Recently, at the Oxford Rotary Club’s charity roast of me, I gave up my self respect and at the same time lost a lot of respect I had for the roasters.
Something happens to these normally normal people when they agree to participate in a roast.
They suddenly turn bitter. They rejoice in insulting the person who has dedicated his life and fortune to benefit so many, for many years in our communities.
And the insults, bitter and alarming, just kept coming.
Fellow Rotarian, Bob Holt, a man who has done much for his church and community, had to put a twist that put him in the mix with other roasters.
He said, ‘You know every community needs someone they can look up to. Someone they can respect and honor. Someone whose name has been around for a long time. Someone whose name is synonymous with being a pillar in the community. Aren’t you glad that here in Oxford we have someone just like that in Brace Beemer.?
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Then came a letter from Linda Weld, a former Oxford Leader editor who has been in Alaska since the mid 1970’s. At first, she started a community newspaper then she found a money-making career printing visitor guides for four areas of Alaska.
She, her husband and one son have grown the guides to over a half a million copies a year. Their twin sons were home schooled, and both earned scholarships to a college in North Dakota.
For my roast, she reminded me female employees could never wear anything but dresses or skirts to work. She pointed out, however, I would wear ridiculous plaid pants on golf days.
She said I was a great publisher, but an unlikely one; that I was self-educated and boisterous; and ‘I’m quite sure we probably will never agree on anything.?
She also said I had shaggy hair and a befuddled look. ‘Humph! Linda.?
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? When you get bladder infection, urine trouble.
? I’ve lost my mind, but I’m pretty sure the kids took it.
? So a dyslexic walks into a bra?
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A friend and fellow columnist Dick Milliman keeps his readers informed about everything ‘Lansing.? This week it’s about a bill being considered up there is erratic because of marijuana use.
Dick admits there are many questions about this, such as: With more than 100,000 legal users, how do police separate the legal users from the illegals?
Who gets the spit test and who gets the alcohol test? Will the saliva test stand up in court?
More thought should be given this subject. But where will the thoughts begin?
Lansing?