GA Injury Advocates - October 2019

GA Injury Advocates - October 2019

Auto Injury T R I B U N E

October 2019

The Best Part of Halloween WHO’S THAT?

T he first thing everyone needs to know about me is that I love Halloween. At my house, Halloween is a big event. I love going to parties, eating Halloween treats, and, most of all, dressing up in costumes. When I was a kid, my family was extremely poor, so we were never able to buy Halloween costumes. But I remember one year when I wanted to be a robot and my mom went all out to help make my costume. We found a big box I could wear and painted it all black. Then my mom tracked down a smaller box, wrapped it in aluminum foil, and turned it into a robot head. I went to a Halloween party with the other kids in the neighborhood, and even though my costume was homemade, it was the coolest costume at the party. These days, dressing up is still my favorite part of Halloween. I’ve dressed up as Darth Vader, the Grinch, and Jack Skellington, just to name a few. My wife and I go all out, and I aim for costumes no one can recognize me in. Darth Vader was great because of the helmet, but let me tell you, it got really hot really fast. Last year I was Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” That was a great costume. Everyone could see my face, but no one recognized me because of the big bald head. Of all the costumes I’ve worn in recent years, my favorite has been Batman. I usually rent my costumes, but I went ahead and bought the Batman costume. That one is just a lot of fun.

“Of all the costumes I’ve worn in recent years, my favorite has been Batman.”

grew up, we realized that it’s

still fun to dress up and do something different. Adults have to work really hard to take care of themselves and their families — it’s important to take some time away from work to recharge. A great way to do that is to pretend to be someone else for a while. And if you can eat mini chocolate bars while you’re pretending to be someone else, it’s even better.

When you’re in costume, you get to be in that role. It’s nice to forget about the stress in life and be Batman for a while. And what kind of lawyer doesn’t imagine being a superhero sometimes?

I dress up for Halloween parties the weekend before Halloween because on Halloween night, our house becomes trick-or-treat central. We’re the starting point for most families in the neighborhood. We kick the front doors open and we have about 30 kids and their parents inside at one time, enjoying food and drinks. We even have adult drinks for the parents who need a pick-me-up while making the rounds. My wife and I take turns taking the kids trick-or- treating each year. Whoever stays behind is in charge of handing out candy. I don’t mind which role I get, because I enjoy everything about Halloween. This used to be a holiday “just for kids,” but as those kids who loved Halloween

Happy Halloween!

–Ramiro Rodriguez, Jr.

El Abogado Ramiro (El Abogado Amigo) y su equipo hablan español

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Dia de los Muertos

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE

TAILS FROM THE PAST MYTHICAL CATS OF THE WORLD

Despite the common misconception, Dia de los Muertos is not an offshoot of Halloween. While the two holidays often happen simultaneously, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday that originated with the indigenous people of Central America, including the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. Each year, they gathered and gave offerings to their dead. When the Spaniards came to Mexico, they fused the indigenous celebrations with their traditions of All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2). Ancient Beginnings Ancient Mesoamerican civilizations viewed death as a beginning rather than an end. This was likely tied to agricultural practices and the seasons, with crops dying in the winter and being reborn in the spring. Dia de los Muertos evolved from those roots and is now observed throughout Mexico and the United States. It’s a time of remembering your loved ones by celebrating their lives. Full of Life Though the name might lead you to believe differently, Dia de los Muertos is a joyous time. If you visit Mexico during the holiday, the air is filled with music, and the streets are full of dancing and color. Instead of a sorrowful mourning of the dead, it is a vibrant, joyous celebration of life. Intricate altar displays, called ofrendas, honor the spirits of relatives who’ve passed. Families fill them with photographs and the relatives’ favorite food and drinks. It’s believed that during Dia de los Muertos, the boundary between the living and the dead is lifted, and for one night only, spirits come back to visit and enjoy what their families have set out for them. Today, the multiday celebration takes place throughout Central and North America. As tiny Batmans and Skywalkers add the final adjustments to their costumes, other families clean their homes and prepare to honor the spirits of their loved ones. And in today’s beautiful blend of cultures, many families celebrate both holidays.

Most owners will tell you their cats act like ancient deities. Majestic, scrupulous, and utterly unpredictable, these fascinating creatures have long captured our imaginations. Even before cat videos took the internet by storm, humans have been idolizing felines, placing them alongside some of their most important mythological figures. Bastet — Egypt Of course, a list of mythical cats has to start with Egypt. While many people know the pharaohs and their followers thought cats were sacred, you may be surprised by how deep the connection goes. The earliest depiction of Bastet, the feline deity of protection, is a lion-headed woman in battle. But, over the course of 2,000 years, Bastet evolved to resemble the domesticated, pointy-eared cats we know and love today. 招き猫 (Maneki-Neko) — Japan Legend has it that in the 17th century, a monk living in a small temple in Edo (now Tokyo) was struggling to survive, but he still split his meals with his cat, Tama. One day, Lord Nakaota li got caught in a rainstorm while hunting and took shelter under a tree near the temple. Nakaota spotted Tama near the temple, and the cat raised its leg, beckoning the noble to come toward him. Curious, Nakaota complied, stepping out from beneath the tree just before a bolt of lightning struck it down. The lord’s life was saved, and to this day, the Maneki-Neko (the beckoning cat) is a symbol of wealth and good fortune. Freya’s Skogkatts — Norway In Norse folklore, the goddess Freya had a unique means of travel: a chariot pulled by two cats. These were skogkatts, or Norwegian Forest cats, that were only a little larger than your average house cat. Still, these small felines towed Freya around battlefields as she gathered warriors to send to Valhalla. On top of being the goddess of war, love affairs, and magic, Freya may well have been Midgard’s first cat lady.

