Ask Alex : I made a mistake
Just For Fun, Lifestyle June 27, 2021
Hey Alex!
I’ve made a huge mistake and it is ruining my reputation. I didn’t realize that people would talk so much and now I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to say exactly what I did because it is so embarrassing, but I need help on how to fix it. How do I move on and get people to stop talking about me?
Sincerely,
Embarrassed
Hey Embarrassed!
Without knowing the mistake, I can’t advise on exactly how to fix it but I can tell you how to cope and move on.
It’s simple, you move on. We are all human and there are very few of us who have gone through life without making a mistake that either devastated us at the time or if known would have caused devastation.
Every single person who is talking about you now, has something that would become the center of gossip if brought to light. It probably says just as much about them that they gossip, as your mistake says about you. Might even say more about them.
Don’t worry about what people are saying, the next big mistake will put the name of someone else in their mouth and in the long run do you really care what these people think?
You can’t control how others act. You can only control yourself. Make amends if you need to. Take care not to make the same mistake twice and face the gossip head on by acting like it isn’t getting to you.
Sincerely,
Alex
You can check out more of Alex’s advice by clicking here : Ask Alex : Fed Up With The World
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
Ask Alex will return next week
Lifestyle November 8, 2020
Alex will return next week to offer up advice on all of life’s questions!
You can check out more of Alex’s advice by clicking here : Ask Alex : Passions and Causes
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
Ask Alex : Passions and Causes
Lifestyle November 1, 2020
Hey Alex!
I was recently on Facebook and came across an article from a local news station about a man who was charged with animal cruelty. It made me mad to see, but what made me more mad were the comments under the article. So many people were calling for a harsh punishment and I couldn’t help but think why do these people not call for the same justice when it comes to child abuse!?! How can you value a dog’s life over a human life? I tried to express my opinion but got attacked. What is wrong with people? Am I just wrong in my thinking?
Sincerely,
Confused
Hey Confused!
There is nothing wrong with being passionate about an injustice taking place in the world, but there is something wrong with judging another person’s passion.
I think that most people can agree on some universal wrongs. Most would agree that there is no justification for abuse of any kind, whether animal or human, and I think you expressed this in your letter. While you value human life more than that of an animal, your statement of “It made me mad to see” shows that you also feel animal abuse is wrong.
With that in mind, I would also bet that these same people who are passionate about animal rights would also stand beside you on cases of human abuse. They just might not be as vocal.
If we all shared the same passions, the world would be way off balance. We would have areas of society reaching perfection while everything else falls apart. Let people have their passions. Let them fight for a greater good that most can agree on. You have to tackle a problem from all sides, so let them battle their battle and you battle yours. And show your support when it is something you can agree needs to be changed, whether it is your passion or not.
Sincerely,
Alex
You can check out more of Alex’s advice by clicking here : Ask Alex : Who Did You Vote For?
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
Ask Alex : Survivor’s Guilt
Lifestyle October 18, 2020
Hey Alex!
About a year ago I was in a horrible car accident. Me and my best friend were out late one night and a drunk driver hit us at an intersection. My best friend didn’t survive and I somehow walked away with almost no injuries. I constantly wonder why I was the one to live and she didn’t. Everyone tells me that I’ve been given a gift, a second chance, but I just can’t seem to find my purpose. I’m afraid I’m going to waste my life. I can’t move forward and I don’t know what to do. How do I live my life to the fullest and honor my friend’s memory?
Sincerely,
Need Direction
Hey Need Direction!
I am so sorry that this tragic accident has happened to you and I am very sorry to hear that you lost your best friend in such a way. It sounds to me that you may be experiencing survivor’s guilt, where you may feel like you have done something wrong by surviving when your friend did not.
I promise you that you have done nothing wrong by surviving and that unfortunately events happen everyday where we simply cannot process the outcomes. If these questions haunt you or impede your life, I would recommend seeing a professional that specializes in this field. This person will be able to give you perspective from years of talking with other people who have gone through similar tragedies.
