Thumbs column

Before moving on to the digit doings in this bimonthly feature column, here are some excerpts from the book, “Beautifully Said: Quotes By Remarkable Women and Girls

Designed To Make You Think.”

These particular sayings might evoke some more personal thoughts and feelings about the two horrific mass shootings that occurred just days ago in El Paso,

Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

First is this one from Brenè

Brown, social worker: “Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver. And our world could stand to be a little kinder and braver.”

Next is this statement from Gabby Giffords, survivor, U.S. congressperson, and activist: “Be passionate. Be courageous. Be your best.” Now on the local front. Marilyn Feimster of Hot Springs sends out a “Thumbs-up” to the person who recently came to her and her son’s aid.

Via a note to the hometown newspaper, Feimster wrote, “I want to give a ‘Thank you’ to the young man who came to our assistance. My son is in a wheelchair and one day as he was backing down the ramp to go to a speech event at CHI, his chair’s back wheel went off the ramp and I could not lift him and the chair up on the ramp.

“A nice young man stopped to help us. I am sorry I did not get his name, but I am so very grateful to him.”

By the same token, Valerie Jackson, first-grade teacher at Lake Hamilton Primary School, sent in this “Thumbs-up” for the postal workers at the Royal and Pearcy post offices.

In her email, Jackson wrote, “I enjoy sending and receiving mail from my former students. This year, a picture folded four times was hand-delivered to me at church from a teacher friend who went to the Royal Post Office and was given the picture with only my name written on the outside. No envelope. No stamp. No address.

“Second part of that story. After I wrote back to that student, she wrote my name and school address correctly on the second piece of paper, but again, no stamp and no envelope. I was super excited that a Pearcy Post Office employee brought the letter to me at school this summer. How thoughtful of our postal service workers to make sure our children get to write letters to their teachers in the summertime. “Yay to our postal services.”

Here’s a big cheer and a “Thumbs-up” to Lake Hamilton football coach Tommy Gilleran, who became Garland County’s first Gatorade National Coach of the Year. Other honors in his

20-year career include Hooten’s 3A Coach of the Year and the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s Coach of the Year.

Gilleran has an overall record of 131-97-2, including a 104-522 record at Fountain Lake.

Congratulations, Coach Gilleran, and best wishes to you, your family, and the Lake Hamilton Wolves in the upcoming football season.

Now that summer weather has turned hot and humid again, this writer sends out a definite “Thumbs-up” to the young mother seen exiting the Kroger Store on Airport Road — during one of July’s especially torrid-temperature days — with four young children holding on tightly to their individual water bottles.

Thanks to this conscientious parent for making sure her youngsters were well hydrated and keeping a close watch on them as they followed closely behind her on the way to their parked car. And finally, permit this columnist a point of personal privilege by sending out a “Thank you” and “Thumbs-up” to the driver of an Abilities Unlimited truck for courteously stopping and allowing me to exit the Albert Pike Post Office branch parking lot on Hammond Drive — always a dicey proposition given the amount of vehicle traffic on that little street.

I acknowledged his kind gesture with a wave of my hand and hope that he knew then how appreciative I was.

The Thumbs Column appears in The Sentinel-Record the first and third Wednesday of each month. The newspaper welcomes readers’ comments and suggestions, which should be submitted with a name, telephone number and home address for verification and contact purposes. This information is kept confidential.