Focus on the banks of the stream

"Civilization is a stream with banks. The stream is sometimes filled with blood from people killing, stealing, shouting and doing the things historians usually record; while on the banks, unnoticed, people build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write poetry and even whittle statues. The story of civilization is the story of what happened on the banks.’ Will Durant, The Story of Civilization

In these contentious times it’s important to remember that our communities have people on the banks, perhaps even more of those than people in the streams. Context and perspective. Faith and hope.

When I was younger I thought that snow birds were wimps. Heading south before winter to avoid the snow and cold seemed somewhat cowardly. But alas, now having one of our children making her home in the Phoenix area and visiting her often the past few years, along with me now being of a certain age, the appeal is more understandable.

I do love winter here, at least in November and December. The clean, quiet, bright white of snow-covered everything is beautiful. But I admit that by January I’m over it.

So if at some point we decide to join those seasonal migrants, heading south January through March would be ideal. I think my age is showing.

In a decidedly unscientific exercise I noticed that out of over 2,000, many of the Main Street birthdays seem to be in September or October. So I did a little Google research and found that my list of local birthdays mirrors somewhat the actual birth stats in America. Of the 3.6 million babies born in America in 2020, the top two birth months are August and July with September and October rounding out the top four. Most of us think that springtime is the time babies are born in mass but we’re wrong.

The most likely day for babies to be born? Tuesday.

Happy birthday today to Gary Marian, Brooke Miller, Rochelle Seher, Katrina Slater, Kyle Messier, Kate Bennett and Ricky Blaski. Tomorrow Nancy Harlocker (90!), Midge Smock, Vicki Gehring, Mark Michalak and Erin Paisley celebrate big! Friday Pat McGaughey, Dale Bennett, Craig Hampton, Suzanne DeTar, Laurie Rumore, Joel Elgee, Barbara Baltzell, Chris Nicastro, Josh Hissong and Jeff Hill toast the anniversary of their birth. Randy Wells, Kathy Epstein, Greg Luraski, Lyn Harris, Ron Deering take another trip around the sun on Saturday. 10/10 birthdays belong to Bill Everson, Nancy Kosonen, Jessica Moore, Steve Fitzhugh, Lori Gravelle, Bob Cox, Allan Knight, Lynn Jackson, Mollie Sommers, Marlea Kruger and Mike Way. On Monday Michael Pereira, Chris Pasquale, Greg Worley, Chad Anderson, Cindy Odd and Warren Anglin blow out the birthday candles. Happy birthday on Tuesday to Tom Elliott, Jeff Yates, Donnie Murrell, Alan Brown, Kathy Getchius, Kirk Hjeltness and McKade Brown. Oct.13 celebrants are Jeff Johnson, Margaret Eddings, Derek Scharf, Serena Pratt, Kathy Pierce and Judy Bennett.

Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.