There is nothing wrong with looking at your surviving as a second chance or as a gift, but don’t dwell on what that means. By wondering about the what ifs of the past and the purpose of your future, you are losing the present moment and when it comes down to it, that is all we can ever truly lose, the present. I don’t think your best friend would want you to lose any of these moments in your life.
The purpose of your life and this gift you have been given is to simply live. Make the best of opportunities, make mistakes, go on adventures, love and keep breathing. Take each moment as it comes, in the present. The best way you can honor your friend is to live your life and carry her memory with you as you do.
Sincerely,
Alex
You can check out more of Alex’s advice by clicking here : Ask Alex : Unwanted Pregnancy
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
Ask Alex will return next week
Lifestyle October 11, 2020
Alex will return next week to offer up advice on all of life’s questions!
You can check out more of Alex’s advice by clicking here : Ask Alex : Unwanted Pregnancy
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
Ask Alex : Unwanted Pregnancy
Lifestyle October 4, 2020
Hey Alex!
I never wanted children and despite precautions being taken here I am with a 12 month old baby boy. I have been married to the father of my child for 5 years and he is an amazing man who loves our baby very much, but I just don’t want to be here anymore. He can tell how miserable I am and he knows that it is because I never wanted a baby. I want to leave and let him raise our child on his own. I honestly think he would be happier and I know that I would be happier too. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Mother of the Year
Hey Mother of the Year!
This is a situation where absolutely no one can tell you what to do. You are going to have to do a lot of soul searching and come to the best conclusion for your child, not for you. I would like to give you my thoughts though and some points that I think you should consider.
First and foremost you need to have a very direct conversation with your husband. I’m sure that you are right and he is picking up on your misery, but you can’t just assume that and you can’t assume that he is perfectly happy having a child. He deserves to know exactly how you feel and what you are thinking. The two of you need to come to a healthy solution together if at all possible.
I do feel that if you are going to leave perhaps it is better not to wait it out and see if your feelings change. A baby that young is likely not to even remember you being a part of their life, which might be better for the child rather than having memories of mom leaving one day. I would caution that if you choose to leave, then be gone. I can only imagine that having a mother who pops in and out of your life periodically would be psychologically damaging for any child.
So whatever decision you make, make it with the mindset that there is no going back. I’m not saying that there is no going back but that your decision should carry this much weight.
Lastly, at a bare minimum if you choose to leave, you will still be financially responsible for this child. We all hear about “deadbeat dads” but there are just as many deadbeat moms, don’t become that person. While you may never have wanted a child; it happened and it is still your responsibility to provide.
Sincerely,
Alex
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
Ask Alex Takes a Week Off
Lifestyle September 27, 2020
Alex will return next week to offer up advice on all of life’s questions!
You can check out more of Alex’s advice by clicking here : Ask Alex : Stressful Life
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
Ask Alex : Stressful Life
Lifestyle September 20, 2020
Hey Alex!
Lately I have been feeling the stress. Nothing out of the ordinary, work and home life, but I think with the state of the world it is making it harder for me to cope. It just seems like everything is going badly. I’ve tried all the regular things, like exercise and meditation to deal, but I just keep finding myself overwhelmed. Do you have any tips or advice on dealing with everyday stress?
Sincerely,
Over It
Hey Over It!
I think the majority of people are feeling the stress nowadays, and I think you are right, the never ending year that is 2020 is playing a big part in that.
The first thing you need to do is disconnect from the negativity, even if just for a few days. World events are very important and in the grand scheme of things does affect us all, but following the constant barrage of event after event can wear on the best of us. Stay informed, watch the news, read the articles, but be mindful of how much time you spend doing this and how you are reacting to it. It never hurts to take a break when needed.
Now as far as dealing with life’s stresses that can sometimes add up, I would like to say that the standard advice is exercise, eating right and getting enough sleep. These are all recommended time and time again and for a reason, they work for many people!
But for a more unconventional approach, you have to reset your mind. The truth is that the events surrounding you do not affect you, how you react to them is what causes your stress. You have to reset your way of thinking. Instead of being overwhelmed with tasks at hand, stop and reflect on how tackling the task will offer you improvement. Every task completed is an opportunity to better your life.
