Desert Messenger

6 www.DesertMessenger.com March 17, 2021 DESERT MESSENGER Quartzsite's FREE Community Paper Proud to be a Quartzsite Licensed Business 928-916-4235 O� T��� - E���� T���! Founded by Walt Akin October 1, 2004 P�������� �� P���� R��� P��������� C�. P.O. Box 3185 Quartzsite, AZ 85359 P�������� ����� � ����� 1st & 3rd Wednesday Sept. thru May with Special Summer Editions June, July & August OWNER/EDITOR/PUBLISHER GRAPHIC DESIGN/ AP AR MARKETING EXECUTIVE/CLASSIFIEDS Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear CONTRIBUTING JOURNALIST Jackie Deal CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Starr BearCat NAME PLATE DESIGN Paul Winer www.DesertMessenger.com www.MyQuartzsite.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com 2020 © Copyright All Rights Reserved Copyright 2013 Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Desert Messenger. LIKE US on Facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews FOLLOW US on Twitter @QuartzsiteRain By Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear QUARTZSITE ROCKS! Licensed & Insured BLM Approved! 27 Years Experience 27 Years Experience Miller RV Repair is BACK IN QUARTZSITE! 406-212-0155 "Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us." ~ Boris Pasternak By Ruby Bonham When we look at our world today the words that most often come to mind are: Chaos, Horror, Hopelessness, Fear, An- ger, Pandemic. Of all these words Fear is the root that triggers the rest. Fear of the unknown, fear of being out of control and fear of a pandemic that we neither saw coming nor know how to cope with. Anger at people of different colors, an- ger at being asked to wear a mask, anger taken out on others to hide their own fear. Hopelessness at jobs lost, homes lost and lives lost. Chaos results from misinforma- tion that leads to man turning on man in an eruption of violence. Our TV's tell us hour after hour, day after day and month after month of the horrors that surround us. Listen and you will hear the sound of tears and unbearable grief around the world of the ones left behind, who could not have imagined for a moment this state of sorrow. Where will it end? There are many things in life, and al- ways have been, of which we have no con- trol. What we do have are choices of how we react to them. We can choose from the emotions above or we can choose, Compassion, Helpfulness, Support, Good Deeds and Love. Our health care work- ers and hospital staff are exhausted and emotionally depleted by what they see and experience every day and yet they move on to the next patient and the next. They do everything in their power to save each one and when that isn't possible they hold them and love them and ease them into the next life. They choose to do these things at great cost to themselves and their fami- lies. Store employees go to work each day to insure that we have food and necessi- ties for our health and well being. School children create businesses to give to those less fortunate than themselves. People wear masks and distance to not only keep themselves safe but to protect perfect strangers that they might meet along their way. Choices: Positive or Negative? Words and thoughts are very powerful. They can hurt or heal. Although it doesn't seem possible right now, good will come out of this time in history. If you are un- able to physically help then use your power of words and thoughts to strengthen our Nation. See the disruptors as fearful little children and send them love not anger or retaliation. Words and thoughts are pow- erful; choose the right ones. Choices "SHIFT Happens!" As you may have noticed, the March 3rd edition of the Desert Messenger was missing in action. As was I. On March 1st, I suffered multiple small strokes. I had surgery the next day, and my life was turned upside down. Spend- ing four days in the hospital was not what I had planned. I actually grabbed my laptop, thinking I could work on the paper from the hospital. Well, that obviously didn't happen. The neurological team was more in- terested in how my brain had been affected by the series of watershed strokes. Imagine that! For all you conspiracy theory folks, getting the vaccine weeks prior had nothing to do with my stroke. I ignored years of high cholesterol and two months of major vision changes. Don't be like me! I did learn the virus can cause strokes, so get your vaccine! I am so grateful that my left arm and leg functions have returned to almost normal. My voice is still a bit wacky and I have diffi culty in pronounc- ing some words. As a typical Aries, though, I decided to test myself with publishing this edition. Could I actu- ally do it? It has been very challeng- ing typing, designing ads, putting the puzzle pieces of this paper together. I have lost a lot of my speed typing skills and physical stamina. And it's been extremely exhausting. I would work a half hour, then sleep an hour; work an hour then sleep two hours. As I refl ect on the last year of COV- ID-19, I realized how stressful it has been for me. This time last year, ad- vertisers were closing their business- es. I published the March 18th CO- VID-19 edition fi lled with everything the public needed to know about this crazy virus at that time. I'm grate- ful for the past year of learning and sharing the information to help keep the public safe. Every morning for al- most one solid year, I was posting the Arizona and La Paz County Corona- virus numbers. Now that the vaccine is here and the state's case numbers are lowering, there's hope on the ho- rizon, but keep wearing your mask and social distancing! Let's make it to the goal line! It's been quite a year and I really appreciate the advertisers who stuck in there and the donations I received to keep the paper going. Your support really has touched my heart. Another surgery is planned in the near future to help prevent more strokes. When you fl y on an airplane, the fl ight attendant instructs you to "put your oxygen mask on fi rst," before helping others. So, with that in mind, and as the season winds down, I have decided to put the Desert Messenger on hiatus until the fall to focus on my healing pro- cess. I will continue to update the community via the Desert Messen- ger News Facebook Page. This has not been an easy decision to make at all. I really didn't want to make a decision, but the universe put this in my path. I don't have it all fi gured out yet, but keep the faith and we'll get through this together! How to make Spirit laugh? Make a plan! ~Rain

• Cover