WS Chronicle

James B. Ewers Jr.

Guest Columnist

The year 2016 started out with a great deal of promise. Before we lament, we must still be thankful for all that happened last year.

After all, we were blessed with our family members, some economic gains and as our elders always say, a reasonable portion of health and strength.

Regarding that last part about a reasonable portion of health and strength, when I was younger, I never really took my health seriously. Maybe I thought I’d always be able to run, to jump and to be physically fit.

Well as Lee Corso of the ESPN Game Day Show always says, “Not so fast my friends.” It appears as though one of my adversaries has finally caught up with me and his name is Father Time.

Well, if you are a baby boomer like me, he finally caught up with you, too.

A dear friend of mine and I were talking the other day and we both agreed that Father Time has never lost a battle. He always wins.

The year 2016 was filled with a lot of heartache and heartbreak. In our communities of color, too many brothers and sisters lost their lives to senseless gun violence. For too much of it, we only had ourselves to blame.

I do hope that advocacy groups with us in mind tell us to stop the shootings and killings. Let us talk about it, not shoot or kill about it. Babies and teenagers killed, neither of whom will live out their full potential.

We went into 2016 knowing that it was President Barack Obama’s last year in office but thinking also that Hillary Clinton would be the next president of the United States of America.

We were looking ahead with great optimism. Some of us were already planning to attend her inauguration. Our tuxedos and gowns were ready to be worn.

Hold on, wait a minute! In our enthusiasm and excitement about what was going to be in November 2016, we neglected to look around the corner. For around the corner was a guy who coined the phrase “Make America Great Again.” Many of us asked, “What you talkin bout Willis?”

So, you and I know how the story ends. There is a new president and it is not Hillary Clinton. So we will leave it at that!

Like many of you, I was in church on Saturday, December 31. Our pastor gave a sermon titled “Let it go.” He said do not bring the struggles of 2016 into 2017.

2016 will bless you in 2017.” What is happening today in America is happening for a reason. However, right now we cannot see it. In that same powerful sermon, my pastor said, ‘If you are faithful to God, He will be faithful to you.”

It is safe to say that we had our ups and downs in 2016. We made some mistakes and some missteps in 2016 but we cannot make the same mistakes in 2017.

For example, if there is a community meeting to attend, we must attend. If there is a conference involving our children or our grandchildren, we must show up. If our jobs require us to be there at a certain time, we must show up ahead of time.

Let us be excited about our future in 2017. Some years ago, a singing group called McFadden and Whitehead sang, “Ain’t no stopping us now, we’re on the move.”

Let’s be on the move in 2017!

James B. Ewers  Jr. Ed.D. is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University, where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator.  He can be reached at ewers.jr56@yahoo.com.