‘Social distancing’ before it was popular

My father practiced social distancing before anybody knew what it was.  Actually, he practiced it on my brother, Ken, and me.  One day he said to us, “Boys, I need you to go stay a couple of weeks with your Mama Stevens, or your Mama and Papa Hudgins.” “Why can’t we stay home?” I asked pitifully.

Keep immune system strong during pandemic

It is honestly scary to get infected with the coronavirus, but we have to do something to help strengthen our immune system as the best way to get rid of COVID-19.  The following six scientifically supported ways may help fight off illness. * Get enough sleep.

Ramadan can have different traditions

It has been a weary time in our land.  Personally, what added to the weariness is not being able to gather with family, friends and our church families.  I was very mindful how very different the holy time of Passover and Easter were this year.

What to do about those roots!

Maintaining a good relationship with your editor is important. So it is my policy to stop by The Graham Star office every week and discuss my column ideas with Kevin Hensley.  Last week, I suggested that my column could be about roots.

Number of Robbinsville titles is 15, not 14

By Jim Hyde Guest Columnist If one goes online and looks at the official records of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, you will see that the title of most Football Championships (16) is given to Reidsville.

Be cautious of where you work on your cast

It was just one of those things. It didn’t really mean Marvin Pincus had lost his mind.  Consider this yourself for a minute. Marvin had opened the mail that morning and in it was the Fenwick glass fly rod he’d ordered. Oh, it was used, of course.

Going to a restaurant is a special event

Going to a restaurant was a special event when this writer was a child.  Restaurants were for anniversaries, Mother’s Day or a big holiday.  The family got dressed up. We ordered a fancy dessert that wasn’t available at home. The table was graced with a linen tablecloth and napkins.

A prudent re-opening is a sustainable answer

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column arguing that while a stay-at-home order might be justified as an initial response to an immediate and poorly understood public-health threat, it wasn’t “sustainable” for more than a few weeks.

The Great Suppression may linger

The 1930s had the Great Depression.  The early 21st century had the Great Recession.  Now, in the 2020s, we are suffering a Great Suppression.

The history of toilet paper

During the current “toilet paper war,” I thought readers might be interested in the history of that most sought-after possession. The first packaged toilet paper was invented in 1867 by an American named Joseph Gayetty. He called it Gayetty’s Medicated Paper.