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6 www.DesertMessenger.com DESERT MESSENGER Quartzsite s FREE Community Paper Founded by Walt Akin October 1, 2004 By Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear EDITORIAL P�������� �� P���� R��� P��������� C�. When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others. ~ Dalai Lama P�������� ����� � ����� How much gratefulness do you hold in your life today? P.O. Box 3185 Quartzsite, AZ 85359 1st & 3rd Wednesday Sept. thru May with Special Summer Editions June, July & August EDITOR/PUBLISHER Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear CONTRIBUTING JOURNALIST Joanne Winer GUEST COLUMNIST Louise Rouse GUEST COLUMNIST Jedidiah Free GUEST COLUMNIST The late Rosalee O Wheeler GUEST COLUMNIST Violet Kiss CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Starr BearCat NAME PLATE LETTERING Paul Winer www.DesertMessenger.com www.MyQuartzsite.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com Copyright 2013 Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Desert Messenger. LIKE US on Facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews FOLLOW US on Twitter @QuartzsiteRain A Quartzsite Licensed Business 928-916-4235 541-218-2560 Copyright 2013 It's really a very simple concept, but after Monday's explosions at the Boston Marathon, fear can take hold of us so easily. Just hours before going to print on this issue, the news hit the wire. I can feel the fear and pain of those suffering. My editorial originally focused on gratitude of what we have in Quartzsite. Deadlines dictate how this editorial flows, not necessarily perfection. But how do we reconcile our own fears of the unknown along with feelings of sadness with having gratitude for our life? When events such as this happen, fear leaps into our being and the best thing we can do is breathe and not give in to the panic. Be mindful of LETTERS TO EDITOR POLICY Desert Messenger encourages letters from its readers. Letters should be no longer than 300 words, and may be edited for grammar, content and length. OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF THE DESERT MESSENGER. We invite you to not only see a problem, but search for the solution to share with the community, keeping the bene�it of all in mind. Letters considered libelous, in poor taste, on a personal issue, mean spirited or dominated by Scripture quotes will not be published. Third party letters will not be accepted. To avoid confusion over people with common or similar names, writers must provide a full name and indicate the name they are known by. Writers must provide a full street address and phone number. Rvers can provide the location of park/BLM land, etc. Street addresses will not be published. Phone numbers are for veri�ication only and will not be printed. Mail letters to: Desert Messenger, P.O. Box 3185, Quartzsite, AZ 85359 or E-mail to: desertmessenger7@yahoo.com 928-916-4235 April 17, 2013 your children's fears, too, by reducing their access of the news. Last week I attended the Healthy La Paz meeting held by the La Paz County Health Dept. The statistics shared could be viewed as grim. Or it could be viewed as an opportunity for us to work on. We learned that La Paz County is the "laziest county in the state" according to Katie Turnbow. Participants had some lively discussions about how to address the issues. Many residents don't have access to parks, exercise, transportation to medical. However, residents and visitors in Quartzsite have access to a wonderful Town Park with a football field, baseball field, disc golf, exercise trail, skateboard park, RC Car Track, children's playground, picnic tables, shaded areas for parties and dances, and much more! Anyone who has spent much time in Quartzsite knows how many people are out walking along our beautiful 2 yearold Walking Path and along the side streets early in the mornings. The Town of Quartzsite also maintains a wonderful transit service for our elderly and disabled residents and visitors. Citizens can make travel to doctor appointments with ease of scheduling in advance. The transit schedule is listed on page 9. During the Healthy La Paz meetings I've attended over the past year, it was DEADLINE IS WED. APRIL 24 for MAY 1ST issue of the Desert Messenger Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com Phone: 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com heard many times, "Well, we (Parker) don't have what Quartzsite has." "You are so lucky to live in Quartzsite, with your park and walking paths!" Sure, Quartzsite has it's issues, but when we remember how blessed we are to have the many amenities that others in the county only dream about, our attitude of gratitude grows and respect of others increases. As Dalai Lama visits my home state of Oregon next month, my family and friends will have the opportunity to visit with His Holiness and experience his smiling attitude of gratitude. His smile and attitude of peacefulness permeate everywhere around him. While writing this piece, I am touching into that peacefulness to complete the work ahead of me, even as I listen to the live reports and news of the horrific details of the Boston Marathon explosions. It's obvious that those who caused so much harm to innocent people Monday do not hold gratitude in their lives. Respect for life and respect for others as individuals are seriously lacking in our society today. We can come together as a community to heal the wounds of our past, and pray for those who suffer, or we can get carried away with our anger. We all have choices on how to deal with our emotions. When fear creeps in, remember to take a deep breath, all the way from your belly. Way down deep. Think of the Dalai Lama or Jesus, or any peaceful leaders and how they would handle this tragedy. We can turn our frustration into gratitude by remembering that we do have much to be grateful for right here in our own community. Check on your neighbors, take a bottle of water to your friend, and wave to the folks walking in the morning. We are all in this together! By focusing on our strengths and assets, we can become a resilient and healthy community. Debbie, Cheyanne and Sandy are glad to have Janna, Linda, Sheryl, Jo and Beth back and they are all ready to serve you. We also have Linda, formally with Headhunters, now at our salon. Sandy is out of school now offering Therapeutic Massage. Come and see us for ALL your Hair, Nail and Pedicure Needs! Corner of Moon Mt. & Cowell • Quartzsite • QUARTZSITE S ONLY YEAR ROUND SALON 928-927-5400