Dear Editor,

Driving down 280 the other day, I saw a billboard that said, very simply, &8220;I Believe In Sleeping In.&8221; It wasn&8217;t selling anything other than the idea that sleeping in was a good thing.

It sounds kind of silly on the surface. But think about it, do you know anybody who gets to sleep in anymore?

Even on a Saturday? I can tell you that with three children and a crazy work schedule, I don&8217;t sleep in. And the truth is, I miss it.

How wonderful to be able to wake when you want, no alarm blaring you into consciousness. Stretching and peacefully contemplating the rest of the day.

That is the height of luxury to me.

There are more of these billboards around town. I saw another one that spoke to me even more than sleeping in. It said &8220;I Believe In Eating Dessert First.&8221; Now that is something I can get behind!

What I think they are really saying, and it is a message we could all stand to hear, is that we sometimes CAN do the fun thing. It doesn&8217;t always have to be the grown up thing. Be a child and indulge yourself. Eat dessert first every now and then. Sleep late and enjoy it.

So what would happen if everyone took these messages to heart? If we all started sleeping in on Saturdays and eating dessert first, would the world stop turning? Would Wall Street collapse?

Of course not. I think you would see people smile. They would be relaxed and at ease, indulged rather than deluged.

That sounds like a great world to me.

I don&8217;t know the purpose of these billboards, but they sure have made me think. Excuse me; now I&8217;m going to eat chocolate cake and take a nap.

Heather Reynolds-Abernathy

Vincent

Dear Editor,

Is it too much to ask for a police escort? Our family needed one for about five minutes to get us through two red lights Sunday. Did we get it? No. What ,besides compassion, is missing?

Pat Hughes

Columbiana

Dear Editor,

Recently when talking with friends in the Calera and Alabaster areas, excitement surrounded us as we hurried to check out all the new locations to shop. We girls love to do that. There were more restaurants coming. There were more department stores coming: Target, JC Penney, Lane Bryant, Belk, Kirkland Home, Pier One, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Sally&8217;s Beauty Supply, Ross, The Shoe Department and Books-A-Million. Oh, the money we can spend. And oh, the money we can save with all those bargains! We were just beside ourselves!

Then the thought hit my friend, look at what they are getting: Target, JC Penney, Lane Bryant, etc. And look at what they have: Belk, Kirkland Home, Pier One, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, etc.

And look what I&8217;m getting here in Columbiana, at least 400 state prison inmates in the industrial park! Are prisons manufacturing businesses? Are prisons and industry? Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture?

Bonita Davidson

Columbiana

Dear Editor,

To have insurance or not to have insurance? That is the question. I have paid for home insurance coverage for more than 20 years. Through no fault of our own, we have had three claims in three years. First, a man cut a tree down next to our house, and he was supposed to be insured but was not. The tree limb went through our bedroom window. Second, the hurricane winds blew a limb through our roof. Third, lightening hit our breaker box. So what happens? The industry standard says because of the three claims in three years we must cancel our insurance. It doesn&8217;t matter that these claims could not have been prevented and was not our fault. So you pay your insurance premiums so that you are protected, but don&8217;t use it because then they will cancel it and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. There is no appeal. They just up and cancel your insurance. It doesn&8217;t matter that your previous years are all clear and that you have had no claim. What is worse, because you have had three claims in three years, you are considered high risk and your premium doubles.

This is not a joke. Wait till you have to use your insurance, then you will find out the hard way. I just cannot believe that an insurance company can do this to someone. As long as you pay your premium, you&8217;re covered; use it, and you get cancelled.

Somebody out there, is there something called insurance reform?

Susan Conn

Columbian