OCR Text |
Show Pleasant Grove ReviewLindon Review - Thursday, October 16, 2003 - Page 2 Opinion ::::::::::::5 . ni Organ donors needed Local residents who were out and about last weekend may have been stopped by friendly Scouts asking if they were organ donors. These young people volunteered to be part of a local campaign to increase registrations by potential donors. Earlier this year, Utahn Bambi Thomas waited in vain for a phone call. It wasn't a date or a job she wanted, but a heart. This 24-year-old mother died in August because the call never came. People may assume that she needed a young heart to keep pace with her life, but actually, an older heart, even a 70-year-old heart, could have saved her life. Kurt Haycock Hay-cock was 62 when he saved three lives. Delia Payne was 77 when she saved one life, and Elman Helquist was 71 when he saved three lives. The shortage of organs for life-saving transplants has taken a new blow, according to a new study that shows many older Utahns are opting out of organ donation on their driver license renewals. The reason is surprising. They mistakenly believe they are too old to be donors. The study, gathered from driver license data and the Utah Donor Registry, shows that potential donors over 50 are 20 percent less likely to Consequences happen She was radiant - absolutely radiant - as she sat across the desk from me. And not just because she was lovely - which she was, with her thick, long, chestnut hair, her dazzling brown eyes and a smile that would warm the cold heart of an investment banker. It was also because she was deeply in love with an outstanding young man who had asked her to marry him, and she had joyfully accepted. accept-ed. And everybody knows there is nothing more radiant than young love. She was telling me about her wedding plans, which were just in the formulative stages at that point, when the hint of a frown passed over her face. "What's this?" I asked, half-jokingly. half-jokingly. "Trouble in paradise?" She squirmed a little. "Not really," she said. "Well, OK . . . sort of. I mean, not really trouble. Just ..." Her voice trailed off, and I found myself wishing that I hadn't had-n't asked. But we had been friends for a long time. I was a lay leader in her church congregation, congre-gation, and she and I had spoken many times about her life - her troubled past, her amazing journey jour-ney to self-respect and her dreams and hopes for the future. I had tremendous respect for the changes she had made to bring herself to this happy point, and she knew that I loved her. No matter what. "I've told you about the bad choices I made when I was a teenager," she said, hesitantly. "Yeah," I said. I thought I could see where she was going with this. "But those days are behind you. You're a different person now. Surely he understands under-stands that." "Oh, he does," she said. "That isn't the problem. It's just . . . sometime during those years I . . . well, I made a mistake that is still with me, and will be with me for the rest of my life." I guess I looked puzzled, say "yes" to organ donation on their driver license than people peo-ple under 50. People under 50 join the registry 73 percent of the time, while people over 50 join only 53 percent of the time. "Unfortunately, people assume that their organs wear out after 50. Actually, we can recover organs up to the ' age of 80," said Alex McDonald, McDon-ald, public education director for the Utah Donor Registry. "Who's to say that a heart can't beat for 100 years, or a liver, which can regenerate itself, can't last potentially longer? Given the right conditions, condi-tions, organs may easily outlast out-last one's body." In consequence of this misinformation, mis-information, the Utah Donor Registry is launching a television televi-sion ad campaign featuring La Veil Edwards, as well as reaching out to older Utahns through community organizations. organiza-tions. "I've seen in my own family how donation and transplantation transplan-tation can save lives," said Edwards, legendary couch for BYU football. "You're never too old to be a donor. You're never to old to be a hero." For information about organ, eye and tissue donation at any age, visit the Utah Donor Registry at www.yesu-tah.org www.yesu-tah.org or call 1-866-YES-UTAH. because she smiled and shook her head. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" she asked. "Well ... not exactly . . ." "A disease," she said. "One that is transmitted through . . . you know ..." I nodded. "Yeah," I said. "I know. The question is: does he know?" "I just told him, and he was great about it," she said. "That isn't the problem. It's just ... I wish so much ... I hate that dealing with this is going to have to be part of our marriage. It will always be with us, like this constant reminder of what a . . . what a fool I was. "I would give anything to not have this in our lives right now. Absolutely anything." - She sighed a heartfelt sigh, and looked at the diamond ring on her finger. Then she almost whispered: "What was I thinking?" think-ing?" The problem is, back then she wasn't thinking - at least not about marriage or children or how she would feel breaking this news to her beloved husband-to-be. To tell the truth, she wasn't thinking much, period. None of us do when we make those dumb decisions that so many of us make at one time or another in our lives. The right to make choices is a wondrous thing. It is a right to be cherished and embraced. But as a number of well-known people peo-ple have been so painfully and publicly reminded recently, we must never forget that while we can choose our actions, we can't choose the consequences of our actions - now, or years later. Consequences happen. No matter how radiant we may be. Artistic inspiration in the home Visiting the "Poetic Kinetics" exhibit at BYU's Museum of Art isn't like going to an art gallery and seeing rows of paintings on the walls. It's three-dimensional. It's fun. My children loved it. I love a variety of art. I enjoy going to a gallery and looking at paintings. I like to spend time examining the details of the painting, the style, the strokes of the brush. Sometimes I imagine myself inside the painting, exploring explor-ing a landscape or a person through the artist's eyes. Needless to say, I can spend quite a bit of time in an art gallery. Not so with my kids. They like to move fast. Their approach is more of an, "oh, it's mountains" or "oh it's another person" and rush on to the next painting. So when my kids spent an hour looking at, inspecting and examining exam-ining Dennis and Andrew Smith's gigantic assemblages, I was amazed and pleased. This father Ladies' Club speech puts job in perspective! I just returned from an interesting inter-esting evening. I had been invited to speak at a ladies' club. To be politically correct, cor-rect, today we should say it was a women's club, but it was very evident evi-dent to me that all the members there were true ladies, in the traditional tra-ditional sense of the word. I'm proud to call them that. Speaking in a public setting is not something I am accustomed to doing. I am much better with a keyboard and the all-important "delete" key. It covers all sorts of errors and tongue-twisting mix-ups. mix-ups. It was about a month ago that my friend asked me to address the group. The only hint of a topic was "What it's like to be a city editor." Thinking about it gave me a lot of leeway. Thinking about it gave me a headache. And thinking about it gave me some perspective. Once in a while I get pensive and reflect on the position I am fortunate to hold. Many others do have the opportunity to do the type of work they enjoy. However, Tomorrow's I can't help noticing that there are more and more pedestals being left vacant by people who were once considered "heroes" or "models" for Americans. If we are honest, we must admit that not only do the youth have those they look up to, but we adults do also. I was recently dismayed to learn of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh admitting to pain killer addiction, which came immediately after a remark he recklessly made on ESPN that was considered by many to be highly racist. Admittedly, the mouthy radio star is not as well known to Americans Amer-icans as some others, but his fall from the pedestal he occupied is making far-reaching ripples. And what of Kobe Bryant, Martha Stewart, and Winona Ryder who have burst their worshippers' wor-shippers' bubbles of adoration? I remember when my son was in junior high and high school a few years ago, and was in awe of Bryant, his talents, and the bright ALPINE Approval was given by the City Council to accept a bid of $25,616.70 presented by High Peak Contractors for the construction of a the sewer ditch into the Fort Canyon area to serve the Crockett home that has a failing septic tank. City Engineer Shane Sorensen noted that all submitted sub-mitted bids were lower than he had expected. The ditch will cut through some landscaped areas and driveways, drive-ways, but the bid includes the restoration restora-tion of all disrupted property. AMERICAN FORK National School Fitness has announced plans to consolidate its operations in American Fork in the and son have welded gears, chains and miscellaneous metal parts into whimsical kinetic creations. These sculptures have something some-thing for everybody. Older folks will enjoy looking at all of the "stuff" that has been welded together car parts, pieces of farm implements, typewriters and a variety of household machines. Kids will enjoy watching the things move and trying to follow where the one-inch metal balls roll. Visiting this exhibit is a great family adventure. And as great art often does, it got us thinking. What were all of the things originally used for? When did this stuff cease being junk and become art? And most importantly to some, How can I make these kind of inventions? mm j rii T i ati nriiri iiryrnrir i,rn -inn nrrnf i' . " f f "r - 4 some do not, and end up hating to get up in the morning to greet another day at work. I count myself among the lucky ones to look forward to doing my work. (Getting up in the morning is a different experience, however. I can't remember