LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Good hands
Editor: Thank you, Sonoma West, for your in-depth and insightful
article on the Sonoma County Elementary Spelling Bee. In this age
of texting, downloading, and general dependence on electronic
devices, the beauty of words and the challenges of the English
language have been relegated to a backburner. Monday night’s
Spelling Bee showcased the incredibly talented and hardworking
children who competed first at school sites, then at one of four
Regional Bees and finally at our Sonoma County Spelling Bee. Please
join us in applauding these children, as well as the junior high
students who competed the following evening, for the courage to
stand alone at a podium, listen to words given to them orally by
the Spellmaster and then spelling words out loud in front of an
audience of peers, parents, friends and teachers. The future of the
English language is in good hands.
Patricia Ehrmann and Leslie Howell
Sonoma County Spellmasters
Aging with grace
Editor: David Abbott’s recent article about aging reminded me of
an encounter I once had with an older acquaintance. After we had
visited for a while, she said, “I should be going. I need to get
home and take care of the old woman that I live with.” When I asked
if that might be her mother, she answered gently, “No. It’s
me.”
Her response seemed clever at the time. But 20 years later I
understand that she was acknowledging the challenges of aging
without allowing herself to be defined by them.
In anticipation of my rapidly approaching 60th birthday, I spent
the last several months reading everything I could find about
life’s later years. I devoured books by the most renowned experts
in the fields of physiology, psychology and spirituality. Not
surprisingly, the one common denominator (and, in most cases, the
focus) of these books was loss. Loss of loved ones. Loss of body
image. Loss of mental and physical acuity. Loss of independence.
Loss of purpose.
Sobering stuff.
Ironically, it took a friend in his 20s to shake me out of my
doldrums. “Haven’t you ever known anyone who was ageless?” he
asked. Yes, as it turns out, I have.
Most of us will experience significant losses as we age. But if
we allow others to define us by those losses rather than by who we
are, we surrender our identities. And if we define ourselves by
those losses, we collude with a culture that pathologizes aging and
we perpetuate its influence on those who will follow behind us.
Bill Roby
Sebastopol
A mile in her shoes
Editor: Although Frank Robertson is trying to be entertaining
and clever with his recent commentaries, his insensitive and
flippant disregard of the validity of EMF and wireless health
impacts, including the SmartMeter debacle, is disrespectful and
distasteful.
I wish Frank could spend a day in my shoes, taking calls from
outraged utility customers who are being threatened to have their
power cut off because they can’t keep up with the skyrocketing
bills, ($3,200 a month) … or the SF resident who took six trips to
the hospital for heart attack symptoms until he recognized he was
living 15 feet from new SmartMeter infrastructure … or the man who
had a GFI burnout, radio, security lights and the heater
thermometer turn themselves on and off. Maybe Frank should talk to
the woman who lived next to a bank of 16 SmartMeters and was forced
to move … or the mother of the 4-year-old with a pacemaker, or the
man who took matters in his own hands and replaced the Smart Meter
with an analog because PG&E is ignoring and dismissing people
with health complaints.
There are many more situations, where this green washed
oppressive industry plus government Smart Grid is making daily life
intolerable for people. The news is filled with enough uneducated
drivel from industry trying to ram this toxic junk down on throats
— we don’t need more of the same in our local paper.
Sandi Maurer
EMF Safety Network
Sebastopol
Thank you for caring
Editor: We would like to thank each and every person that
attended Ruth Hansen’s memorial service.
A big thank you to all who helped us in her passing with being
here, bringing food, flowers, cards, phone calls and text
messages.
It was all appreciated more than we can ever begin to express.
Ruth (mother and grandma) was truly loved and in turn we benefitted
from it immensely. Thank you does not begin to show our gratitude
to all of you who love us. We love you all. You know who you
are.
Bob Hansen
Cindy Varner and family