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| George Buster Singleton |
(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator
George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere
in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Find good in everything and look
for beauty around you” was originally published in the March 8, 2001 edition of
The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)
Now is the time of year to begin to put aside the heavy
clothing and the many items that have been necessary to survive the cold winter
months. The time is now before us to go forth with the fresh mornings of the
coming spring and become a part of the living world.
Put aside the television programs and reach for your work
gloves and something to dig the ground with. Roll up your sleeves and tackle
that flower bed that has long been in need of some work. Take on that fencerow
or get eyeball to eyeball with those weeds and the other undesirables that
clutter up the yard.
If yard work is not your cup of tea, build a bird feeder. If
you are not the creative type, buy one. This will be one of your cheapest
investments. Watch the beautiful creatures as they prance and strut for your
enjoyment only; become a part of the world around you.
If none of the above is of your choosing, pick a place where
you can walk in the woods and watch nature blossom forth in all its splendor
and beauty. See God’s creation first hand and marvel at the little things that
have gone unnoticed for these many years.
Take notice as to how careful the Creator has been, and is
being, in the management of His world. Become a part of the works of our living
God. Feel His presence around you. Learn to know Him and walk with Him; look to
Him as a friend and a companion. He is always with you, always at your side.
Marvel at His universe, and let Him know that all is well within your soul.
Seek out the high places, and when you have found that
special spot, pause for a moment. Don’t be ashamed to raise your arms to the
heavens, thanking the Great Spirit that you have been allowed to witness His
magnitude and greatness. Don’t be ashamed if tears burst forth; feel the
eternal that is about you and within your surroundings.
Remember that you are a part of this plan; you have a place
within His creation. You have a right to be here; this world is yours, if you
accept the challenge. This life is what you make of it; you can plan and
discipline yourself for the enjoyment that will come from it. Or you can throw
all the happiness aside and live in agony and depression. Only you can make
this decision; no one has the power to decide for you.
The news programs are full of the many suicides and murders
among our teenage population of this country. What a waste, what a pity, that
these young people have wasted such precious time when life could have been so
beautiful. These tragic happenings have such simple answers: some personal
discipline, a sprinkling of family love and togetherness, and becoming a part
of your surroundings. Then, after all of the above, create a driving desire to
be what you are supposed to be, a child of the universe.
No amount of money or wealth, no political party, or inside
assistance can buy this place for you. Gaining your place in life has to be
done by none other than yourself; only the love of your surroundings and the
driving desire to find this place within the contentment and peace that is here
for all. Demand and reach for your place in the sun, and this place in the sun
that I speak of, if forever near, if only we seek.
So don’t wait any longer, as the coming spring blossoms, go
forth with all the passions that you can muster. Clear your mind of all that
might hinder you from reaching your goal. Put aside anything that might become
a stumbling block in the path of life. Be at peace with yourself and travel
only the high road. Soar with the eagles, and watch from a distance all of
those that may want to drag you down and make you unhappy.
Find some good in everything that you undertake; seek out
the beauty in all that is before you. Remember, there is beauty in everything
that He, our Creator, has placed here on this earth and in the heavens above
us. The impossible is for those who seek it; the high peaks are reached by
those who dare climb. Be happy; ride the winds. A verse from the books of
Isaiah, my favorite, may say it better:
“But they that wait 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.”
(Singleton, the author
of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of
79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born on Dec.
14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School, served in
the Korean War, moved to Monroe County in 1961 and served as the administrator
of the Monroeville National Guard unit from 1964 to 1987. For years,
Singleton’s column “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he
wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama
Life magazine. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column
above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through
the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville.
Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship
purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)
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