Marion Tribune

Opinion The Marion Tribune May 30, 2024 5A Reproduction of all matter herein is prohibited without the expressed written consent of the publisher. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ALL letters must be signed and a street address and telephone number provided. The address and telephone number will not be published, but used to verify the authorship of the letter. Email Letters to: llimadasilva@mariontribune.com ADVERTISING POLICIES In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods at less than the proper price, The Marion Tribune will furnish a letter to the advertiser stating the correct price to be posted in the place of business. Or, the newspaper will (when contacted within 48 hours of the error) publish the material correctly in a space equal to the space in which the error occurred plus additional space for the store signature. The Marion Tribune accepts no liability for failure to publish advertising. The newspaper accepts no liability for any error appearing in any advertisement that has been proofread by the advertiser unless such errors occur after the corrections have been made. All advertising copy is subject to the publisher’s approval. SUBSCRIPTIONS, SERVICE, BILLING To start/stop delivery; miss your paper or discuss your bill call customer serviceMonday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (931) 455-4545. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Combination: The Marion Tribune one year $35.00. PUBLISHER CIRCULATION MANAGER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR EDITOR GENERAL MANAGER Keith Ponder Amanda Mitchell Joe Martin Lacie Silva Allison Richards Vol. 1 - No. 1 1 Section - 12 Pages www.mariontribune.com CONTACT US (423) 590-6397 100 Betsy Pack Dr. Suite 204 Jasper, 37347 MarionTribune , Copyright © 2023 by The Tullahoma News is published Weekly by The Tullahoma News, 505 Lake Way Place,Tullahoma,TN 37388. Periodicals postage is pending at Jasper,TN POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Tullahoma News, Circulation Customer Service Department at 505 LakeWay Place,Tullahoma,TN 37388. The Marion Tribune lli adasilva ariontribune.com Vol. 1 – No. 44 1 Section – 10 ages Open Mouth, Insert Foot E ver since I was a teenager, I have talked for a living. You would think that some- one with my vast speaking experi- ence would al- ways say the right things. You would be wrong. I have uttered many words I wish I could take back. Sure, some of them were in- nocent mistakes. Like the time I was emcee- ing a beauty pageant, describing the swimsuit- clad young woman as having “brown eyes and green hair.” I mixed up the two. The audience laughed, as I kept on babbling. I soon noticed the lovely contestant had a horri fi ed look on her face. I mean, how would you feel, on stage in a revealing swimsuit and people are laugh- ing? To top it o ff , I soon learned the young lady was deaf. She had no idea the laughter was aimed at me. Nice job, Dave. Other times, it was simply a case of not knowing when to shut up. I was attending a college football game, sitting with other fans at halftime. The band from the visiting school was absolutely world class. They fi nished their program, and I turned to a nearby acquain- tance, who was standing and clapping in ap- preciation. He said, “They are really some- thing, aren’t they?” I agreed. “They are fan- tastic,” I replied. I asked, “What are we doing wrong at our school? Why can’t we have a good band like that?” My friend paused and said, “Well you know my daughter’s in the band, and they’re trying very hard.” I sat down and became very quiet, a few seconds too late. The list goes on. I greeted an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. He looked thin and fi t. I had remembered him as being overweight for most of his life. I sauntered up to him, and said, “Greg, I don’t know what you’ve been doing, but you look great! How about sharing your secret with me. Lord knows I could stand to lose a few pounds.” He paused and said, “Oh, you don’t want to go through what I’ve been through. That cancer just about killed me.” (Note to self: Think fi rst, speak later.) I’mnot the only one. Here’s one that sounds like something I would say, but I haven’t, not yet anyway. I’ve seen this fi rst hand, and now I know better. “Susan! Look at you! When’s your baby due? Or are you having two?” Lesson learned: unless you are absolutely, positively 100 percent sure that Susan is pregnant, don’t go there. If Susan has just gained some weight around the middle, she will never forget you. I would also be advise you to be careful when talking with a friend about their love life. A female friend got engaged. Her fi ancée soon began misbehaving, and my friend broke o ff the engagement. She needed to talk to someone about it, and I o ff ered to listen. She said he had broken her heart. She sobbed endlessly, describing his misdeeds. I told her that