VENDOR WRITING
Eviction BY VICKY B. A word that feels so dirty, so painful, so shameful. A word that breaks apart families and separates loved ones. A word that brings back memories and the all-too-real nightmare. The word is, “Eviction.” To evict, to remove. With seven of them under my belt, you could say I’m an expert at it. One thing is for sure it doesn’t go away until seven years from your last one. Even if you pay it off. No one will rent to you. It’s a word that brings fear to those who’ve been homeless before. We say, “it’s OK we’ll figure something out,” but in reality, we’re dying inside, pushing back the tears. Crunch time has arrived. Get a storage shed as cheap as possible. Pawn or sell what you can. Cash is king right now. Preserve all you can. Once housed, landlords will use this word to keep tenants in line, threatening them with eviction if the rules aren’t followed. Simple rules really, but that word “evicted” comes up on the notices, “If you don’t do this, you will be evicted.” Terror runs through my body and the mind races to survival mode. I can’t lose everything I’ve got; all I’ve worked for and all that people have helped with. Where will we go? I start thinking storage and then cry
with the thought of how much we all have lost doing that. Is that a smart move or not? My eyes then drop back down to the notice and I read it again. I don’t have to worry about that rule and then take a deep breath. Loud firecrackers can spark a PTSD episode from a veteran, and a word like eviction starts my PTSD. There’s no cure for it, but many have learned to live with it. I hope one day to be able to help other homeless people who are recently housed to identify the signs of PTSD and share tools to handle it. I need to learn that first though. I’ve said many times writing has been my therapy. This past month millions of Americans were threatened with eviction until an 11th hour save came in. What a roller-coaster of emotions to have to go through. Living out of boxes in a home you’ve rented for years, not knowing when the ax will drop or the federal money will come in. It’s a game of cat and mouse that effects not only the renters, but the owners of the property as well. I’ve always said, “It’s business not personal, it’s business” and it is. That doesn’t make it any less painful or shameful. It’s just easier for me to breathe with that thinking.
THEME: BACK TO SCHOOL
The Law and Sin BY JOHN H. Just sitting around today reading the word and came to this scripture that I’d like to share with people who are against their kids wearing masks. Whether parent or kid’s decision, does it matter if it’s the law? Does money, wealth, prestige, power make us act this way? You break that law — it’s sin, people. Romans 7:7 says, “I would have never known what sin was had it not been for the law.” These kids are the future at stake. Should we have more consideration for someone else or our children? I don’t understand many as parents. Actually the children shouldn't really have a say — so, I clearly understand why the schools are making it law because many parents are very negligent, irresponsible. What if you went to pick up your child from school, you get to the school and you’re told that your child was rushed to the emergency room at Vanderbilt? The child had a sickness they weren’t accustomed to
seeing. We tried to reach you but we couldn't. What if you got that news? How would you feel? Or what if your kid came home very sick? “One who preferred to be unmasked.” Do you actually think bad things don’t happen to good people? What if a well-known kid die from this virus, what then? Better yet, what if the kid’s yours? The way that many are acting, God just may allow it, to let you parents see how important the law is. How to be more respectful. It's OK to be able to make decisions for your family, yes, but when it involves many more families, wouldn't it be better to just follow the law that’s been set before you? God said in his word that we should follow the law of the land. I know sometimes it’s hard, but we must. If not, it’s sin. Sin is sin whether big or small, bad or good. Can’t compare — it’s all sin. I encourage you to follow the laws of the land. It would be your child who gets very ill.
ACROSS 1. The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical 5. Hallucinogenic drug 8. Some special effects, acr. 11. Chip in Vegas 12. Cordelia's father in Shakespeare play 13. One in squirrel's stash 15. Dissenting clique 16. Tangerine/grapefruit hybrid 17. Type of lemur 18. *Popular messenger 20. Mosque prayer leader 21. Down Under marsupial 22. Thanksgiving serving
23. *100 days of snapping, e.g. 26. Military's inactive force 30. Repeated Cuban dance step 31. The Kinks' lead singer, a.k.a. godfather of Britpop 34. Late December season 35. Rough, as in voice 37. Chop off 38. Stephen King's "The ____" 39. "Do ____ others..." 40. Strep throat organ 42. File a suit 43. Sewing pearls on a wedding gown, e.g.
September 1 - 15, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17
45. One with authority 47. Army bed 48. Space path 50. Law school test acronym 52. *Unique social media identifier 55. Latin dance 56. "Place" in French 57. Sacred Hindu writings 59. Post-mortem bios 60. Actress Campbell 61. African chieftain 62. Recipe amt. 63. Nirvana's "Come as You ____" 64. Badger's den DOWN 1. Current tense of "had" 2. All over again 3. Eczema symptom 4. Second shot 5. Corporate department 6. Salpae, sing. 7. Type of coffee maker 8. Elizabeth McGovern's "Downton Abbey" role 9. Inspiring horror 10. As opposed to outs 12. Capital of Zambia 13. Bruce Wayne's ____ was Batman 14. *Message under a post 19. Bootlicker
22. Da, to a Russian 23. *Done to social media past before applying for job? 24. Feudal lord 25. Haile Selassie's disciple 26. Gym exercises 27. Comedy Central's "critique" 28. Dolby Theatre to Oscars 29. Often considered wise 32. *Video blog 33. Charge carrier 36. *Audio series 38. Killed, like dragon 40. Big bang maker 41. Permeate 44. I to Greeks, pl. 46. Sheet music line, pl. 48. Basketry stick 49. Clark Kent actor Christopher 50. Black, yellow and chocolate dogs 51. Parking spot for a boat 52. Bone in human forearm 53. *Bernie wearing mittens, e.g. 54. *Do this before posting? 55. Chronic drinker 58. It's open to interpretation
