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We developed the habit of looking down as young children when we were upset, angry, embarrassed, frustrated, or dejected. We stared at the ground as we walked around sulking. We were withdrawn and unresponsive. We used this behavior as an escape rather than trying to remedy a situation.
This early conditioning influences your behavior throughout life. It becomes a default response to dealing with adversity. Even though this approach is devoid of any positive results, it’s used repeatedly.
When faced with challenges or problems, where you look, figuratively and literally, makes a big difference. People with hope, determination, and drive look up to the future. Those who have given up, are down trodden, or believe there is no solution, constantly look down.
Just as smiling causes you to feel better, looking up also improves your emotional state. Your physical and mental states are interconnected. Positive body language sparks positive emotions. So, acting better leads to you feeling better.
Even without the negative emotional connection, looking down adversely impacts your wellbeing. For example, observe people who are constantly looking down at their phone while walking. They are prone to tripping, falling, walking into objects or traffic. These people suffer easily avoidable injuries.
Looking down is dangerous. You won’t see potential hazards. Looking down blocks the world around you. You are less likely to see and hear what’s going on. You are much more accident prone when staring at the ground.
People searching for answers tend to look up. Ask someone a question and watch their eyes shift upward. Conversely, people look down when trying to avoid dealing with a problem. Knowing this, you can intentionally look up when confronting an obstacle.
Looking up provides an awareness of what lies ahead. Unexpected situations arise. Circumstances change without warning. Dealing with adversity is challenging enough when you are paying attention. When you are looking down, you’ll be blindsided due to your inattention.
It’s just like driving a car. Paying attention to the road ahead provides the ability to safely take corrective action to avoid having an accident. The farther down the road you are looking, the more warning you’ll have. Drivers who focus their attention to something in the car are much more prone to a mishap. That’s why distracted driving is so hazardous.
Looking up should be a way of life during both good times and challenging times. Whenever you find yourself looking down, pick up your head. Don’t shy away from problems. Ignoring them won’t make them go away. In fact, uncorrected problems tend to get worse.
Looking up enables you to evaluate various scenarios. This type of projection is in fact mental modeling. You get to run through various strategies and their possible outcomes. The more you analyze your options before acting, the greater the chances for making the right decision.
Looking up let’s you know whether you are on your chosen path. You are able to observe changes in circumstances. You are also in touch with changes within yourself which necessitate a change in direction.
The situational awareness you gain by looking up permits you to plan for what is up ahead. You can take advantage of new opportunities which appear, while resolving problems before they become unmanageable.
Take responsibility for your life by looking up. Looking down is a woe is me victim mentality which cries for attention. It’s your life. Do more of what makes you happy. Eliminate those actions which create problems.
Maintain self-awareness. Be cognizant of where you are looking. As soon as you catch yourself looking down, look right back up instead.

July 10, 1946 ~ March 18, 2021

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 3, 2021, at Faith Hope Baptist Church, 407 Duroq St., Abbeville. Dr. Warren Milson will officiate the services. He will be laid to rest at Prairie Cemetery. Active pallbearers will be Jeremy Fontnette, William B. Dixon, Jalen B. Dixon, Governor W. Dixon, and Eric A. Stellky. Honorary pallbearers are as follows; Henry “Boo Boo” Dixon, Charles Brannon, Peter Reaux, Markell Callahan, Austin Fontnette, Mykal Dixon, Malcolm Dixon, and Ja’Lil Dixon.
Mr. Wesley Dixon Jr. entered into this life on July 10, 1946 in Odessa, Texas.  He was born to Wesley Dixon Sr. and Josephine H. Dixon.  Mr. Wesley Dixon departed this life on March 18, 2021 in Austell, Georgia.
Mr. Wesley lived his life as a loving person who always thought about others and was always fast to offer a helping hand. He will be dearly missed by everyone who he loved and those who loved him. His absence from this earthly life has been, and will continue, to be felt.
He leaves to mourn and cherish his precious memories one biological daughter, Deanna F. Dixon; one biological granddaughter, Alicia M. Fontnette (Jeremy); one biological great-grandson, Austin A. Fontnette; two daughters, Latronica Dixon-Lewis (Derrick), Sharandae Brannon; four grandchildren, Malcolm Dixon, Manika Dixon, Mykal Dixon, and Makendra (Christopher) Dixon-Wallace, D’Karion Lewis; two great-grandchildren, Z. Dixon and Ja’Lil Dixon; two step great-grandchildren, Christian Wallace and Niana Wallace; one brother, Henry (Laura) Dixon; one sister, Christine Levy; three nieces, Josephine Dixon, Jody Jolly and Katrina Jolly; one nephew, LaDerrick Winters; two sisters-in-law, Mildred Dixon and Laura Dixon, as well as a host of relatives and friends.