Lastly, make a list of what needs to be done and set your sights on just doing one thing at a time. There is no need to worry about what all is on the list, just focus your time and energy on the one item at hand. Eventually the list will get done.
Sincerely,
Alex
You can check out more of Alex’s advice by clicking here : Ask Alex : High School Rumors
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
L4GA grant brings literacy to all local children
Arts & Entertainment August 2, 2020
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) awarded Union County School System (UCS) $3.2 million over five years to advance literacy efforts.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Paula Davenport was instrumental in UCS receiving the L4GA grant.
As a recipient of the Literacy for Learning, Living, and Leading in Georgia (L4GA) grant, UCS will focus on creating plans for children from birth to 12th grade. Additionally, the school will partner with the community to effectively reach all local children.
UCS was at the top of the list to receive the grant, according to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Paula Davenport.
GaDOE considers “the poverty level of a community, the percentage of students reading below grade level, the recent rate of growth in the number of students reading above grade level, and whether a school is identified for support from the Department of Education’s School Improvement team.”
From a GaDOE release on the program:
“Introduced in 2016, L4GA is a unique approach to improving literacy that pairs community-driven action with research-proven instruction. In its first round, funded by a federal Striving Readers grant of $61.5 million, 38 school districts partnered with early learning and care providers as well as community organizations to implement community efforts and improve classroom instruction. By working together, schools, early learning providers and caretakers, and community leaders are moving the needle on literacy – in 2019, third-grade students showed significant gains in English Language Arts and grade-level reading.”
UCS’s slogan for the program is “literacy is for everyone” or “LIFE” for short. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Davenport explained the school will develop tailored programs to meet each child’s interest from digital books to picture books and graphic novels.
“Whatever it takes to get a child to read,” she added.
Davenport also spoke about how literacy is more than just reading; it’s drawing, listening, and writing. Each area of focus will help children gain a holistic understanding and appreciation of literacy.
The public library, daycare programs, families, and businesses will play an essential role in granting greater access to materials. For instance, parents will be encouraged to read bedtime stories to their children.
With the first planning meeting this week, the initial implementation of the L4GA program will probably be adaptable due to COVID-19. The first year might become more digital to protect the health of everyone involved.
UCS students have scored highly in literacy in the past, but low in writing. Davenport hopes the holistic approach of the L4GA program will lead to an improvement in writing scores as well. Typically, the school uses Milestone test scores to judge students’ abilities, but currently, the most recent data is from 2018-2019. Georgia canceled the Milestone tests for 2019-2020 and could do the same in 2020-2021 because of COVID-19.
L4GA brings together the entire community to support the whole child.
Teams from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University will be collecting data from L4GA districts to document positive practices and gauge the overall impact of the L4GA Project.
A total of 23 schools received the grant for 2019. The award total was $22,101,554.
L4GA 2019 Grantees: Burke County Schools, Butts County Schools, Charlton County Schools, Clayton County Schools, Cook County Schools, Elbert County Schools, GaDOE State Schools, Glascock County Schools, Grady County Schools, Haralson County Schools, Lanier County Schools, Liberty County Schools, Newton County Schools, Paulding County Schools, Pike County Schools, Pulaski County Schools, Rockdale County Schools, Terrell County Schools, Toombs County Schools, Treutlen County Schools, Troup County Schools, Union County Schools, and Vidalia City Schools.
“School districts selected for the first round of L4GA funding made great strides in student literacy learning,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I’m eager to see the progress made by our new grant recipients in the coming years. Making sure students are reading on grade-level remains mission-critical, top-priority work for the Georgia Department of Education, and we continue to seek all possible opportunities to support that work at the school and district level.”
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The Celebration of Life for “Colonel” Oscar Poole
Featured Stories June 7, 2020
On this day of June 3rd 2020, family and friends of “Colonel” Oscar Poole gathered around to celebrate his life and legacy, at Pooles BBQ. He was loved by many and was always friends with any person he came across. He may be gone, but never forgotten.
Ask Alex : Family Heirlooms
Lifestyle May 17, 2020
Hey Alex!
