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THE SILVER LINING To Your Life & Health
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‘R emember T hat T ime ?’
Wild Summers Lifeguarding at the Thomasville Pool
Summer may be a time for fun in the sun, but it’s also a time to work and save money for many students. That was the case for me when I was growing up. I started working during the summer when I was 14 years old. My dad always told me he had started working and paying for his own clothes when he was that age, and I wanted to live up to that. You had to be 16 to work, so I forged a guidance counselor’s signature on a work permit and got a job sweeping, emptying trash, and cleaning bathrooms at Six Flags. Fast forward two summers, and I discovered I could be a lifeguard and make the same amount of money while working fewer hours than I did at Six Flags. I began working for the City of Atlanta as a lifeguard at Thomasville Pool. I hadn’t even grown into my ears by that point, but I had to grow up quite a bit that summer. Thomasville Pool was in one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in the United States. When I think about all the chaos that I went through as a lifeguard at Thomasville Pool, I don’t even know where to begin describing the average day. I witnessed drug deals regularly. I was shot at. Various gangs in the neighborhood would
harass us. There were fights, and I was in some of them. If a group of thugs started saying that the pool was theirs, there would no doubt be a fight. On land, they had us beat, but if we could get them in the water, the other lifeguards and I had the home field advantage. Even in light of all of this — I still had a lot of fun.
into my car. When I confronted him, he grabbed a bat and hit me in the side. I punched him in the eye and broke my hand. I may have had a cast on my arm during my first year of college, but at least I had a crazy story to go with it. Your summer job probably won’t be like mine, but I think the lessons I drew from that experience aren’t specific to lifeguarding in a dangerous neighborhood. Learn to have fun, whatever the environment. No job is only about money. Summer jobs also give students a taste of what their parents do every day, like keeping a schedule. Finally, you should build on the relationships you form at your job. Grueling work makes for great bonding, and it fills your future with amazing “remember-that-time” conversations.
“WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL THE CHAOS THAT I WENT THROUGH AS A LIFEGUARD AT THOMASVILLE POOL, I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN DESCRIBING THE AVERAGE DAY.”
Thomasville Pool was an environment unlike any I had ever experienced. I learned to navigate it and how to stand up for myself and anticipate certain situations. I had a guardian angel — an older lifeguard named Tim, who showed me the ropes. Tim had been shot twice, but he was very well respected in the community and an expert at controlling the chaos. We’re still friends to this day. I’m still in contact with many of the lifeguards I worked with, and any time we see each other, the question, “Remember that time ... ?” always comes up. Since I survived Thomasville one summer, the City of Atlanta sent me back again. That second summer, I caught someone trying to break
–Duane Hamilton 1 770-744-1855
ingredients, including saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur, to create an early form of gunpowder. Stick the substance in a bamboo shoot and light it on fire, and you’ve got yourself a pretty decent explosion. The Chinese used this invention for special celebrations — and later for war. Like sparks on a fuse, fireworks made their way west during the Renaissance, and their popularity exploded in Europe. Firemasters and their assistants, called “green men” because of the hats of green leaves they used to protect themselves from the sparks, created incredible displays at weddings and royal celebrations. King Henry VII had fireworks at his wedding in 1486. Pyrotechnics became a subject of study, particularly in Italy, where the first color fireworks were invented. by the hidden historical gems our country is home to. The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Whether you have a car full of restless young’uns to entertain, or you just want to gain some new insight into your country roots, this outing is fascinating for the whole family. As a truly unsung and unique aspect of the American West, this blast from the past gives new meaning to “girl power.” Through exciting displays and informative tours, the National Cowgirl Museum brings you back to a daring world where no day was guaranteed. Starting as nothing more than a modest room in the building’s basement, the museum has grown to more than 33,000 square feet and boasts over 4,000 artifacts. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, this destination may be a bit of a drive, but the unique
Unsurprisingly, when fireworks came to the New World, Americans got carried away with fireworks-related pranks. Ordinances restricting fireworks usage popped up as early as 1731. Some things never change. But when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to his wife that the day should be commemorated with, among other things, “illuminations … from this time forward forevermore.” The very next year, on July 4, Americans did just that. As firework displays have become more advanced and elaborate, patriots across the country have carried on this tradition. As long as the nighttime sky exists, Americans will paint it with fireworks. opportunity to take in the bravery and achievements of some of history’s greatest cowgirls makes the trip worth it. Tombstone, Arizona, and All Its Wild Wonders Few towns have played a more important role in our common knowledge of the Wild West than Tombstone, Arizona. From the popular movie of the same name to the famed “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” this stunning city is unparalleled in historical value. Through countless restoration efforts and local museums, this Wild West behemoth has no shortage of adventures to set out on. From old-timey saloons and spooky graveyards to the infamous Birdcage Theatre, you can go on a week’s worth of expeditions accompanied by friendly guides who are there to fill you in on all the tales of old.