Mr. Dixon was preceded in death by his parents, Wesley Dixon Sr. and Josephine H. Dixon; his grandparents, Richard Hawthorne and Mary Hawthorne; and one brother, Richard Dixon.
The family would like to give a special thank you to Faith Hope Baptist Church, Bishop B.K. Stevens and Dr. Warren Milson. We will also like to thank Roy Davis Funeral Home in Austell, Georgia and Vincent Funeral Home in Abbeville, Louisiana for all of your services. You all have been so kind and helpful during this difficult time for us. Also, thank you Ashley Thibodeaux for your help. Thank you to Soulfull Eats. Lastly, we want to thank everyone who called, helped prepare services, prayed for us, as well as those who simply thought about and loved on us near and far.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Faith Hope Baptist Church, Saturday, April 3, 2021, from 9:00am until time of services at 11:00am.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

Visitors walking through the main hallway of LeBlanc Elementary School— the first French Immersion school in Vermilion Parish— are now greeted by a giant, vibrant, globe-shaped mural, boasting colorful images of the flags of all of the French speaking countries throughout the world! It is an eye-catching creation that was recently completed by LeBlanc Elementary students and staff, as well as members of the Vermilion Parish School System and local community.
The project began when Madeline DeHart, Vermilion Parish Music/Fine Arts/French Immersion Supervisor, teamed up with Leblanc Elementary Fourth Grade teacher Shannon Vincent, to design a mural that would welcome and unite all who enter the school, while exhibiting the pride Vermilion Parish has in the French language.
“This project was a great way for students, staff and community members to leave a mark on Immersion! I hope when people see the mural, they feel a sense of belonging. Immersion has a way of cultivating inclusiveness. It opens doors for dialogues that most only dream of,” expressed DeHart.
The design features the flags of all of the French-speaking countries in the world. Mrs. Vincent carefully calculated each flag space to create a paint-by-number system with paint colors. She then drew the design on the wall, so participants would have a blueprint to work from.
“I was inspired to get involved with the French Immersion mural project when Madeline DeHart expressed that she wanted to create some sort of way to represent our French Immersion program as a school mural,” shared Vincent. “We knew we would have French Immersion teachers joining us from all over the world, and wanted to make them feel connected to their home while staying here.”
Rachelle Brown, Principal of Leblanc Elementary, expressed her enthusiasm for the mural project. “This mural gives us a sense of community and pride. It reminds us of our connection to French speaking countries,” said Brown. “It was truly a joy to see our students staff, community members and Superintendent have the opportunity to participate in this activity.”
Students worked alongside staff and community members, to slowly transform what was once a bare white wall, into an amazing display of colorful talent! Immense joy was brought to all those who witnessed the smiles on the students’ faces, as they pointed out the area they had painted. As each piece of the globe was completed, participants were elated that “their block” would be “their block” for as long as the school stands.
“I didn’t realize that students would remember exactly which spot they painted,” shared Vincent. “Many have been asked where their spot is, and they are able to point it out in five seconds or less! They are really proud that they had a chance to add something permanent to the school.”
LeBlanc Elementary is the first French Immersion school in Vermilion Parish. Their students are among nearly 100,000 students across Louisiana who study French. The school is one of the 26 French Immersion schools that exist in eight parishes. Immersion students learn French literacy, math, science and social studies in French, and English Language Arts in English.
Vermilion Parish, an area rich in Cajun and Creole history, is one of the top three Louisiana parishes, with the highest percentage of French speakers. According to the US Census, 18% of the people in Vermilion Parish are French speakers.
“When creating the design for the mural, we placed Louisiana’s flag front and center, because we want to celebrate Louisiana’s French first and foremost,” shared DeHart.
Many schools have such a positive school culture that you can see and feel, as soon as you enter the building…the walls, classrooms, staff and students, radiate that type of culture. LeBlanc Elementary fosters this very rich and positive school climate. The French Immersion mural project provided the perfect opportunity to showcase this type of culture!
“This mural marks such an important time in the history of Leblanc Elementary and in Vermilion Parish,” expressed Brown. “It represents the inception of French Immersion education, as well as the dedication of our stakeholders to preserving our French heritage.”
Traveling from her home in France, Floriane Rempp came to teach French to First Grade students at LeBlanc Elementary. She is one of the many teachers, who come from French-speaking France, Belgium, Africa, or Canada, to teach French in Louisiana schools. She shared her excitement with French Immersion, in a recent television production by France 24, an international news channel based in Paris, France, broadcasting to 355 million households around the world.