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RULES FOR SAFE TRICK-OR-TREATING

Halloween is a holiday about frights and fun, but when it comes to trick-or-treating, parents often have very real fears. You may have seen online posts claiming that more kids are struck by cars on Halloween than any other night of the year. While this is technically true, it leaves out the fact that there are more children outside on Halloween than any other night of the year. Halloween is not inherently more dangerous than other nights, but there are safety rules we should all remember. Follow the Rules of the Road Getting as much candy as possible is an important childhood mission, but kids shouldn’t let the excitement cause them to run out into the street. Stick to the sidewalks and cross only at corners, traffic signals, and crosswalks. Remind children to look both ways twice before stepping into the road and to never walk out between parked cars. Teach your kids to make eye contact with drivers before they cross in front of their cars. Dress Smart Great costumes are key to a great Halloween, but before you let your kids show off their amazing outfits, follow these tips:

• Decorate costumes and trick-or-treat bags with reflective tape and supply glow-stick necklaces and bracelets for accessories.

• Masks can block a child’s vision, so opt for face paint instead.

• Cinderella may need her glass slippers, but your trick-or-treater will have more fun wearing comfortable shoes. • Make sure the costumes fit well and don’t have long capes or skirts that might cause a child to trip. Drive Safe If you are going to be out on the road on Halloween night, use extra caution. Young, excited children can behave erratically, so stay alert at all times. Slow down in residential areas, eliminate all distractions, and double-check for kids waiting to cross at crosswalks, intersections, and curbs. By practicing basic safety, we can help all of our little goblins and ghouls enjoy a fun and safe Halloween.

HALLOWEEN SAFETY 101

RECIPE:

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED FRUIT

SUDOKU

This super easy and fun way to create homemade treats provides your kids with a healthier and more delicious alternative to packaged industrial candy. As a bonus, making it is an awesome Halloween activity for your family to enjoy.

Ingredients:

• •

1 package melting chocolate

Assorted dried fruit, including apricots and mangoes

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. 2. Place a large, heatproof mixing bowl on top of saucepan so that no steam can escape. Place melting chocolate in mixing bowl and double boil until melted. 3. Dip half of each piece of fruit in chocolate

before transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet to rest. 4. Let cool for 10 minutes until chocolate solidifies. 5. Place in school lunches, serve at parties, and indulge in a few for yourself. Inspired by Food Network

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Sudoku solution

Inside

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A Real Scream Amazing Cat Tales The Meaning of Dia de los Muertos More Treats, Less Tricks Chocolate-Dipped Fruit A Tour of Marietta

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The South is full of ghosts. Countless bloody battles during the Civil War caused the spirits of soldiers from both sides to be trapped in limbo forever. At least, that’s what the stories say. But even the most hardened skeptic will have a hard time not believing the stories when visiting Marietta’s most haunted building, Kennesaw House. Built in 1845, Kennesaw House is one of the oldest buildings in Marietta because it was one of the few buildings not burned down during Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. At the time, the building was the Fletcher House hotel, owned by Dix Fletcher. The hotel was spared during Sherman’s campaign because Fletcher’s son-in-law was a Union spy. Used as a hospital and morgue during the Civil War, it’s no surprise that Kennesaw House is said to be home to 700 restless spirits. Now home to the Marietta Museum of History, Kennesaw House has many museum visitors who report seeing some of these ghosts. There have been several sightings of a Civil War surgeon who

seems to enjoy riding the elevator. Children on school field trips often report spotting a woman in an Antebellum dress they later identity as Mrs. Fletcher, the wife of Dix Fletcher, who appears in a portrait hanging in the museum. But the most notable supernatural experience happened in the basement. While riding the elevator, museum visitors found themselves unexpectedly taken to the basement. When the doors opened, they found a crowded hospital room. Men in Civil War uniforms shouted in pain as weary surgeons removed limbs and tended to bullet wounds. When they returned to the main floor, some visitors asked museum staff about the “Civil War reenactment” going on downstairs. Baffled, museum staff went to check the situation but found the basement to be totally empty. Are these stories proof of the supernatural or tall tales meant to frighten the gullible? Make a trip to Kennesaw House in the historic downtown Marietta Square and find out for yourself.

700 Ghosts of Kennesaw House

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