MCT-2024-08-01

Opinion The Marion Tribune August 1, 2024 5A I Won’t Back Down L et me tell you a story. It’s mostly about me. Now that I’ve lost about 50% of potential readers, I hope the rest of you will sit back and enjoy a tale that begins with satire before veering into romance and con fl ict, and then ending up in politics. Back in the 1980s, my beloved city of Chattanooga concocted a summertime event called the Kudzu Ball. It was a brazen parody of the Cotton Ball, a revered local tradition. The Cotton Ball dates back to 1933. As a child, I would see the annual photo spread in the Chattanooga paper. This was not a gala to which I would ever be invited. Rural Alabama laborers were not a part of the Cotton Ball glitterati. I would be the proverbial “dropping” in the punch bowl. The Cotton Ball, as my grandparents would say, was for “them with money.” It was a coming out party for the well-to-do debutantes. The fi nale was the crowning of the Cotton Ball King and Queen. The teen Queen was always resplendent in her gown, and she was paired with the King, who was typically a middle- aged banking executive. Not creepy at all. It was invitation-only, for the top one-percent. The rest of us would look at those newspaper pics with a mixture of envy and hilarity. The jokesters among us concocted the Kudzu Ball as a combination of a good time, a charity fundraiser, and a form of revenge therapy. Instead of sipping fi ne wine, beer was chugged. As an alternative to saluting the south’s cherished cotton crop, we saluted the scourge that is the invasive kudzu vine. Kudzu-based attire was encouraged, but not required. Nowmy story takes a turn. One year, the Kudzu Ball organizers needed an emcee for the costume contest. The Cotton Ball had the same emcee every year, a local actor-singer who oozed elegance. The Kudzu crew wanted just the opposite. Someone who aimed low, and could hit that target. They immediately selected me, and I was honored to be among my own kind. The costume contest rewarded those with creativity and a sense of humor. Some employers encouraged their workforce to compete. My wife Cindy joined her o ffi ce mates in creating kudzu- wear. To her credit, she went full tilt kudzu, spending hours morphing into a Kudzilla monster. Her out fi t was a standout. So much so, the judges awarded her fi rst place. Keep in mind, this honor came with no real rewards. The prize, like everything else associated with this fi asco, was cheap and stupid. You know, one of those fake trophies that sits on your desk until you take your forearm and swipe everything into the trash can. That was the coveted fi rst prize. Despite the silliness of it all, one good ol’ boy was o ff ended that my wife got top honors. As we began to leave, Bubba confronted her. “You only won because you’re married to the emcee!’ I took umbrage at this challenge to my wife’s honor. Quite out of character, I got right in the guy’s face. (Keep in mind, I am not a large man. I had never been in a fi ght. Bubba looked like he had sparred a round or two. I do not drink. Bubba was drunker than Cooter Brown at his cousins’ wedding. And yes, that apostrophe is in the right place.) Something clicked inside me, and I was ready to fi ght. I defended my wife, and the bully backed o ff . I was as surprised as anyone, and more relieved than everyone. I still can’t believe I was that bold. You can call me anything you want, but don’t mess with my family. My wife never forgot that. She was never more proud of me. I was reminded of this recently while watching a political convention. A US Senator from Texas was gushing over a presidential candidate. A few years earlier, that same candidate had referred to the Senator’s wife as “ugly.” The Senator never did stand up for his wife. Doing so might have cost him some points with the candidate’s fans. Thank God I am not a politician. I am glad I can look into the mirror without shame. 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. Youmay contact himat 900Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@ yahoo.com Creative Corner 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. Deadline for consideration for publication in the following edition is noon on Mondays. Letters will run in a first-come basis, persons wishing to be published may contact the editor for more information on guidelines and requirements. 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SUBSCRIPTION RATES Combination: The Marion Tribune one year $37.00. CIRCULATION MANAGER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR EDITOR GENERAL MANAGER Amanda Mitchell Joe Martin Lacie Silva Allison Richards Vol. 2 - No. 1 1 Section - XX 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. USPS 25765 published weekly at 505 Lakeway Place, Tullahoma, TN 37388. Periodicals postage paid at Jasper and additional offices. Postmaster send address changes to Marion Tribune, 100 Betsy Pack Dr Suite 204, Jasper, TN 37347-3523 The Marion Tribune Vol. 2 - No. 1 Section - 10 Pages Your Voice God is glori fi ed by your voice. The church reverberates with love. Yet it is my voice that makes yours fi rst choice. I got no vocal skill from up above. It is my dreadful, sad singing That makes another’s talent shine, That makes us beg for a fi ne voice to keep bringing Us to the Father time after time. Let the choir join their voices In a melodious sweet sounding hymn Sung by God’s own perfect choices Gifted that they might glorify him. Bless the congregation with a fervent focus On the worship of Jesus Christ As the sanctuary fi lls with the Holy Ghost And every prayer to heaven feels right. I woke on Sunday morning And began my daily prayer. May our Lord appear without warning. I am gone to church. I hope to see you there. Dear Savvy Senior, I recently received an email that I needed to update my online Social Security account. Is this legit or is it a scam? Suspicious Susan Dear Susan, The Social Security Administration did indeed send out a legitimate email last month to notify recipients that they are making changes to the way you access Social Security’s online services, including your personal “my Social Security” account. The changes will simplify your sign- in experience and align with federal authentication standards, while at the same time provide you safe and secure access to your account and other online services. If you created an online my Social Security account before September 18, 2021, you’ll need to shift to a Login.gov account to be able to continue to access your account. Online my Social Security accounts enable both bene fi ciaries and people who are not yet receiving bene fi ts to access services, including requesting Social Security card replacements, estimating future bene fi ts, checking on the status of bene fi t applications and managing current bene fi ts. The online services aim to save time for both current and future bene fi ciaries, as well as the Social Security Administration, as the agency grapples with long wait times for its national 800 phone number. The average speed to answer those calls was about 36 minutes in the second quarter, according to the SSA. The agency is working to bring that average wait time down to 12 minutes by the end of September 2025. Update Your Account If you already have a my Social Security account, go to ssa.gov/ myaccount and sign in with your Social Security username. You’ll then be guided through the process of creating a new account with Login.gov . Once you successfully link your personal my Social Security account with your new Login.gov account, you’ll get a con fi rmation screen and have immediate access to online services. In the future, you’ll sign into your account with Login.gov and not your Social Security username. If you already have either a Login. gov or ID.me account, you do not have to take any action. Beware of Scams To be sure you’re taking the appropriate steps to update your account, it is important to verify any websites or links leading you to the Social Security website. Legitimate Social Security Administration website link is www.ssa.gov and the agency link to my Social Security account is www.ssa.gov/myaccount . It’s very important to be mindful of potential scam artists who may send you fraudulent websites pretending to direct you to Social Security. These sites will closely mimic the format of the agency’s links to try to lure you into entering your personal information. If you see a suspicious email or link, it is best not to respond or click on it. Instead, you can report it to the website of the SSA’s O ffi ce of the Inspector General or call the fraud hotline at 800-269-0271. 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 John Christof This is not a scam: Social Security needs you to update your online account