Saturday, March 5, 2016

Singleton encouraged readers to 'find good in everything and look for beauty around you'

George Buster Singleton
(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Find good in everything and look for beauty around you” was originally published in the March 8, 2001 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

Now is the time of year to begin to put aside the heavy clothing and the many items that have been necessary to survive the cold winter months. The time is now before us to go forth with the fresh mornings of the coming spring and become a part of the living world.

Put aside the television programs and reach for your work gloves and something to dig the ground with. Roll up your sleeves and tackle that flower bed that has long been in need of some work. Take on that fencerow or get eyeball to eyeball with those weeds and the other undesirables that clutter up the yard.

If yard work is not your cup of tea, build a bird feeder. If you are not the creative type, buy one. This will be one of your cheapest investments. Watch the beautiful creatures as they prance and strut for your enjoyment only; become a part of the world around you.

If none of the above is of your choosing, pick a place where you can walk in the woods and watch nature blossom forth in all its splendor and beauty. See God’s creation first hand and marvel at the little things that have gone unnoticed for these many years.

Take notice as to how careful the Creator has been, and is being, in the management of His world. Become a part of the works of our living God. Feel His presence around you. Learn to know Him and walk with Him; look to Him as a friend and a companion. He is always with you, always at your side. Marvel at His universe, and let Him know that all is well within your soul.

Seek out the high places, and when you have found that special spot, pause for a moment. Don’t be ashamed to raise your arms to the heavens, thanking the Great Spirit that you have been allowed to witness His magnitude and greatness. Don’t be ashamed if tears burst forth; feel the eternal that is about you and within your surroundings.

Remember that you are a part of this plan; you have a place within His creation. You have a right to be here; this world is yours, if you accept the challenge. This life is what you make of it; you can plan and discipline yourself for the enjoyment that will come from it. Or you can throw all the happiness aside and live in agony and depression. Only you can make this decision; no one has the power to decide for you.

The news programs are full of the many suicides and murders among our teenage population of this country. What a waste, what a pity, that these young people have wasted such precious time when life could have been so beautiful. These tragic happenings have such simple answers: some personal discipline, a sprinkling of family love and togetherness, and becoming a part of your surroundings. Then, after all of the above, create a driving desire to be what you are supposed to be, a child of the universe.

No amount of money or wealth, no political party, or inside assistance can buy this place for you. Gaining your place in life has to be done by none other than yourself; only the love of your surroundings and the driving desire to find this place within the contentment and peace that is here for all. Demand and reach for your place in the sun, and this place in the sun that I speak of, if forever near, if only we seek.

So don’t wait any longer, as the coming spring blossoms, go forth with all the passions that you can muster. Clear your mind of all that might hinder you from reaching your goal. Put aside anything that might become a stumbling block in the path of life. Be at peace with yourself and travel only the high road. Soar with the eagles, and watch from a distance all of those that may want to drag you down and make you unhappy.

Find some good in everything that you undertake; seek out the beauty in all that is before you. Remember, there is beauty in everything that He, our Creator, has placed here on this earth and in the heavens above us. The impossible is for those who seek it; the high peaks are reached by those who dare climb. Be happy; ride the winds. A verse from the books of Isaiah, my favorite, may say it better:

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School, served in the Korean War, moved to Monroe County in 1961 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from 1964 to 1987. For years, Singleton’s column “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)

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