VENDOR WRITING

TIPPING THE SCALE OF POVERTY IN A POSITIVE WAY — PERMANENTLY

BY NORMA B.

As this season of giving comes to an end, I feel it’s important to remind you of some VERY important truths that are often overlooked or simply forgotten once the holidays are over.

1.) The importance of tipping. (No, I’m NOT saying this for my benefit.) I must admit, even I didn’t understand the full importance of tipping, or even who you should tip until I was an adult — just ask my former hairdresser Karen who fixed my hair once or twice a year for several years. Then I read an article that listed those you should tip, and I went to see her at the Fountain of Youth beauty salon with a check for $50. When Karen asked, “What are you having done today, hon?” I said nothing, I just never realized you’re supposed to tip your hairdresser, and Karen being a classy lady who always did such a good job on my hair never said a thing. The real inspiration for this story is my mom who was a single mother of a special needs child, worked primarily in various service industries that relied heavily on tipping to provide for me. Let’s face it, raising ANY child is expensive these days, but if you’re ‘not normal’ there are often expenses that a typical family doesn’t have. I remember one occasion when my mom worked at Drivers Bakery in Lebanon, Tenn. (now J. Clayborn’s Bakery — which I recently learned served its last sweet treat on Dec. 24, 2021) and waited on a table of 12-15 people. I watched as she worked hard to serve up hot coffee and pastries diligently catering their every whim, all while taking care of others in the bakery too, including me. When they were finished the man at the head of the table (who was the pastor at one of the large churches in town) stood up dug deep into his pocket to get her tip. You could hear all the change jingling. He then placed a single penny in her hand! I felt SO bad for her, I wanted to cry, but my mom didn’t get mad or if she did she never showed it, she never said anything bad, instead she handled it like a pro! She politely thanked him for his tip, and then she put the penny back in his hand, and told him, “put that in the collection plate for me on Sunday.” Way to go mom! I was SO proud of her in that moment. Meanwhile, others at the table (many were his parishioners and regulars at the bakery who REALLY liked my mom) looked on embarrassed.

Many of them began reaching into their own pockets to ensure my mom got a REAL tip for ALL her hard work! Good for them! Now I know many of you are probably thinking what if I got REALLY bad service? That may be true, but did you ever stop to wonder why? Maybe they’re new to the job, or maybe they didn’t get the proper training, or maybe they’ve just had a really bad day. We’ve ALL been there, right? Why not give them the benefit of the doubt? Wouldn’t you want someone to do that for you? I’m sure the recipient of your generosity will be grateful especially since these industries has been so adversely affected by COVID-19, and even if they don’t appreciate it, you’ll have the ultimate satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing even in less than ideal circumstances.

2.) While special emphasis is placed on caring for those in need of food, clothing and shelter around the holidays, please remember that these same basic needs must be met the rest of the year as well. Keeping this in the forefront of our minds and hearts year round is the ONLY way we can make a real difference, and thus bring about lasting change not just a temporary one good only for the holiday season for those individuals who are chronically in need. Again, I know many of you may be thinking why don’t these people get a regular job? There are plenty of them out there. Please be aware that many of the individuals who sell The Contributor have significant barriers to traditional employment, some like mine are clearly visible for ALL to see. I have cerebral palsy. Others may not be seen with the naked eye, but they’re just as real. Case in point: the woman who taught me to sell the paper, Ms. Denise, had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and had frequent bouts of intense sickness making it virtually impossible to hold down a “regular job.” Though you’d never know it to look at her — especially when she flashed the 1,000 watt smile she was known for at the Starbucks on 29th and West End. Please take that possibility into account as you pass by these individuals on the street remembering as you do there’s ALWAYS more to their story than what you see with your eyes.

Thank you for your time and attention to this vital issue that affects so many not only in our area, but world-wide.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE MICHIGAN SCHOOL SHOOTING

BY PAUL A.

The parents should be made to pay for the funerals for the kids that got killed, pay the hospital bills of the kids that are in the hospital. And also they should be charged with the amount of time that the court gives the the kid that did it. I do believe that would stop a lot of the gun violence with the kids, because if the parents were held responsible, as well as the kid, then you'd see some changes. Because these kids are unsupervised. They're getting away with too much since they took away the discipline from the parents and took away the discipline from the schools. Something has to be done.

And I believe that that would be the best deterrent possible. When I was 8, 9, 10, it was knowing there was guns in the house. I knew where they were. Any kid that pulls a gun and shoots somebody over something stupid should be able to be disciplined in and out of court. The parents are letting the kids get away with too much. But there's a lot of parents that don't care what their kids do. They let them run wild. The day that they find out they're going to have have a child, that's when the parenting classes should start. So they can be better parents, instead of running round around getting high and getting drunk. If they're going to give people purchasing permits for guns, they should go through psychological testing. Think that would deter a lot too. A pistol, you're not allowed to get one until you're 21 years of age. And any parent that suspects their kid of having a gun, any normal parent would take the gun and take it in a police station and have it destroyed. They need to put a stop to this some kind of way. These judges are too easy going on these kids. If you don't know right from wrong by the time you're 8,9,10 years old, then you'll never know right from wrong.