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| George 'Buster' Singleton |
(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator
George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere
in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Mental breathers keep life
balanced,” was originally published in the Oct. 22, 1987 edition of The Monroe
Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)
I think one of the mistakes of our society today is that we
don’t take the time to let our minds heal themselves. We become so preoccupied
with ourselves that we forget that our brains have to have a breather.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but we work all day in a tense
environment; then we go home, and then what do we do for relaxation? We sit for
at least three or four hours each day and watch television. During this time,
we witness three or four murders and at least three or four acts of rape. Then,
to add to all the other troubles, we usually see a home or two broken up and
always two or three families separated from each other, with a small child or
two thrown to the mercy of the world. Then no evening is complete without some
hanky panky between the couple next door.
All of this has become a way of life with us. This is what
we expect to see. This is how we entertain ourselves.
Fantasy world in turmoil
Then we finally push away from the boob tube, and we try to
get some rest. The happenings of the past few hours rest so heavy on our minds
that we can’t go to sleep. Our brains are so cluttered that we have trouble
remembering our children’s names. And we can’t understand why our society is
going to the dogs. Our world of fantasy is in turmoil; we struggle for
survival; we have no place to go to rest the mind. We turn to narcotics and to
the many other things that destroy our minds for a solution. But there is
nothing to be found.
But all is not in vain. There is a solution for the problems
of life, and it is so close at hand. We can still turn to the healing place,
just as the early Indian did. A place where the pressures of life have no
meaning. A place where we can gather our thoughts and be at peace with
ourselves and our surroundings. A place where we can talk to the Great Spirit
and gain strength and be well.
This place that I speak of is the deep woods. A place where
the tall pines grow and the quietness covers you like a blanket, and all is
well with your soul.
A few simple things
When it seems that you are at the end of the rope, and the
troubles of life cling to your every move, gather yourself a few simple things
such as a blanket, a few items of food and a jar of water. Steal away into the
deep woods, and find yourself a quiet spot. Some, like myself, might like the
high country. Others might like the low, cool area along the small streams. The
place can be of your own choosing.
Arrive in time to nestle down before dark. Arrange your
sleeping place in the soft pine needles and wait for the shadows to creep
across the evening skies. Eat just enough food to keep from being
uncomfortable. Drink the plain water from the jar, and listen for the night
sounds as they slowly gather around you.
Do not be afraid. There is nothing to harm you. Lie back and
watch darkness close in around you like a huge curtain. Absorb your
surroundings, and let the Creator of the heavens and earth heal your mind and
soul. Give thanks to the Great Spirit for allowing you to be a part of his
creation. Then, in the quietness of the moment, review your life. Evaluate the
things that might not be in accordance with that which is right toward your
fellow men. Choose the decisions that will make you a stronger person. Set
forth rules of discipline that won’t allow you to do the things that will cause
heartbreak and sorrow to your loved ones. Strengthen your conscience, and cast
aside those things that are trivial and will make you weak.
Listen to the sounds
Then, when this is done, wrap in your blanket and listen
again to the sounds that will bring on sleep and contentment. And with the
coming of sleep comes the healing of the mind and the soul, and all is well and
good within yourself once more.
In the morning, as the darkness is pushed gradually away
with the warming rays of the rising sun, look back at the night and reaffirm
that which you decided upon.
As you eat the last of the food that you brought with you,
you will know that you are not alone. You will know that the Great Spirit walks
with you and is forever near. And if you feel like raising your arms to the
heavens, do so; the words will come.
O! Great Spirit,
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world,
Hear me! I am small and weak; I need your
Strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes
Ever behold the red-and-purple sunset.
Make me always ready to come to you with
Clean hands and straight eyes.
And when life fades, as the fading sunset,
My spirit may come to you
Without shame to walk with you by the
Stream that gives eternal life.
And a thousand years will be as a day’s
Passing.
(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and
Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime
resident of Monroeville, he was born on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County and
served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from 1964 to
1987. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and
all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the
microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville.
Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship
purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)
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