By Stevie Brooks/Beacon Media Growing up in Western North Carolina, I have always known that Christmas is a serious business. Christmas usually started as soon as we finished canning tomatoes. With the stovetop in the basement canning kitchen still warm, the Christmas wreath tables would come out. The tree farm from down the road would haul to us their “ugly” Christmas trees that were sold at a discounted price to be turned into Christmas wreaths. These wreaths were a source of income for my family. After breaking down the tree, we would sit around on milk cartons and trim the branches. The small clippings were called “hands” and were then bunched together to be clamped on the wreath table to the wire wreath frames. Noticias recientes de política e inmigración directamente en tu correo! Newsletter Política e Inmigración The process was time consuming and sticky, but the resulting smells and wreaths made it all worth it. We would then take them down the road to the flea market to be sold in my daddy’s airbrush T-shirt booth. My daddy would air-brush just about anything anyone asked for. The most popular design was a beach scene with a couple’s names in two hearts. He could whip up a custom car tag before the Stevie Ray Vaugn song playing on the boombox was finished. That time of year, the wreaths were just as popular, and oftentimes people left with a cartoon T-shirt and a $15 wreath. The rest were given to neighbors with a card. But this isn’t just a side hobby or how folks spread Christmas cheer. Since the 1950s, the Christmas tree farming industry has been a way for farmers in Western North Carolina to use the steep terrain and cooler climate to their advantage in a region lacking many other opportunities. The Christmas tree farms in Western North Carolina have sustained families like mine for nearly 70 years in one way or another. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Western North Carolina saw an outpouring of support from across the country. For one glimmering moment, it didn’t matter who you were, what you believed in, or who you voted for. Post-election, however, there has been a quick shift back again to skepticism and division. I noticed that some of the same people who had been asking how to help a month earlier were back to viewing rural communities like mine with less compassion and understanding. I keep seeing comments online and elsewhere how small towns like my own suddenly “deserved” what happened to them because of who we voted for. WhatsApp Únete a nuestra comunidad de WhatsApp Recibe gratis las noticias más importantes y de utilidad de Carolina del Norte directo en tu celular. Haz preguntas y comentarios, y charla con nuestros periodistas. Choosing what Christmas tree farm to support based on the owner’s voter registration is a new game that folks from outside of the region have found entertaining to play. A performative way to indicate their political stances and disappointments. I’ve seen the comments encouraging deep dives into the personal lives of Christmas tree families and wildly speculating about labor practices involving undocumented workers. This is the type of selective compassion my Namaw, Geraldine Brooks, would have found unacceptable. My Namaw grew up in Robbinsville (Graham County) and learned to sew and can food as a necessity. In her retirement she expanded her crafting to include wreath making and arrangements to take to craft shows all over Western North Carolina. I was also a fixture on this craft show circuit. If Namaw was going, me and my clogging marionette were in the van too, warming up to dance and sing in front of the booth. My “Namaw Flossy,” her nickname before her death in July 2017 at the age of 78, taught me to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” No matter what you believe, the philosophy behind the verse is universal. Finding humanity even when you disagree is how we as North Carolinians begin to heal our communities from natural and social disasters. It doesn’t get much more Christmas than finding common ground around a Christmas tree and helping someone support their livelihood. The only way out is through one another, and the only way to do that is to take some advice from Flossy and never lose sight of your humanity. “Be good to one another,” wasn’t just a thing Flossy had to often remind me and my sister. It’s the only way to nurture and sustain relationships that make our lives and communities whole. ___________________ Stevie Brooks was born and raised in Western North Carolina. As a community organizer in Cleveland County, she is an advocate for rural voices and ensuring that the stories of her neighbors reflect their lived experiences. Do you have any holiday traditions that have become politicized? Contact info@beaconmedianc.org with comments. This column is syndicated by Beacon Media and can be republished anywhere for free under Beacon’s guidelines . The following article is an expression of personal opinion and does not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of Enlace Latino NC organization. This article has the purpose to generate discussion and exchange of ideas on the subject matter. The author is responsible for the opinions expressed in this article, which are based on his/her personal knowledge, experience and analysis of the subject. Enlace Latino NC combate la desinformación, eleva