she had done the right thing, because he was a lowdown, no good scoundrel who did not deserve her. I said some awful things about the guy, because he had deeply hurt my friend. You guessed it. About a month later this seemingly irreparable rift had been healed. She forgave him, as if nothing had ever happened. Now what could I say? I had trashed the love of her life. I no longer o ff er free romantic advice. Unfortunately, my streak of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time shows no signs of stopping. I recently congratulated a friend on a new baby girl. I had skimmed over his celebratory Facebook post, but I didn’t read it carefully. “Hey Eric, I saw the good news!” “Thanks,” he replied, “We’re really excited.” Of course I couldn’t shut up. “So do you think the little angel looks like you or your wife?” He paused and said, “Well, neither of us really. We adopted her.” He showed me a pic on his phone. The child was clearly of another race. Like the comedian Ron White once said, I have the right to remain silent. I just don’t have the ability. David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his new book “I Won’t Be Your Escape Goat” is available on his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com Quizzical Quarters Pigs can’t look up into the sky. The anatomy of their spine and neck muscles limits their movement and restricts their head from being able to look upwards. Dear Savvy Senior, What is the best way to ensure my pets are taken care of after I’m gone? I have two dogs and a cat that are my four-legged family, and I want to make sure they’ll be well taken care of after I die. Solo Senior Dear Solo, It’s a great question. Every year, approximately 500,000 cats and dogs enter shelters when their pet parents experience an emergency or pass away. Without a proper plan in place for the future care of your pets, they are at risk of ending up in a shelter where they could be euthanized. To avoid this terrifying scenario and ensure your furry family is cared for both physically and fi nancially after you’re gone, you should consider including them in your estate plan. Talk to your attorney about how to insert them in your will or trust in accordance with your state’s laws. Here’s what you’ll need to do. Wills If you already have a will or are planning to make one, you could simply add in a trusted caretaker clause for your pets, along with an alternative if your fi rst choice falls through. You should also set aside money in your will for your pet’s care with an explanation of how the funds should be spent. To determine how much to leave, multiply your pet’s annual food, care and medical costs by their life expectancies. You may want to add a separate document, called a letter of instruction, describing your pet’s routine, food and medication. But be aware that even with this provision in your will the caretaker is not legally obligated to follow your instructions, spend the money as you intended or send the pet to another caretaker that you’ve named. Once the money is distributed to the caretaker, it’s an honor system. Trusts Another option is to create a pet trust, which provides more legal protections. Depending on your state’s laws (see aspca.org/pet-care/pet-planning/pet- trust-laws ), you could set up either a revocable pet trust, which can be changed or canceled during your lifetime, or an irrevocable pet trust that can’t be reversed. A pet trust can be completely separate or part of an existing trust that encompasses your other assets. Along with appointing a trustee to manage your trust’s fi nances, you name your pet’s caretaker (who could also serve as the trustee), and any alternative caretakers, as well as an optional trust protector for added oversight of the trustee given that the bene fi ciary (your pets) can’t defend their own rights. Unlike a will, the caretaker has a fi duciary duty to follow your letter of instruction if you include one. The cost for a living trust ranges anywhere between $1,000 to $3,000, while a will typically costs between $200 and $1,000. There are also cheaper do-it-yourself resources for making a simple will or trust, like Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust ( Nolo.com , $99) and Trust & Will ( TrustandWill.com , $159). Or, if that’s more than you’re willing to pay, you can make your will for free at FreeWill.com or DoYourOwnWill.com . Other Arrangements If you don’t have anyone who would be willing to take care of your pets after you’re gone, you should make arrangements to leave them to an animal retirement home, a rescue, humane society, pet care program or other animal welfare group. Many of these organizations fi nd new homes for pets or o ff er lifetime care but may require a fee or donation. Talk to your veterinarian about the options available in your area. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. By David Carroll Protecting Your Pets After You’re Gone