Chelsey Broom (l) was designated the best in the state among eleventh-graders participating in the Young Georgia Authors' Writing Competition, while Morgan Reese captured first-place honors at the district level in the Twelfth-Grade Division. Two LCHS students have distinguished themselves as writers of the highest caliber in the Young Georgia Authors' Writing Competition.

The essay submitted by Chelsey Broom was designated the best in the state in the Eleventh-Grade Division, while Morgan Reese's entry captured first-place honors at the district level in the Twelfth-Grade Division.

The district is comprised of the 12 counties served by the CSRA Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA).

Titled "The Sting of Loneliness," Broom's essay speaks to the feelings of sadness and desolation that can accompany the aging process.

The essay is reprinted here in its entirety:

"While staring out of the window of an empty house watching the rain drizzle and sit on the blades of dead winter grass, life seems to move so slowly. Nothing will soothe this feeling in the heart that stings every time it is realized loneliness is the only thing around.

"The dust has collected on the cold, dull furniture and the phone seldom rings. When thinking back to times past, it feels as though it was lived in such a fast pace, almost as if those times were never lived at all. With no one around and nothing that can effortlessly be done as it used to, there is constant wondering of when the last breath will be taken.

"This frail and aching body can barely drag one foot behind the other because of the weights that seem to be snatching these tired feet to the ground, never allowing a chance for rest. Being ever so careful not to fall as a baby talking its first unsure, wobbly steps, a sigh of relief is exhaled when the destination is safely reached. The question is now asked silently 'What next?' — resting is all that is easy to do.

"With no one around to lift the spirits of this worn, hungry heart, a smile never raises the deep wrinkles of this sad countenance.

"Being old is one thing, but being old and alone is hard for one's mind to digest. With so many people rushing around here and there with their own schedules, an old body gets ignored. Moving swiftly past leaving behind only a slight breeze and a faint fragrance, they rush to their loved ones that are there to greet them in their cozy homes after a busy day. Trying to recollect what that was once like is becoming harder and harder to do. With no one here to remind this decreasing memory, eventually everything will be forgotten.

" To hear the laugh of the man that stole this heart so many years ago would be like hearing praise choruses ringing in Glory Land. He was taken too soon. Now here alone is this worn, tired soul who no longer has even a familiar face to glace upon for reassurance. Even the aroma of this home is no longer comforting. It once rang with laughter and singing, now just the sound of the old floors creak and wind blowing through the cracks of these ancient windows, chilling these dry hands.

"Will peace be found? Time is moving too slow with nowhere to go. Loneliness and sadness are all that is left to this aging body and never for a second will it be forgotten. Today this old heart may give and no one will care."

Broom will participate in a special recognition ceremony, which will be held during the October meeting of the Georgia State Board of Education.

She is the daughter of Casey and Heather Broom of Lincolnton.

As for Reese, her winning entry dealt with growing up in Lincolnton and was titled "Small Towns Don't Change." In her essay, she climbs one of the city's water towers and while sitting on the platform at the top, gains a deeper understanding of her hometown.

Reese wrote: "I pondered what it would be like to leave this town, to not be at the school or sit in the lower parking lot at night, just waiting for something half-way exciting to happen after nine o-clock on a Saturday night.

"I soon changed my focus from the school to the courthouse, which was only a few hundred yards away from the school. The white dome shape of the top of the building looked almost ethereal as the sun began to slowly descend in the sky. The reds, purples, and oranges of the horizon seemed to reflect off the roof, creating a tiedye of colors on the well-respected home of justice in this small town.

"I saw a man walking up the steps into the building. As he went past the large, white columns at the entrance, I began to imagine being in there, too. I could see the large, marble floors, checked with a white and black pattern, and the tall ceilings adorned with the bright, hanging lights that gave the place such a regal feeling in my mind. I had spent many hours there sitting and looking up at those fixtures on the days I had waited for my mom to get off work in the courtroom...

"As I sat for hours and looked out over my town, I began to see all the little things that I had always overlooked. I knew every car that drove by on the few roads that bent and curved in the city limits, not by some magical intuition but because the same people had owned the same vehicles for most of my life.

"That is what was so great about this town — no one likes change. There is some comfort in that. There is no doubt in my mind that every Friday night, there will be absolutely everyone, that is able, attending a football game.

"Those same cars that I watched pass me by will be lined up and down the road leading to the school, as they do every week at that time. The lights will shine brightly on the impeccably green field, and the town's pride-andjoy performers will play their hearts out for another win, just like they always have. That is just the way things were in this small town, and even from atop of the old water tower, I could see things here were always going to stay the same."

Reese is the daughter of Phil and Lisa Reese of Lincolnton.

"Needless to say, we are thrilled that two of our students did so well in the Young Georgia Authors' Writing Competition," stated Lee Robinson, chairman of the English Department at LCHS. "To my knowledge, this is the first time that we as a school have participated in the contest — it's very encouraging to see our students succeed both at the district and state levels when we put them up against the best of the best. It's just more proof of what bright students we have at LCHS."

Broom and Reese wrote their essays for AP English, taught by Robinson.

"According to the rules, the only ones allowed to edit the entries are the students themselves," noted the teacher. "It's just as well because Chelsey and Morgan didn't need any help from me or anyone else — the girls did that good a job on both the content and the grammatical and mechanical aspects of what they wrote."

Commenting on Broom's essay, Robinson said, "The emotional ache this woman feels is almost as palpable as the physical aches her body suffers. So many of us would prefer not to face what growing old may mean because we don't want to think about the isolation and pain that doing so may bring, but Chelsey examines it with a depth and sensitivity that is particularly impressive for one so young.

"Morgan's essay captures both the physical makeup and the spirit of Lincoln County," Robinson continued. "She brings her hometown to life and enables the reader to see Lincolnton as she sees it. The fact that she just graduated and that so many of her experiences here are about to become a part of her past makes the essay that much more poignant."

In conclusion, Robinson said it was a privilege to teach students like Broom, Reese, and their peers.

Sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education, the Young Georgia Authors' Writing Competition is designed to encourage students to develop writing that represents their best efforts, provide a context for schools to support and celebrate the writing successes of all students, and encourage and recognize student achievement in writing throughout Georgia.