The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 77, No. 52, Ed. 1, Friday, April 14, 1989 Page: 2 of 6
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Opinion
Optimist
Volume 77 Number 52 Page 2
Friday April 14 1989
Woman
The woman sat by the road watching
other people drive by on the Highway
of Life. She wasn't hitch-hiking. She
was where she wanted to be which
was nowhere.
Periodically people would stop to see
if she wanted a ride into Fantasy Life
or Real Life these cities were the on-
ly choices.
"I have been to Fantasy Life" she
would say "and the people there were
not all there. They had no purpose."
"But that's the point of the city" her
would-be chaufFcrs would say. "You're
supposed to wander around with a
dreamy look on your face and an empty
mind."
"That may be fine for you" she
would say "but I'm looking for some-
thing more."
And the people would get into their
Cancellation of grub
deemed disappointing
Suppose they threw a grub and
nobody came.
Suppose they had one of the best
ideas for a grub that has come
around in a long time.
Suppose they had the best decora
tions and the
neatest T-
shirts in
years.
And sup-
pose nobody
cared to sign
up.
Well the
sophomore
class doesn't
have to sup-
pose because that's what has hap-
pened to them.
The sophomore "Just a Plane
Grub" was scheduled for Thursday
at 7 p.m. in a hanger at the Abilene
Regional Airport. The reasonable
price of $7 was going to cover
sandwiches T-shirts and an "in-
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vehicles and rush to their destinations.
One day a man stopped and asked her
if she wanted a lift into Real Life.
"No thanks" she said. "I have been
to Real Life and the experience was
too real. See these marks?" and she
showed him some tire marks on her
upper arm.
"These marks came from getting run
over by a truck that was driving too
fast. That's just one of the horrors of
Real Life."
"Why didn't you get out of the
way?" he asked.
"I don't know but when I finally
picked myself up I knew I couldn't
stay in that city any longer. I had to get
away and I ended up here."
"Well where are you headed?" the
man queried.
"I'm going to exactly where I am"
flight movie."
They had even planned to have
an airplane in the hanger to provide
a finishing touch to the decorations.
The sophomores had 300 tickets
and said they would sell until they
sold out.
However as
of Wednes-
day at 5 p.m.
only 40 tick-
ets had been
sold.
With such
a good idea
and such
hard work we
would hope
members of the sophomore class
would be eager to go to the grub
but scheduling conflicts lack of
money and "just plane apathy"
caused the flight's cancellation.
The "Just a Plane Grub" is some-
thing that should have gotten off
the ground.
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she replied.
The man shook his head slowly
climbed back into his vehicle and sped
off toward Real Life not understanding
the woman's point.
She was not happy living in Fantasy
Life because the people were not real
and Real Life had too many hard
knocks. So she was a woman without a
destination just existing.
Day after day she would sit by the
Highway of Life and watch others trav-
el down the road. She had much time
Optimist
KennethR Pybus Edor inChiel
Rebekah Gtt Wednesday Edition ErMor
Tom Craig Friday Edoon Edsor
Cindy leeper Opnon Editor
Mary Banks Sport Etor
Julw Fupatnck Features Editor
Kenny Jones Chwl Photographer
Jul Sbgers - Wednesday Assortments Edaor
Bulk Durmavenl Friday Assenmenta Editor
Laura Morgan Managing News ErMor
Kevin MnMI GraphcsDegn Editor
Qretchen Schum Copy Flow Editor
Dawn Treat Aaaocuia Sports ErMor
John Paul Brtivnk Sufl Photographer
Wridy Hornbaker Staff Photographer
Terrl West Copy Editor
Janrwlar Green Associate Copy Editor
Or Charles H Marler Adnser
Kant Bamen AdveruMtg Dvector
Ene McMAan Ad Producuon Manager
Fftl Mer Ad Production Manager
Hoty Howard -Ad Sales
Sherrt Westermen Oassifad Ad Manager
Trad Dawluns Ad Office Manager
Roy Cade White Circulation Director
The Opurrust founded In 1912 is pubfished semi week
(y eicept during the summer vacations and anal eiamtns-
bone by students In the Journaasm and Mass Communica-
tion Department of AMene Christian Universty Abeene
Teus 79699
Editorial opinions appearing In the Optimal are views of
the SKMonal board and do not necessanty reflect the of-
tidal pokey of the ACU admmstratcn. and signed columns
and cartoons represent the Individual views of the authors
Sexuality
In an editorial published in the
Abilene Reporter'News in May
Stephanie Salter makes the observa-
tion that our human sexuality is
"perhaps as profound as death. It is
a power to be respected revered and
handled with care a little frighten-
ing as power can be but
ultimately liberating."
While she was talking about sex-
uality in relationship to the AIDS
epidemic in our country her obser-
vation strikes close to all of us.
No aspect of our personhood is
characterized by such emotion as
our sexuality. This part of our being
is inescapable. Whether we want or
not our sexuality weaves its way in
one form or another into most of
our relationships.
For the typical university student
dealing with one's sexuality is a fre-
quent issue. Should I date? How of-
ten? What kind of sexual behavior is
acceptable in the "dating game?"