las voces de los inmigrantes y fomenta una comunidad más inclusiva e informada. ¡Tu apoyo hace la diferencia! Desde ahora hasta el 31 de diciembre, cada donación será triplicada (hasta $1,000). PODCAST En este episodio, exploramos el impacto de las políticas migratorias en la salud mental de los migrantes. Escucha testimonios de quienes viven con este miedo a diario y de terapeutas que explican sus efectos. Además, un periodista especializado nos brinda el contexto las políticas migratorias en el estado. Enlace Latino podcast Republish This Story Republique gratuitamente nuestras historias en su website o periódico. Seguimos la licencia de Creative Commons. Dele clic al recuadro, y siga las instrucciones. Republish this article This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . by Beacon Media, Enlace Latino NC December 24, 2024
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There was a time not all that long ago when the United States would be seeking clearly to drive and define a particular narrative and outcome for the events unfolding in the Middle East. Seeking to mould events to its own benefit has been a central tenet of American foreign policy. But the remarkable and fast-moving developments in Syria, come at an unusual moment for America. In Washington DC, there is a vacuum of leadership. We are in the midst of the transition between President and president-elect President Biden is still running things at the White House but his ability to influence events in the Middle East, if he is even inclined to, has been shown to be limited. He is the lamest of lame duck presidents. Mr Trump does not become president until 20 January and so is unable officially to do anything. And yet he is already THE leading player on the world stage right now. What he does (and doesn't do) and what he says (and doesn't say) carries enormous weight. - invited by President Emmanuel Macron - is as important as it is remarkable. I can't think of a precedent; a moment in recent history where a president-elect would hold such influence. Of the events in Syria, the Biden White House has said only that the administration is closely monitoring developments. Donald Trump however, on social media, on brand, has declared his hand. " is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!" he wrote. On President Bashar al Assad's fate, his words were only marginally ambiguous. It "may actually be the best thing" for Mr Assad to be toppled, he said. Mr Trump will not take over as president for another six weeks. And yet already it feels like he is more of a player and moulder of global events (because of what he does and doesn't choose to do and say) than at any time in his last presidency. There's another difference this time too. During Mr Trump's last presidency, there were powerful European counterbalances. But now, Angela Merkel is long gone and Mr Macron is weak, despite his diplomatic masterstroke in inviting Mr Trump to Paris.
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Van Nistelrooy returned to Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag’s assistant in the summer and had a four-game interim spell in charge following his compatriot’s sacking in October. He left the club in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s appointment but was only out of work for two weeks after being appointed Leicester’s new manager on a deal until 2027. The 48-year-old had a glittering playing career with United and was disappointed his return had to end so soon. “The moment I took over the interim job what I said was I’m here to help United and to stay to help United, and I meant it,” he said. “So I was disappointed, yeah, very much so, and it hurt I had to leave. “The only job I would take as an assistant was at United because of the bond that I have with the people in the club and the fans. “But in the end I got my head around it because I also understand the new manager. I’m in football long enough, and I’ve managed myself, that you can think of a situation, me being there, I understand. “I spoke to Ruben about it, fair enough to him, the conversation was grateful, man to man, person to person, manager to manager, and that helped a lot to move on and straightaway get into talks with new possibilities which of course lifted my spirits.” The Dutchman takes on a difficult job at the King Power Stadium as he is tasked with keeping Leicester in the Premier League. He inherits an influential dressing room, which has seen a number of managers come and go over the last few years. Ruud's here for his first press conference as our Manager 😃 pic.twitter.com/A4Juixvorb — Leicester City (@LCFC) December 2, 2024 Van Nistelrooy revealed he has done his due diligence and also let the players know as well. “It’s the only way you can work. It’s mutual respect. I also mentioned to the players yesterday that I looked at the squad and started to make phone calls about players, because in football everyone knows everyone,” he said. “With two or three phone calls you hear stories about 20 players and for me it was important that you hear there are good characters there. That’s important, that there are good people there. “I look at the players how they play. I obviously don’t know them but I got general information and the individuals that they are a good bunch of people. That was important for me to get in.”