when I have looked forward to that.) Putting those thoughts into perspective and reflecting on the last 17 years for a 20-minute presentation pres-entation gave me a chance to look at my job a little differently. I told the group about the late-night late-night meetings we go to; I mentioned men-tioned the prolonged discussions about fire hydrants and garbage dumpster locations; I told them about the people who tell you all about their own event, or the one their child is in, which is the most important thing in the entire world, or at least that's how they heroes could be right here?, future the sports star had ahead of him at the time. My son's bedroom walls had posters and stories about the young basketball player tacked here and there along with Stockton and Malone images. What must my son think now? Followers everywhere were left speechless as they learned of the insider trading that Stewart was accused of being involved in. Was greed such an all-consuming force that self-sacrifice was required? Did her goals and desires carry her too far beyond the practical, down-to-earth life she touted? Ryder certainly did not need to steal clothing from high-priced Los Angeles stores to add to her wardrobe, but her stupid act was caught on camera, and she ended up trying unsuccessfully to defend herself in court. North Pointe Business Park. The rapidly-expanding company provides equipment for lease to schools across the country, along with computer programs pro-grams to track progress. ' CEDAR HILLS Geri Clements, an experienced Web developer and resident of Cedar Hills, has volunteered her skills to build a user-friendly city Web site. She said, "I've learned a lot about good city Web site planning... plan-ning... and can leverage that knowledge knowl-edge to give Cedar Hills a great site that is functional and a great resource for the community." She would like to complete the site by the end of November. (pis U 3 I'm fsuie y kids can findi of castoffs around our home tta build their own unimio . . tures. They may have rate a hit nf that's part of. the chauX' part of the fun. ge . Fve already mentioned inspiration that can come fr r great art. As I gaze into my IV dren's cluttered bedrnnJ ? , feeling a bit of inspiration offt own. Perhaps I can build ..car uniquely personalized sculptm'iSo! for each of my children D tlleyQ t , they were to look into a clean be, room and finrl nr. Qc, i. i1' aooeinn a clothes, CD's, books Rk; as and shoes suspended from' ceiling, and slowly rotating in a: artistic manner. his jar Ann, i can teel it now. The sti rings and structuring of a bit maternal creativity and insanity For is it not so that art is born T--bp part inspiration and part despen' tion? heft llyi want you to treat it. p'ec We discussed the fact th3 curiosity is one character tra' 1 that makes a reporter effectiwi Thousands of people may dril'jma through an intersection and woj .i; 1 der about a sign posted there, Qn some other item they see aroun town. ( '' I get to be the lucky one with ' plausible excuse to go knock o" the door and ask what is happer ing and why they have done whar ever they did. I figure if I am car. ous about the thing, then other probably are, too I hope I'm right. And I hope am doing a service to the res-dents res-dents of our community by satu ; fying that curiosity and writin -.. about it. Sometimes there are procee -r,0 ings which happen that are nq interesting, but they have impoi- :;m, tance. It is my job to take thos a boring facts and put them int -iw perspective to the residents, shot-. ing them how the decisions of ti City Council or some other grou e will actually affect them. i . It was good to have that chant :.. to reflect. i rea -::th TV rf lncaro tmpC nfl Wit O.J. Simpson, Robert Downey, Jl .r Robert Blake, Hugh Grant, arf j many more. But we haven't eve 1 touched on the Clintons' scandal". of sex and embezzlement, or th;, high-living criminals of the Enrol group. Additionally, more tha just a few accounts of spying an treason committed by AmericaVj citizens have been discovered. i All of these crimes and cretions have floated to the sul face of a huge, filthy pond j f events for the world to see. It's nc a pleasant sight, and the odor the corruption and injustices com ' mitted by such individuals hang in the air. Are there still heroes left to look up to? Of course, but (m likely) they won't be in any sp! ... . . t mxyo irrhf rv nn thp rovel'S Ul zines. J They'll be somewhere woriao as hard as they can to do tne tha oar, with nn t. nraise or hig Tiu nlr pven be fltfl in your own hometown Highland resident Ron W honored for a lifetime or u" , service at the Oct. 7 City CoA. meeting. Mayor Jess Adamson a letter outlining the many Tiffany has done from being to working with the school distnc Boy Scouts for years. I in-" -J 1 ., rfiClP awarded a plaque as uic ..- ent of the Outstanding Citizen Aw He shook hands with the mayo , council and said, "I may be for this award but not the tied. There are many people w profiles who do much more. enjoyed the work I have done .... had a wonderful time doing it- HIGHLAND |