“Knowing that we have the French language in common, it brings us together…it allows us to open up to others, it’s our strength” expressed Rempp. She continued, “In a way, it unites people…it creates cultural bridges. ‘Francophonie’ is very important. It’s our heritage and our culture!”
Magali Foret, the Kindergarten French Immersion teacher who came to Leblanc Elementary from her home in Belgium, shared her thoughts of the mural. “Having a globe with all the countries' flags where we speak French, makes me realize how much French is a language spoken in many different places around the world,” said Foret. “I think that it's great to have the mural here, because as Principal Brown says, ‘it's not only French Immersion that the school is embracing, but a whole culture - the Cajun culture that runs in your veins and also the Francophone culture’. It makes me feel a part of something bigger than just ‘teaching in French’,” expressed Foret.
With much gratitude, Brown expressed, “Madeline DeHart was the visionary and managed all of the processes to make this happen smoothly! Shannon, our amazing fourth grade teacher and “artist-in-residence”, did an incredible job of sketching the mural! A special thanks goes to Mr. Garrett Thomas who donated his time and materials to create the canvas for our mural!

To sum up all that the Vermilion Parish Police Jury does, day in and day out, would take well more than an hour.
Police Jury President Dane Hebert and Parish Administrator Keith Roy gave a condensed version their best shot, when the two provided a “State of the Parish” last week to members of the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce. The event took place on Thursday morning at Southern Oaks Country Club.
“The things the governing body of Vermilion Parish does on a daily basis is endless,” Hebert said.
Where things begin is doing what is best for Vermilion Parish, including helping it advance and grow. Hebert worked on that last week, meeting with members of the Acadiana Planning Commission (APC).
“We met with them on the issue of getting fiber optics provided to the parish,” Hebert said.
That came after Hebert attended a meeting last month, where he heard about the expansion of fiber from the Lafayette area to Iberia Parish.
“I went to an APC meeting last month,” Hebert said. “They were in the process of extending fiber optics from Lafayette, 45 miles south into Iberia Parish. I asked them a question. What happened to Vermilion?
“Why can’t Vermilion be part of that extension?”
Hebert said Monique Boulet, CEO of the APC, took steps to try to find an answer to that question.
“She sent her delegation to Abbeville,” Hebert said. “We talked about that issue, providing fiber optics to Vermilion Parish. The request was to bring fiber into Vermilion Parish, down (U.S.) Hwy. 167. I said it needs to go all the way to Intracoastal (City). The line would be there for businesses who want to tap into it. It could take a few years, but I think if we build it, they will come. That can spark some economic development in the parish.
“That is one of the big things we are working on.”
Police Jury officials spent plenty of time working on debris removal in response to two storms that impacted the parish last fall. In all, Hebert said that the price tag of the debris removal was $6.5 million.
“Ninety percent of that bill is covered by the federal government,” Hebert said. “We are only going to be responsible for 10%.”
For a period of 30 days, the federal government paid 100%.
“We had to lobby for when those 30 days would be,” Hebert said. “We were the only parish that submitted a plan for which days. They took our plan.
“We are doing everything we can to save you money.”
That is as important as ever.
“I have been on the Jury for 13 years,” Hebert said. “We have always prided ourselves on doing a balanced budget. We always had enough money from taxes and (oil) royalty revenue. For the past few years, we’ve had to dip into our reserves. We have a significant amount of reserves, so we are in good shape.”
Hebert said the drop in oil revenues has been significant.
“We used to have over $1 million in royalty revenues from offshore drilling,” Hebert said. “That has gone to almost zero.
“We have to find a way to manage our budget without those revenues.”
While doing that, the Police Jury continues to make improvements, including in an area that is among its most important, roads.
“We are in the process of doing a $2.4 million capital outlay program with roads in the parish,” Hebert said. “The state contributed $1 million, with the parish contributing the other $1.4 million. That sounds like a lot of money, but the parish has a lot of road miles. It takes over $100,000 to do one mile, if you just resurface it. If you redo the road, it could go over $200,000 per mile.
“One million doesn’t go that far, but we’re doing the best we can with those funds.”
Coastal projects, animal control, bridges, trash pickup and preserving the life of the land fill are among numerous other focuses for the Police Jury.
“The Police Jury has a lot of responsibilities,” Roy said. “When I joined, I didn’t really know all that they do.
“They have a lot of responsibilities.”
Hebert said it takes fiscal responsibility to make it all work.
“We have a $24 million budget,” Hebert said, “and we spend it as wisely as we can. It’s challenging, but everyone in this room has challenges with their businesses. I like a good challenge sometimes.
“It’s our job to spend that money as wisely as we can, and get the most bang for the buck.”