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7 MAY 04: WHO-DAT?

So I don't seem self-centered, let's reverse our usual order today and begin with a....

BLOG UPDATE: Thursday was deadline day in the drive to recall Muscogee County Sheriff Ralph Johnson. The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition needed about 30,000 signatures - but wound up with only about 1,600. Wow! The Columbus Cottonmouths had more support than that....

Rainbow/PUSH President Dr. William Howell is clinging to a legality, in hopes of recalling the Sheriff. He says the recall petition did not lack a document, explaining why Ralph Johnson was being recalled. Aw, c'mon! Are there 28,000 Columbus registered voters who have NOT heard about Kenneth Walker's death?

William Howell dares to claim "hundreds of people" would have signed the recall petitions, if a piece of paper had explained why he wanted Sheriff Ralph Johnson out of office. Couldn't Rainbow/PUSH members explain why to these people in their own words? Or could it be that people trust Ralph Johnson more than this group?

The Muscogee County Election Board actually agrees with William Howell that there should been a sheet explaining the reason for the recall drive. It probably didn't have to be anything fancy. A few Ledger-Enquirer front pages would have worked.

To be honest, it was obvious to some of us that the Rainbow/PUSH recall drive would fall short. There were plenty of clues....

+ William Howell didn't call regular news conferences to brag about how well things were going.

+ Jesse Jackson still hasn't come closer than Atlanta -- and for that matter, neither has Tom Joyner.

+ The "Friends of David Glisson" didn't promote the recall on their web site.

It turns out Rainbow/PUSH still has time for a second recall drive. The absolute deadline is July 1, six months before Sheriff Ralph Johnson leaves office. If the coalition actually tries again, it will show members have nothing better to do with their time.

(I was going to call July 1 the "drop-dead deadline date" - but I don't want to be insensitive to Kenneth Walker's family.)

Sheriff Ralph Johnson currently has one opponent for re-election - Democrat Robert Taylor. But if this recall drive is any indication, the incumbent can go ahead and take those tours of resort property in Pigeon Forge.

I drove by the Columbus NAACP office Thursday evening, and noticed a lot of cars parked along First Avenue. Either people were trying to figure out what to do next with the Kenneth Walker case - or it was the most unlikely "Friends finale" party in town.

AND NOW.... we return to our regularly scheduled blog topic:

"You're one of the most brilliant men I know...." a woman said to me at church last weekend. Why is it all the women who make comments like this either are married, or in serious relationships?

"You're dressed like you're a manager...." So said former Congressman Jack Brinkley when I met him for the first time the other day. I tried to persuade him that I'm not by showing the worn-out elbows on my pink dress shirt.

"But I'm not getting upset...."

"Yes, you ARE!!!" So a co-worker replied to me Thursday morning -- in a louder tone of voice than I had used since walking in the office only minutes before.

"Who are you, Richard Burkard...." This summary of the above questions was written in a letter to the editor of my university's newspaper years ago -- written by someone who spent years in high school alongside me.

When someone makes comments like these to me, I tend to dismiss them on the outside -- but I mull them over for awhile in the inside. After all, I attend a church which teaches members to "examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith...." So it seems strange to me when doctors have to urge women to do "self-exams" for cancer.

Since I live hundreds of miles from family members, I listen carefully to the comments people make about me. I don't get much personal feedback beyond that -- but my career has taught me looks can be deceiving. The strangest-looking man in the room might be a radio talk show genius.

Let's take the comments from the last week one at a time. The woman at church called me "brilliant" after I called myself an idiot, for leaving home and driving without my wallet twice during April. When the drug store cashier rings up your purchase and you discover your money is at home, suddenly you wonder where the Alzheimer's medicine is.

(And another thing: if I'm so smart, how come I haven't figured out how to romance and marry a woman yet?)

Former Congressman Jack Brinkley made his comment about my being a manager because he saw me wearing a dress shirt and tie on the job. Some workplaces have moved from "casual Fridays" to casual every day - but the managers never seem to send staff members e-mail saying it's OK.

By the way, Jack Brinkley keeps busy these days with the Columbus Civitan Club -- which is putting on a "front porch sale" Saturday at the Shrine Club on Edgewood Road. If you want a back-door sale, the more proper spot might be Cusseta
Road.

But what about Thursday's dispute over whether I was getting upset? This started when a co-worker spoke out about a task other staffers used to do - and I tried to respond by doing the task for him. The "peacemakers" may be blessed, but
they're blessed even more if they delay making it for about 24 hours.

The co-worker's comment about my getting upset caused some serious soul-searching during the day Thursday. This man apparently felt I needed the National Day of Prayer more than national leaders did.

I finally had to confess this co-worker had a point -- and it's one others have hinted to me recently. To them, it appears I get upset easily. To me, it's an effort to get things accomplished and satisfy everyone. Someday I'll learn some people are happier griping about their unhappiness....

True confession: my next-door neighbor is becoming my number-one frustration point. She was at my door again late Thursday, asking for a ride today to the landlord's office to pay the rent. I've given her two rides this week - and I'd planned to spend time today buying my own groceries for a change.

I told the neighbor I had to work half-a-day, then buy groceries. She said she didn't know I had to work. So next time I see her, I'll present her with my weekly work schedule - and we'll see if she's organized enough to give me a weekly schedule for chauffeuring duty.

The next-door neighbor says other people who have given her rides in the past all have broken-down cars. Are THAT many people waiting for gas prices to come down?

I try not to express my upset feelings to my neighbor's face. Instead I "talk it out" with myself in my own apartment. But lately the chats are becoming like labor pains -- first 20 minutes apart, then 15 and 10....

This whole situation is conjuring up old, bad memories for me. In 1989 I took in two single men who attended church with me - both saying they needed places to stay for a few weeks. They wound up staying a combined 30 months or so, had no working cars, and ran up bills totalling more than $1,000. In other words, they could be members of Congress.

Bottom line: if you have constructive criticism to offer, please pass it along. But please don't get annoyed if I actually try to construct something from it....

But enough about my problems. Let's check some last-minute notes before the weekend:

+ Pittsview Elementary School had a farewell meeting, before it's closed due to low attendance. One speaker warned when a community's school closes, crime and drugs tend to move in. I didn't know things were that wild in rural Midwestern farm towns.

+ Smiths Station Primary School lost running water for an hour - yet a WRBL newscast dared to compare the situation to a "third world country." If you didn't know better, you might think water-powered generators run the school electric system.

+ Instant Message to the man who challenged me to put the word "Super-tasty" in this blog: OK, if you insist. I hereby claim the trademark to this word - so no hamburger or ice cream chain can use it.

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