MEMORIES

It was unfortunate but I never had the opportunity to meet Chandler Luckhum. He was the town barber for over 40 years in Irvington Va. and the father of Garry Luckham the husband of "Sam Wheeler", the writer of this story. They currently live in Irvington in the very house Garry grew up in and later completely refurbished. His contracting business specializes in retrofitting and refurbishing older homes.

All who knew him told me Chandler had a quick wit and was an extraordinary story teller. He knew everyone in Irvington going back a couple of generations. As his life was drawing to a close he told his son Garry who was visiting with him at the hospital, that he had wanted to go to college his whole life and finally he was going to be able to do it. You see he had donated his body to science at the Medical College of Va. He could see humor even as he prepared to pass from this world. If you have an interest in seeing more about this quaint, historic Virginia town here is a website you might find of interest. TLS http://www.city-data.com/city/Irvington-Virginia.html

TO IRVINGTON WITH LOVE:

On a recent rainy Sunday morning, I found myself awake before the chickens and decided to get up and start the coffee. Trying not to disturb my sleeping husband, I got my coffee, and went to our little library, four cats in tow.

I picked up a book that I have read many times before but this time had special meaning. It’s called “To Irvington with Love” and my father in law, Chandler H. Luckham had written the preface for the book. With his recent passing, I felt that melancholy mood one gets with love and loss and the marching on of time.

Re-reading that preface reminded me of how one can truly love a place. I am a “come here” and would fall under the category he wrote about “working hard to be able to live here” even though my idea of hard work was nothing compared to what earlier generations endured just to eek out a living.

I started reading all the memories so sweetly described by folks who are long gone and it set me to thinking about the town and the people of our Irvington today. Even though life from the early to mid 1900’s was much harder, it seemed more fun in many ways. Now we are so busy being busy we don’t make time for porch parties, games of charades or telling a good ghost story while roasting oysters in an outdoor pit.

We barely see our neighbors because we have TV to watch, e-mails to send and text messages to read. I remember as a kid, Sunday afternoons were kept open in case company dropped by. Folks back then didn’t call to say they were coming, they just showed up.

On nice days, we would sit outside and watch the cars go by knowing most everyone in them and say “Wonder where they are going?” No elaborate meals were planned. You had leftovers for after church lunch; it was served cold even if it was meant to be hot, and it was always delicious.

I miss those slow motion times. I worry about these kinds of things disappearing. What kind of tribute will we be able to leave the children not even born yet? What stories and recipes can we hand down to them?

If you enjoy a good love story, pick up a copy of this little book and be sure to read the preface that Chandler wrote. It inspired me to start planning a gathering of neighbors and friends for an old-fashioned porch party.

When e-mails and TV shows are long forgotten, I want to be able to remember the moments spent with all the wonderful people that make up this beautiful little town.

Sam Wheeler

2009

I HAVE HAD IT!

Commentary:

This letter is circulating on the Web and I rarely if ever forward them because I am uncertain of their content but I must say that I find no fault in this letter. This individual is a teacher from Missouri and I have heard and seen thanks to our ever watchful media, all of those things that are written here.

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington , DC 20500

Mr. Obama:

You are responsible to the citizens of the United States .You are not responsible to the peoples of any other country on earth. I personally resent that you go around the world apologizing for the United States telling Europeans that we are arrogant and do not care about their status in the world. Sir, what do you think the First World War and the Second World War were all about if not the consideration of the peoples of Europe ? Are you brain dead? What do you think the Marshall Plan was all about?Do you not understand or know the history of the 20th century?

Where do you get off telling a Muslim country that the United States does not consider itself a Christian country? Have you not read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States ? This country was founded on Judeo-Christian ethics and the principles governing this country, at least until you came along, come directly from this heritage.

Do you not understand this? Your bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia is an affront to all Americans. Our President does not bow down to anyone, let alone the king of Saudi Arabia . You don't show Great Britain , our best and one of our oldest allies, the respect they deserve yet you bow down to the king of Saudi Arabia . How dare you, sir! How dare you!

You can't find the time to visit the graves of our greatest generation because you don't want to offend the Germans but make time to visit a mosque in Turkey . You offended our dead and every veteran when you give the Germans more respect than the people who saved the German people from themselves. What's the matter with you? I am convinced that you and the members of your administration have the historical and intellectual depth of a mud puddle and should be ashamed of yourselves, all of you.

You are so self-righteously offended by the big bankers and the American automobile manufacturers yet do nothing about the real thieves in this situation, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Frank, Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelic, the Fannie Mae bonuses, and the Freddie Mac bonuses. What do you intend to do about them? Anything? I seriously doubt it.

What about the U.S. House members passing out $9.1 million in bonuses to their staff members -- on top of the $2.5 million in automatic pay raises that lawmakers gave themselves?