There are only so many times you can go to Disney World over the summer until both kids and parents start snoring from boredom. Why not take a break from your modern ways? Silence your cell phones, pop in a road trip CD, roll the windows down, and get a new perspective on this great nation of ours. You’d be surprised
Painting the Sky
A History of Fireworks and America’s Independence
To say that the history of fireworks was colorful wouldn’t be completely right — color wasn’t added to fireworks until the 1830s. To call the history of fireworks bright, vibrant, explosive, and dangerous would all still be correct, though. Their invention was accidental and intertwined with weddings, war, monarchy, religion, the search for immortality, and American independence. The Chinese had been throwing bamboo shoots in their fires to ward off evil spirits since 200 B.C., but the tradition didn’t evolve into something resembling fireworks until a thousand years later. In 800 A.D., the Chinese accidentally advanced the science of fireworks by attempting to create an elixir that granted immortality. Alchemists mixed a number of
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A ll or N othing Three Entrepreneurs Whose Risks Paid Off
July 26 is All or Nothing Day, a day to (literally or metaphorically) put all your cards on the table, hold nothing back, and hope for the best. As nerve- wracking as that may sound, some entrepreneurs have experienced episodes where they really had to take the spirit of All or Nothing Day to heart. Here are three business leaders whose successes began with a daring gamble. Fred Smith Unlike the other two people on this list, the CEO and founder of FedEx took a literal gamble to save his company. When faced with the prospect of bankruptcy in FedEx’s early years, Smith decided to go for broke in Las Vegas with the company’s last $5,000 to try and make enough to fuel their planes. It worked. He left the blackjack table with $27,000, and FedEx lived to fly another day.
John Mackey and Renee Lawson Hardy
In the late 1970s, locally sourced organic produce was not nearly as trendy as it is today. In fact, it was almost nonexistent in the mainstream marketplace. Grocery store owners Mackey, Hardy, and two others wanted to change that and left the safety of their tried and true business models to do so. The grocery store chain they founded is now known as Whole Foods Market. It just goes to show that creating an entirely new business model takes an innovative idea and a whole lot of risk. Elon Musk Because of the incredible technological strides made by Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk has become a household name. Tesla is worth billions of dollars today, but this wasn’t always the case. Tesla wasn’t immune from the effects
of the Great Recession, and in the face of losing everything, Musk invested his last $35 million. It paid off in droves. Today, Musk himself is worth around $20 billion. Not every risk will result in success, but the only sure fire way to never see a payoff is to never take a risk. Whether in business or in life, sometimes you just have to put all your chips in the pot and hope for the best.
W atermelon C ucumber S kewers
Inspired by CookingLight.com
Skewers are a Fourth of July favorite, but these are not your classic kebabs. They’re a fresh, light, and fun way to start a barbecue. Oh, and they don’t require any actual cooking.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 medium-sized
• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves • Salt, to taste Equipment • 1 packet of bamboo skewers
watermelon, cubed • 2 cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch rounds • 1 block feta cheese, cubed
DIRECTIONS
1. Assemble skewers by placing one watermelon cube, one cucumber round, one feta cube, and one mint leaf on skewer in that order. Repeat until skewer is full. 2. Lightly season with salt and chill in fridge until right before serving.
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My Summer Job Experience Growing Up Taking a Step Into the Past This Summer A History of Fireworks Risky Business Gambles Watermelon Cucumber Skewers A Bizarre Legal Loophole in Yellowstone
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W here to G et A way W ith M urder
When people envision a trip to Yellowstone National Park, they probably think about buffalo or Old Faithful. Most people wouldn’t think about murder, but there’s a section of the park where getting away with murder could be possible. In 2005, Michigan State law professor Brian Kalt first pointed out the legal loopholes associated with the tiny section of Yellowstone Park in Idaho. This remote region is now known as the Zone of Death. So, how could it be theoretically possible to get away with murder in the Zone of Death? To begin, Wyoming District Court has jurisdiction over all of Yellowstone. This doesn’t seem strange, but there are small parts of Yellowstone that are also in Idaho and Montana, which means that the Wyoming District Court technically has jurisdiction in other states.
If you committed a crime in the Idaho section of Yellowstone, authorities would send you to Cheyenne, the capital of Wyoming, because the area is under Wyoming’s jurisdiction. But under Article 3, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution, trials are meant to be held in the state in which the crime was committed. That means you would go back to Idaho for your trial. Additionally, under the Sixth Amendment, the jury at your trial should be comprised of people who live in the state and district where you committed the crime. However, finding a jury that fits this criteria would be problematic. Prosecutors would have to construct a jury out of people who live in that 50-square-mile section of Idaho that is under Wyoming’s jurisdiction — and nobody lives there. To deny you a trial by jury would be unconstitutional, but
no jury can be constructed. In theory, since there’s no legal way to prosecute you, you would get off scot-free. To date, no one has taken any serious effort to fix these loopholes. At the same time, no one has reportedly tried to commit a crime in the Zone of Death since its discovery. While its existence may seem troubling, the region remains little more than a peculiarity.
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