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McDowell People resolve to have a great new year

Folks on the street talk about the past year and their hopes for 2009.

By Britt Combs | The McDowell News

Published: December 30, 2008

As in years past, The McDowell News wanted to ring in the new year by asking randomly-selected folks in the community their hopes and aspirations for 2009, what kind of 2008 they had and their New Year's resolutions.
We also asked how their resolutions from previous years went. Some didn't want to say, but others reported great success and life-changing accomplishments.
Best of all, those who answered were optimistic. For all the doom and gloom in the national news these days, McDowell folks tend to accentuate the positive and hope for the best, if our informal poll is any indication.
Donnie Broom, 40, of Marion said 2008 was a trying year for him and his family.
"It was a sorry, bad year," he said.
The family lost a loved one and financial pressures added to the stress, he explained. "But I'm sure 2009 will go a lot better. I've got faith that it'll shape up to be a good year."
He said he had confidence in President-elect Obama and that the new administration would succeed in restoring economic confidence.
His resolution?
"I'll quit chewing tobacco," he said. "(Today) is my last day. It's a done deal."
Broom said he has chewed since he was 14. Would he use a support group's help, or a tobacco-cessation drug?
"I'm pretty strong willed," he answered. "If I say I'll quit, I'll quit." He grinned. "This is going in the paper, isn't it?" he asked. "That's it then. You can hold me to it."
He resolved further to treat people kindly and thoughtfully.
Eddie Teague, 45, of Connelly Springs said his resolution "needs to be to quit smoking. Other than that I guess everything's all right."
Needs to be? Or, is going to be?
"Yes," he said after a moment's thought. "Yes. That's what it's going to be. That's it. I'll quit smoking. Put it in the paper."
Kristy Hamilton, 27, of Marion had New Year's goals of the personal improvement kind.
"I want to get a good-paying job," she said. Her background is in nursing, and she has resolved to advance in that career. "And I want to lose a little weight," she added.
Greg Barksdale, 45, of Marion, said he was focused on parenting for the new year.
"My 6-year-old twin daughters have turned into little women," he said. "I resolve to make sure they don't turn mean on me."
Tilda Wright of Marion said 2008 was a wonderful year, although her family had a scare.
"My son had a heart attack," she said, "but he came through."
This time last year, she said, she made a resolution and she kept it. This year's would be the same.
"I resolved to read my Bible all the way through," she said. "I did it and I will do it, the same this year." Wright said her Bible of choice is the King James Version. "It was good enough for my mom and dad and it's good enough for me."
Her favorite book is the Book of Job. "I love Job," she said. "He sure went through it."
Eric Rakaw, 47, of Union Mills said the past year was a good one for his household. Recently relocated from Port St. Lucie, Fla., he said the troubled economy there in recent years had been hard, and he had fallen in love with western North Carolina.
"It'd be nice if the economy wasn't going in the direction it's going in," he said, but he is optimistic the local community will weather the storm.
"I've made (new year's resolutions) before," he said, "some I've kept. Ten years ago I made a resolution to quit smoking and I did it.
"One morning I woke up and decided I couldn't breathe and I knew it was time. People say use this program or try this patch, but until you have made up your mind and decided that you want to quit, it won't work," he explained.
"It took 10 months to quit craving it," he added. "This year will make 10 years for me."
For 2009, Rakaw has resolved to make it a better year for everyone, "all the way around." How can one man make that happen?
"By taking care of everybody," he answered. "A customer, someone in the street, whoever. One person at a time, I'll treat them fairly. What comes around goes around. I'll take care of them and let them take care of me."