I recently had a family member pass a month back. It took a bit to work through the things, and she left me some rather expensive china. I really appreciate the thought, but I don’t really care to own fancy dishes. I was close with her, and I understand sentimental value, but I also don’t want to just have this stuff boxed up to never be seen again in the name of that sentimental value. Am I a bad relative if I sell it? Should I wait a certain amount of time before I do?
Sincerely,
Unsentimental
Hey Unsentimental!
It’s true, people today don’t value the same things that generations before us did. There has been a lot of research done showing that the younger generations prefer to have less “things” and a set of china would definitely fall into this list of items that the youthful are doing without.
Good news, you are not a bad relative for seeing that this is something that you would not use and that would remain in storage! Take the time to acknowledge that your family member thought enough of you to leave you a treasured possession, but then realize that this same family member would probably want you to use it in any way that brings you joy.
If selling the items provides you money to purchase something you really need or want, then the family member who passed would likely be happy to see that you were able to get purpose out of the china that was left to you.
Before selling be sure to check with other family members first. Proper etiquette dictates that other family members who might have use and sentimental attachment, get first dibs. If no family claims it, then by all means sell and give thanks to your relative for remembering you and helping you to get what you want in your life.
Sincerely,
Alex
You can check out more of Alex’s advice by clicking here : Ask Alex : Pressure to have Children
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
Ask Alex : Pressure to have children
Lifestyle May 10, 2020
Hey Alex!
I recently got married. My husband and I had been dating for 5 years prior to marriage but we both decided to wait until we graduated college to take the plunge. Since we’ve been married, both of our parents have been pushing for us to have children. They are light hearted about it and say everything in a joking way but we are starting to feel the pressure.
We had talked before we got married about having children and we both want them, but are trying to wait until we become more established in our careers and our lives. I know our parents won’t be around forever and I would really regret them not having the joy of having grandchildren if we wait too long. Are we being selfish by waiting to have children?
Sincerely,
Feeling Rushed
Hey Rushed!
Thank you for asking this question. This is a common issue that a lot of young couples face, feeling the pressure by parents to produce those “grand babies”.
It sounds like you and your husband have a clear picture of the future you want to have together, and as much as you love your parents and he loves his, this is your life together and your new family you are forming, so take your time and live the life you want.
I understand regret, and if any of your parents were to go before the two of you decide to have a child, there would be a regret that they didn’t get to meet their grandchildren. But this regret will be there no matter when they pass. If your child happens to be fifteen when they go, you’ll regret that they didn’t get to see their grandchild drive or graduate high school. If older, you will regret that they didn’t get to see their grandchild get married or meet their great-grandchildren. This is just part of the living experience, so don’t let these feelings dictate your path, especially on such an important life-changing decision.
From your letter, I get the feeling that you have a good, close relationship with your parents and your husband has the same connection with his. This would mean that you are your parents’ first love and deep down they would never want you to do something that would make you unhappy or make it to where you end up not living your life to the fullest.
You should have a conversation with them and let them know your plans. Based on what you’ve said, I would think they would be completely supportive of your decision.
The bottom line is, that this is your life and you need to take care of yourself and do things at your own pace. Are you doing what makes you happy and makes the most sense for your own well being?
Sincerely,
Alex
You can check out more of Alex’s advice by clicking here: Ask Alex : New Neighbors
If you enjoy reading Alex’s advice, send in your questions or situations to [email protected]. Each week, Alex will answer a new question or provide some friendly advice on issues we deal with every day. Whether it’s serious, fun, interesting, or you’re just stuck, send in your questions to Ask Alex for a little bit of outside perspective on life.
Ask the Doc! Surface Time
Lifestyle April 26, 2020
Is there such a thing as surface time for COVID-19? If so, is there a cure for it other than chemicals? BKP asks Dr. Whaley and Dr. Tidman. Their answer is sunlight. Does this mean that the summer months could be the cure-all?
Sponsored by North Georgia Cancer Research Specialists, affiliated with Northside Hospital, you can follow more on Ask the Doc! through the dedicated playlist on FYNTV’s Youtube channel and check out a wider variety of shows there as well.