Making a decision can be quite difficult sometimes, especially when there is a plethora of options spread out in front of me. Which one do I latch onto? Which one do I put all my focus on to examine more thoroughly? Which one is most important, most interesting, or most educational?

This is my thought process, generally, when I pick a topic to write for my column each week. But occasionally, like this week, I can’t seem to make a decision. So instead, I’m just going to share a short blurb on several topics:

The NCAA decided recently that NC State freshman Braxton Beverly will have to sit on the bench a year before he can play on the Wolfpack basketball team. This comes on a technicality because he enrolled early and took summer session classes at Ohio State University, thus qualifying him as a “transfer student.” I know a lot of State fans have gotten very angry by this decision, but I’m just disappointed. Disappointed that the NCAA grants waivers and exceptions all the time, but not in this instance where the guy’s only mistake was attempting to get a head start on his education. It’s not even that I’m angry about how this affects the basketball team—because I think we’ll have a nice team to watch either way—but how this affects the student himself.

Speaking of disappointments, I’m displeased that Northampton County was not selected to receive the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund grant for $15 million they had recently applied for. The money would have been used to build a new high school in a more centralized location in the county. At least there will be an opportunity to apply for the grant again next year. Perhaps then someone in charge of doling out grants will pay attention to the needs of the county’s students.

Speaking of education, I think some people around here need to take Driver’s Ed courses again. I recently drove up to the Washington, DC area for the weekend, and upon my return, I noticed something interesting. By comparison, it felt like more people recklessly pull out in front of my car in Ahoskie every day than they did while I was traversing a major interstate to our nation’s capital. Please drive safely! I know we can do better.

Speaking of the weekend—opening weekend, that is—I went to see the latest Marvel movie in the ever-expanding superhero franchise. “Thor: Ragnarok,” the third movie starring Chris Hemsworth as the comic book version of the Norse god of thunder, was every bit as fun as the trailer made it seem. It certainly helped that the movie was directed by Taika Waititi who is known for his films such as “What we do in the shadows,” a mockumentary-style comedy about four vampires who live in modern day New Zealand. I’d recommend both films, especially as something to watch when you have a break during the upcoming holiday season.

Speaking of holidays, let’s not overlook Veterans Day which is squeezed in between Halloween and Thanksgiving during the rush of the holiday season. The day to recognize the veterans of our country’s military falls on November 11 each year (because it originally commemorated the end of World War I as well). Several ceremonies and parades will be held locally throughout the Roanoke-Chowan area for interested people to attend. Thank you to all our local veterans for serving in the military to keep us safe here at home.

Lastly, I would like to share a brief story. I was talking to a friend the other day, and we were both complaining about frustrating situations. But once we were done getting our complaints out, I suggested that we look at bad situations as a “learning experience.” Instead of dwelling on all the awful parts, try to find the positives. Try to remember the experience to hopefully avoid letting it happen again. My friend agreed that seemed like a good outlook to have. I know it’s difficult to do most of the time, but it really does help if you want to move forward.

So that’s just a few thoughts I had swirling around in my head this week.

 

Holly Taylor is a Staff Writer at Roanoke-Chowan Publications. Contact her at holly.taylor@r-cnews.com or by phone at 252-332-7206.