Magazine

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