What kind of sexual behavior is ex-
pected in dating? Am I normal in
my sexual expectations or a ' stick
to think and she used that time to
analyze her anions.
Why were you afraid of being knock'
ed down while living in Rest Life she
asked herself. Why didn't you expect it
"I don't know. I guess I had a dif-
ferent view of what Real Life should
be. And getting run over by a truck and
all the other things that happened were
not part of it."
What do you think now that you have
had lime to recuperate
"That maybe Real Life is OK but I
shouldn't have any expectations. Just
take each day as it comes."
OK that's a start. Now are you going
to sit by the side of the road forever
"No I'm going to get up hitch a ride
into Real Life and start over."
Good. Good. But what are you going
to do if... ?
Powerlifting is a legitimate sport
To the Editor
I would like to thank the Students' Association for its help in funding my
trip to the National Collegiate Powerlifting Championships. I also would like
to thank all of the people who signed my petition for funds.
Powcrlifters at ACU don't get the recognition we deserve. We work hard all
year to represent ACU at one annual meet. Powerlifting is a sport just the
same as track football or basketball and we work just as hard as the athletes on
those teams. We won't be considered to receive a letter jacket or many of the
other honors received by the athletes in other sports.
I'm not complaining but I do think that powcrlifters should be treated as
equals in respect to other athletes. I also believe that if more people got involv-
ed in the sport it would bring it more recognition.
I want to thank my coach Dwight Adkins for all the time he has invested in
my lifting. He is the reason I was able to compete in a national meet. He is ap-
preciated very much.
Cindy Freeman
Sophomore physical education major
Albany
Gravel needed in parking area
To the Editor
Although parking may not be a problem for the administration with their
reserved inner campus lot's for students parking is an irritating daily hassle.
Currently business students must use the field across Judge Ely Boulevard
crossing curbs and potholes that quickly ruin a car's front-end alignment. Rain
turns the field into a useless mud pit.
The long-term solution of rerouting Judge Ely is encouraging but that is
more than a year away. In the interim why not lay down gravel in the field? If
a donor can be found to build a 1 5-story $ 1 50000 stereo to heaven surely
money can be raised to buy gravel. If not then how about lowering parking
fees?
Some have argued that parking is worse at the University of Texas but their
permits cost less than one-fourth of ours and tuition ... . Maybe the parking
policy is an attempt to encourage good health through walking to school but
fitness isn't on my mind when I'm late for a test on a cold rainy morning.
Darnel K. Denny
Senior accounting major
Pasadena
The Optimist encourages reader
response in the form of letters to
the editor; however we reserve the
right to refuse letters that contain
personal attack obscenity defama-
tion erroneous information or in-
vasion of privacy.
Optimist policy is not to print
unsigned letters and letters which
bear requests for anonymity.
not to be
in the mud?" Or worse still is my
sexuality "perverted?"
How a person deals with these and
other sexual issues can have a major
cflect on his or her social and
spiritual life.
Here are a few ideas concerning
how we might sec our sexuality as
Christians in a constructive way.
First accept the fact that you have
been created a sexual being. God has
made you that way; your sexuality is
a part of your personhood which is
given you by your Creator. Become
more knowledgeable about your
sexuality and comfortable with the
fact you are a sexual being.
Second learn more about your
sexuality and that of the opposite
sex. If you intend to have a mean-
ingful sexual relationship with a
person of the opposite sex you need
to know what both of you arc like.
As Salter pointed out in her edito-
rial knowledge about sex and its
purpose empowers and ultimately
liberates us.
Third learn more about the ways
"I will handle each situation as it oc-
curs but I won't leave the city again."
Then on the road leading away from
Real Life and into Fantasy Life she
saw the man who had offered her a ride
days before he had shoe prints on his
upper arms and forehead.
Apparently he didn't find the city as
appealing as he thought he would she
thought.
She dusted herself off gathered her
belongings and boldly stuck out her
thumb.
And on her first day back into Real
Life she did get run over and stepped
on. However she picked herself up
tended her wounds and continued to
live in the city.
But for a while she did take walks to
the city limits to gaze wistfully toward
Fantasy Life.
Writers are encouraged to keep
the length of their letters less than
350 words. We reserve the righMo
limit frequent writers and to edit
letters for length or error.
Please address letters to "Op-
timist Editor" ACU Box 8203 or
bring them by Room 308 of the
Don Morris Communication Build-
ing. ignored
God expects you to use the gift of
your sexuality. Like any of His gifts
He has some expectations about how
you use this pan of your being.
Sex is not a shallow simply recre-
ational act; it is a deep sharing of
one's most intimate self. Used
frivolously it can cause great harm
physically and emotionally to
you and others.
Be a good steward of this aspect of
your life; use it wisely.
And finally don't be ashamed to
ask for help if you're having difficul-
ty dealing with aspects of your sex-
uality. All of us at different times
need to talk with someone who can
help us deal with certain aspects of
our lives.
If you need answers about sexual
issues ask someone who knows:
your physician a trained social
worker a psychologist or a sex ther-
apist. Dr. Tom Winter is a professor in
the Department of Social Work and
Sociology.
y
9
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 77, No. 52, Ed. 1, Friday, April 14, 1989, newspaper, April 14, 1989; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101515/m1/2/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.