Ted Hafer.1

originally published December 12, 2007

Thank you Sam, Curtiss, Jason, Ballard and Larry for giving us such personal stories and thoughts about your friend Ted Hafer. ["Friends Remember Ted Hafer," Nov. 28] I think this community will quietly mourn Ted Hafer’s life for some time, and I appreciated your voices in this quiet. You put words and images to what many of us can’t articulate ourselves.

Name Withheld

Athens

Ted Hafer.2

originally published December 12, 2007

I met Ted Hafer two weeks after I moved to Athens, where I knew nobody, from North Carolina in January 2005. I hesitate to perpetuate the mythic standard The Grit has earned, but it exists for a reason. I was oblivious to it for a good portion of my two years there, but gradually, because of the indescribable spirit that permeates the place, I was able to emerge from an awkward, wall-flower existence and revel in previously unknown mayhem and hilarity.

I have seen Ted Hafer shred onstage, I have seen the prosthetic brow and terrifying personas donned sometimes for no apparent reason, except pure mirth. I have heard unparalleled swearing and bellowing. I received praise and encouragement (and PBRs) that, at the time, I did not fully understand or feel I deserved.

I left The Grit in April to realize an ambition to cycle to the Pacific, something I wouldn’t have conceived of had I not been allowed to exist in that bizarre, permissive, hilarious environment for so long. I was able to come out of my shell and do as I pleased because I saw others with whom I worked daily who did the same, Ted most of all. I’m sorry for how much I missed or failed to appreciate, but so thankful I was touched by his weird exuberance and interest in everyone who came through the door. Cheers, Ted.

Laura Stone, former waitress

Portland, OR

Corporate Change

originally published December 12, 2007

Dear Pete: I followed your trials with AT&T [Pub Notes, Oct. 24 & 31] and have a practical suggestion for you. Change long distance servers. I’ve been attached to Working Assets for several years and have always had excellent service from them. I pay AT&T a minimum amount for land line service each month and, guess what: Since there were no long distance fees to quibble about, my payments for service moved easily from Bell South to AT&T.

Meanwhile, Working Assets just continues to give me wonderful service. I’ve had occasion to call them once or twice and the real person with whom I spoke was pleasant, helpful and very human. What could be better?

The only way any of us is going to change the behavior of large corporations is to deny them our business (whenever possible!). When enough citizens stand up to abuse and refuse to be party to it any more, things will change.  We all need to remember that collectively we have power.  Alone, we’re, well, alone.

Elizabeth Bishop-Martin

Athens

Prayer Works

originally published December 12, 2007

It is amazing to me that the governor praying for rain has become as large a crisis as the water shortage itself. ["Thanks, Guv," Letters, Nov. 28] I know what’s up. The theory is that it makes Georgia look crazy, stupid and ignorant. That’s the working theory behind every smarmy comment made regarding Sonny Perdue’s prayer gathering where he requested rain from God himself, since it’s become apparent that it is the ONLY plan to get Georgians more water. The whole shebang made Georgia look backwoods, hillbilly, right-wing, unable to separate church from state - you name it, that’s what we are in the eyes of the rest of the country. Damn.

To me, it’s not the case at all. Was it a bad idea? Probably. It didn’t help our “image.” And honestly, that is the only thing it hurt. What’s more damaging to the image of a locality - something perceived as silly by others? Or is it a state full of people with their finger on the bookmark bar, ready to write a scathing column about how stupid we all are? What hurts us worse as Georgians? I get hurt every time I read one of those editorials, particularly the one written by David Noah [Nov. 28], because I do happen to believe in God, and I do happen to believe (as do a large percentage of Americans) that prayer can be effective.

Prayer isn’t stupid, nor is it damaging. It can actually give someone hope, however false that hope might end up being.

It’s not lost on me that it rained a couple of days after Sonny bowed his head and asked the Lord to agree with the weather forecast, which called for significant rainfalls in and around Northeast Georgia. It’s not lost on me that Sonny is the type of politician who will hide behind God or a baby or an immigration bill any time he feels like he could get on “Monica Kaufman’s Close-Ups.”

But come on, David. I know you were probably trying to be awesome and funny and have everybody read your shit and go, “Yeah! He done hit the nail on the head! Praying’s stupid!” I thought it wasn’t funny at all. At a time when we’re trying to fight the most horrible of religious zealotry, you’re going after a prayer group. At a time when we’re trying to save a woman’s life who misnamed a teddy bear Muhammad, when we’re collecting severed heads of people who don’t believe in one man’s god over another man’s prophet, you’d rather comment on hopelessness. Well, I don’t believe in Sonny’s prayer, either. But I do believe in hope. And I hope you figure out that it’s at least better to forego praying than to laugh at those who do.

Kris Langley

from Flagpole.com