I understand the average House aide got a 17% bonus. I took a 5% cut in my pay to save jobs with my employer. You haven't said anything about that. Who authorized that? I surely didn't! Executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be receiving $210 million in bonuses over an eighteen-month period, that's $45 million more than the AIG bonuses.

In fact, Fannie and Freddie executives have already been awarded $51 million -- not a bad take. Who authorized that and why haven't you expressed your outrage at this group who are largely responsible for the economic mess we have right now.

I resent that you take me and my fellow citizens as brain-dead and not caring about what you idiots do. We are watching what you are doing and we are getting increasingly fed up with all of you. I also want you to know that I personally find just about everything you do and say to be offensive to every one of my sensibilities. I promise you that I will work tirelessly to see that you do not get a chance to spend two terms destroying my beautiful country.

Social Security, just what is it and how did we get in this mess we’ve made?

In a broad view it is called an entitlement: An Entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits because of rights, or by agreement through law. It also refers, in a more casual sense to someone’s belief that one is deserving of some particular reward or benefit. The legal term, however, carries no value judgment. It simply denotes a right granted.

Some time ago I heard a panel of scholars debating Social Security refer to it as a "welfare" program. I came into the System just over four years ago so I have been on the Social Security roles and my company pension supplemented by my IRA fund since that time.

Welfare! I sure don't see it that way. That definition is: Welfare (financial aid) is financial assistance paid by taxpayers to people who are unable or unwilling to support themselves.

That sure isn't the case for me! I am afraid I see this thing called Social Security TOTALLY differently. At the young age of 16 I began working and paying Social Security taxes (not voluntary I might add). Starting in 1966 I began paying a Medicare withholding tax as well.

Save for a break for military service that continued until I was 63 years old, some 44 years in all. I saw this "withholding" as premiums that I paid, for an insurance policy so that once I reached retirement age (when my part of the policy matured) I would receive a benefit payment to help sustain me into my senior years. I asked for no handout! I paid my part to sustain that fund so I could receive that benefit!

If what we are being told is true then Social Security is in serious financial trouble and according to its trustees we are going to have to be ready for some serious change and/or reduction of recipients' benefits to survive past 2037. Do you want to know WHY it’s in the shape it is, well here are your answers and I guess I will let you be the judge of which of our political parties got it this way.

You’re Social Security

Just in case some of you are too young and didn't know this. It's easy to check out. Be sure and show it to your kids. They need a little history lesson on what's what and it doesn't matter whether you are Democrat or Republican.

Facts are Facts!!! Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:

1.) Participation in the Program would be completely voluntary.
2.) Participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual Incomes into the program.

3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year.

4.) That the money the participants put into the Independent 'Trust Fund' rather than into the General Operating fund, would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other Government program.

5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.

Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of The money we paid to the federal government to put away, you may be interested in the following:
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Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?

A: The Democratic Party.
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Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the 'tie-breaking' deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the US.
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Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants?
AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE:
A: That's right, Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. When immigrants moved into this country, and reached age 65, they began to receive Social Security payments. The Democratic Party gave these payments to them. Even though they never paid a dime into it!
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Then, after violating all the precepts of the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away! And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it!

Oh and after all that CONGRESS HAS GIVEN THEMSELVES a 100% RETIREMENT FOR ONLY SERVING ONE TERM!!!

So how DO we fix this? First, the Social Security fund needs to be restored to its original intent. Legislation needs to be enacted that prevents Congress from borrowing from the excess funds generated. Second call in aLL IOU's that are outstanding. Then freeze that borrowing.

Remenber Social Security is not part of the Federal Budget general fund. It is a separate account and has its own source of income. Social Security payments do not go into the general fund, they go in the Social Security trust fund, and should NOT be counted as general revenue. The trust fund is supposed to be used to pay future benefits.

But....keep reading....Currently, there is more being payed into the Social Security Trust Fund than is being paid out to beneficiaries. What's left over is routinely being "borrowed" and used as if it were general budget revenue. Government agencies using that money promise to pay it back (IOUs). All current IOU's need to be called due immediately and the fund reimbursed. If you check you will find that Ronald Reagan signed H. R. 4331 enacting those borrowing changes in December 1981.

FOOTNOTE:
All of the money in the Social Security Trust Fund has been spent! That's part of the National Debt. So Social Security is just a very large tax collection tool. Beware the term "Social Security Surplus"; there is no such thing. So is Social Security an enormous Ponzi Scheme? There is never more in the Trust Fund than will ever be needed so it sure fills the criteria.

A Ponzi scheme is an investment operation that involves promising or paying abnormally high returns ("profits") to investors out of the money paid in by subsequent investors, rather than from net revenues generated by any real business. Hum!