Waiting for the other shoe to drop

 It is no fun anticipating bad things to come. It is believed that the American idiom “Waiting for the other shoe to drop” originated from late 19th to early 20th century New York City. Apartment buildings were built with bedrooms, immediately above and below. Someone taking off their shoes at night would drop one at a time on the floor. The delay between the two shoes hitting the floor with a bang made the people in the apartment below “wait for the other shoe to drop”. From then on the night might be quiet, but the wait for that other shoe could be tense. Are we waiting for the other shoe to drop in America? We have experienced 9/11; we have suffered other religiously motivated terrorist attacks; we watch as the rest of the world is targeted by violence; and we hear doomsday talk about potential weapons of mass destruction. It is no fun anticipating bad things to come, and the wait is tense. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28, NASB) This adds new dimensions to the other shoe! We do our best to defend ourselves against human attacks, to keep our bodies safe, but what can we do to keep our souls safe? First, we must humbly realize our responsibility to God, understanding that He calls us to repentance, a change of mind, turning back, and reversal of offending actions. He has made provision for our forgiveness and cleansing in Jesus Christ. (See John 5:24 and 1 John 1:9.) If we reject His message and His Son, eventually we cannot hope for the other shoe not to drop.

Question: What can I do at www.socialsecurity.gov?

Answer: There are many things you can do on Social Security’s website. You can conduct most of your Social Security business with us online at socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices. You can get an estimate of future benefits, find out if you qualify for benefits now, and even apply for benefits. You can complete a number of other tasks online, too, including replacing your Social Security card in some states. You can estimate your retirement benefit using our Retirement Estimator, which allows you to get an instant, personalized estimate of your future benefit based on different retirement ages and scenarios. You can even open your own “my Social Security” account to plan for and manage your benefits at socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

Question: Is it illegal to laminate your Social Security card?

Answer: No, it is not illegal, but we discourage it. It is best not to laminate your card. Laminated cards make it difficult — sometimes even impossible — to detect important security features and an employer may refuse to accept them. The Social Security Act requires the Commissioner of Social Security to issue cards that cannot be counterfeited. We incorporate many features that protect the card’s integrity. They include highly specialized paper and printing techniques, some of which are invisible to the naked eye. Keep your Social Security card in a safe place with your other important papers. Do not carry it with you. Learn more at socialsecurity.gov.

Question: I noticed that my date of birth in Social Security’s records is wrong. How do I get that corrected?

Answer: To change the date of birth shown on our records, take the following steps:

Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5). Show us documents proving: U.S. citizenship (if you have not previously established your citizenship with us); age; and identity. Take (or mail) your completed application and documents to your local Social Security office. Note that all documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. For details on the documents you will need, visit socialsecurity.gov/ss5doc.

CIVICS LESSON… Hats off to Watervliet North School Principal Joe Allen for bringing his entire 5th grade to the 9-11 service on Friday. Those 111 youngsters became part of history in the making as leaders of the community and its citizens came together to commemorate the heroism of those killed because of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.  They lead the group of citizens and veterans in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. They then heard City Commissioner Dan Hummel eulogize the dead of that day 15 years ago and include the sacrifices of our local first responders who stand guard daily to keep our community safe.  Hummel then directed his comments to the youngsters, exhorting them to contribute to their hometown through community service and volunteerism.  I have little doubt a long lasting memory of these grade school students will be being part of a community event instead of being a spectator.  A salute as well goes out to the Watervliet VFW and North Berrien Military Rites Team for conducting the event. NEW INTERNET EDITION DEBUT… this week marks the official start of the internet edition of the Tri-City Record. Subscribers will have total access to all the stories, photos, and ads at the website tricityrecord.com for $31 per year. The internet edition will be available on Thursday morning.  Starting this week the public access to the Tri-City Record will be limited to news headlines, briefs, lead photos, and ads. The public access issue will be online later Thursday.   The new Tri-City Record website has been up and running for about six weeks. Thanks for the suggestions to make it more accessible and readable.   Please email us at record@tricityrecord.com with your suggestions or questions.  You may subscribe to the internet edition by going online at tricityrecord.com and clicking the subscription link on the home page.   Also, you may email webmaster Amy at tcrsubscriptions@gmail.com.

WELCOME LAURIE… New to the staff this summer at the Tri-City Record is Watervliet resident, Laurie Kibler. Her position here is Copy Editor, as such she is charged with date and spell checking primarily. She also will check my editing of stories and page layouts. Prior to accepting this position she worked for Eco-Logical Cleaners from its start in July 2009 to the closing late last year. Laurie has lived in Watervliet all of her life. She attended Watervliet Public Schools K-12 and earned an associate degree from Lake Michigan College. Laurie is married to Bruce Kibler, also an alumnus of Watervliet. They have two sons, Eric and Ryan both of whom graduated from Watervliet High School and went on to further their education at the University of Michigan. Laurie and Bruce are proud to be Panthers and can be found at the gate selling 50/50 tickets for the athletic Boosters during the Varsity Football home games. They are active members at Watervliet Free Methodist Church where Laurie volunteers in many capacities.