The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 8, Ed. 1, Sunday, January 20, 2008 Page: 1 of 4
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THE BRAND
A
ISSUE 8 VOLUME HO
IIARJlN-SlMMONS lTNI VWWWITY
JANUARY 20 2008
Small Town. Texas
In this Brand:
Religion
Planning to sec The
Golden Compass? Lee's
review on pg.
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Opinion
After all the chapels on
saving the environment
find out what you can do
here at HSU. pg. 3
Religion
If you missed last Tues-
day's chapel be sure to
look on pg. 4
Entertainment
Want to know what's
coming out in 2008? Na-
than's reviews on Pg. 4
Entertainment
Music Releases in 2008:
The Definite the Maybe
and the Not-Gonna-
Happen on pg. 4
Fitness
Stay fit for the new year!
Fitness pg. 2
Opinion
Just what is the pauper of
advertising? Find out on
Pg-3
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ByMattTumtinsin
Graphic Artist
You don't miss it until
you're gone. Most can't wait
to get out but most usu-
nlly long for it lutcr in life.
A place where people have
known you since "you were
this tall". A place where
everyone knows your busi-
ness and everyone waves
when you pass them. A place
where cattle outnumber
people and Wrangler jeans
and pearl-snap shirts have
been in style for fifty years.
Small towns (in Texas espe-
cially) may seem dull and
boring to the untrained city
eye but the small town is
much more subtle. No bill-
boards or Botox just dry-
witted and hardworking
country folks. Small towns
have their own brands from
the homemade entertain-
ment to the people full of
character. Most will never
admit they like this toned
down lifestyle but the sub-
tle charm that small towns
give off seeps into the skin
and soaks into the heart.
Fun in a small town
usually involves something
illegal but when everyone
knows the local police on
a first name basis the con-
sequences don't seem to be
worth worrying about. It's
not that small town kids
are delinquents it's just
when the bowling alley gets
full and the Dairy Queen
closes it severely limits
one's options for enter-
tainment. Most Saturday
nights usually ends up in
someone's back pasture sit-
ting on a tailgate listening
to Pat Green and sipping
beer from the Allsup's that
doesn't card.
There's a simple joy in
lying in the back of a truck
counting falling stars and
talking about football girls
and leaving town. It may
seem hard for some people
to understand the enjoy-
ment that comes from driv-
ing around on a dirt road
with no real destination.
But unless you've ever gone
driving clown back roads
with the windows down the
radio up and a good look-
ing country girl riding shot-
gun there is no way to put
that experience into words.
Small towns aren't boring -having
fun just takes a little
more work.
Although just about
everything in a small town
is small the characters that
live there have enough per-
sonality to fill the Gulf of
Mexico. The town names
might change but the peo-
ple are the same - honest
hardworking and definitely
full of character. Wrinkles
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scars and calluses aren't
something to be ashamed
of they're just a mark from
a life lived. You can tell a
lot about someone by the
look and feel of someone's
hands.
Usually trips to the
groceiy store take twice as
long because everyone in
the store knows each other
and needs to catch up since
the last time they saw you .
. . yesterday at the gas sta-
tion. Most conversations in
a small town are generally
the same and always include
the outrageous gas prices
the overall condition of the
family and "how bad we
need rain".
Small towns are a safe
haven from the consumer-
based and commercialized
world surrounding them.
Life in a small town is sim-
ple sincere and black and
white. Residents of a small
town come to find that liv-
ing a good and meaningful
life has nothing to do with
shopping malls and mer
chandise. There is an awe-
inspiring beauty in looking
up at the stars through a sky
without smog or the sweet
smell of rain as clouds roll
in across fields. Small towns
teach us never to measure
wealth with money. That is
why as we come to learn
good friends good fam-
ily and good health are the
most tieasured possessions
in a small town.
A Tribute to the Lady Behind the Smile
ByElyseHahne
Special Projects Editor
Have you ever wondered about the story
behind the lady named Bobbie who works in the
cafeteria on the breakfast and lunch shifts during
the week? If yes then here is a story for you.
