Vote Not

Vote not for today. Vote for tomorrow and the thousands of tomorrows after. Our biggest fears today pale in comparison to what we will worry about tomorrow. So plan ahead. Vote not for yourself because you will fade over time. Vote for those who seek what you do and count on you to get it right.

The Prairie Doc: Caring for the caregivers

Every day in the clinic or hospital I meet extraordinary caregivers. They are the ones who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, sometimes for years at a time. When you ask them how they do it, they shrug and smile. I am not talking about any doctor, nurse, or therapist.

Letter to the Editor

On November 8, you will have the opportunity to vote on the proposed recreational marijuana ballot question, Initiated Measure 27. I respectfully ask that you join me in voting “NO” on this Initiative.

Are you ready to cast your ballot?

South Dakota’s general election is Tuesday, November 8, and absentee/early voting has already begun. To help voters prepare, these 20 questions appeared on page 2 of the Topic last week, and this week answers are provided.

Stray Thoughts: Death by a thousand cuts

A piece of wood can be carved, whittled down from raw stock to something else entirely. something smaller… something less. Most whittling doesn’t produce fine chess pieces. Most whittling produces piles of useless scrap from what once was pure, clear stock. The same is true of people.

Voting has begun!

Absentee/early voting for South Dakota’s November 8 general election has begun. If you haven’t already voted, here are 20 questions that might help you prepare. (Find answers on your own or watch for them in next week’s Topic.) 1. Is there still time to register to vote? 2.

Stray Thoughts: Terms of Endearment

Many of us have a spouse that refers to us as “honey” or “sweetie”, or some other term of endearment, relating in some small but socially acceptable way how much the other person means to us.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

At some point soon after I moved to the ranch, my husband kindly requested that we place a four-animal cap on indoor pets. At that time we had my two elderly house dogs and two wild, young house cats, which I agreed was plenty.

Stray Thoughts: All Creatures Great and Small

A student brought me a salamander, caught in the frost of a fall morning. This was a big deal. In a glance, I could tell she was injured. This often happens when kids catch things. Most of us have at one time or another in our youth injured a small creature inadvertently.

You DO make a difference

Do you make a difference in the world? Does anyone care about what you do? Are some people more important than others? We all ask ourselves these questions from time to time. Some people wonder about them more than others.You do make a difference. You are important.