The lady who greets you with a smile
everyday in the cafeteria is Bobbie and her job
is just to swipe your OncCard but she goes the
extra mile to make sure everyone is given a com-
pliment. Although Bobbie has only been with
Hardin-Simmons University for seven months
on January 7 she is the most talkcd-about caf-
eteria worker around.
"People say nice things about this old lady
and that is something special" said Bobbie.
Knowing that many people care about her brings
tears to her eyes.
Bobbie left her home at sixteen to head to
the great city of Los Angeles. There she had two
daughters but decided to come back to Texas
when her father became ill. After working for a
few different companies Bobbie decided to apply
for a position at HSU.
Her only fear when taking on this job was
the handling of money but that is a story long
gone. With the encouragement from family and
co-workers she has been able to overcome this
and handle money without fear. She has put the
fear behind her and now deals with money on a
daily basis.
Not only is Bobbie a staff member but she
is like a grandmother to many of the students. If
they look down or sad she comforts them. She
puts smiles on many faces daily because she cares
for every single one of the students she comes in
contact with.
"Hardin-Simmons University is like a fam-
ily to me and I have hundreds of grandchildren"
said Bobbie.
Once her day is over she goes home and
feels like a good day's work is done because she
believes that "if I BobbieJ touched someone
even if it was one person I did my job." Her two
daughters are extremely proud of their mother
and encourage her daily to continue her lifelong
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goal of happiness.
Next time when you are in the cafeteria and
Bobbie smiles and gives you a compliment return
one to her kindly. It is time that students compli-
ment Bobbie since she goes the extra mile to make
every person feel special.
Crystal Looks Through Contact Lenses
By Crystal Kee
Editor-in-Chief
One of the worst feelings in the world
is the sensation of tears in your eyes. Not only
does it imply sadness the unease felt when you
are unable to wipe your eyes due to eyeglasses
is hard to top. Eyes are the windows to the soul
so people say but then spectacles are the light-
obstructing curtains.
I have been a glasses-wearer for many
years from the time I was five years old. Oh I
had gotten used to it but the dissatisfaction in
photographs with a wide smile and two white
patches of reflected light above my nose lingers.
When I did sports my glasses would slide down
my nose during push-ups jiggle up and down at
the track and generally get in the way when it
came to swimming. Many times had my glasses
been stepped on and damaged while being left at
the side of the pool.
They can be too tight resulting in head-
aches or too loose causing them to fall off each
time I look down. They get scratched and oily.
They fog up when I leave a cold room. When 1
performed or competed in synchronized swim-
ming my spectacles have to be taken off result-
ing in trips and falls smiling into space and
embarrassing moments when I fail to recognize
and acknowledge people I should know.
It is true that spectacles opened my eyes to
see a world that had turned blurry and unclear.
However I am unable to remember how that first
eye-opening experience felt. I can only imagine it
to be wonderful. Still clear eyesight came with
a price to pay the curse of imperfect vision -glasses.
How I longed to be rid of them.
I remember my first day wearing contact lenses.
It was fantastic. In the space of five minutes my
life was transformed. I could change clothes with-
out getting the collar of shirts stuck to my face
jump without having to put a steadying hand to
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my nose and stop wondering why the television
had a perpetual scratch on its glass surface. I was
finally free.
Freedom too came with a price. Gone was
griping to other 'speckles' conveniently not see-
ing the scary bits of horror movies and hiding
behind my glasses in uncomfortable situations.
Contacts came with risks. Horror stories and
gruesome pictures circulated with alarming regu-
larity of the dangers in contact lens usage. Within
the first few weeks of wearing contacts I lived in
terror of smoke and splashes and was convinced
that my lenses had fallen out each time my vision
blurred Dissatisfaction? Well just maybe not.
I have since learned that nothing is perfect
but we can make it the best it can be. Spectacles
opened my eyes but contact lenses refined my
vision and I can be thankful for life's imperfec-
tions to teach valuable lessons.
Still however I may revel in my unhampered
vision there is still a pair of dark blue metal-
rimmed spectacles in a case somewhere in my
room waiting for me.
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The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 8, Ed. 1, Sunday, January 20, 2008, newspaper, January 20, 2008; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth104740/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library.