I’ve often heard it said, and you probably have to, that our young folks have to leave Jackson County to find good paying jobs. It is said, and it’s fairly accurate that our rural county does not have a lot of industry and that forces our young folks to have to move away to set up shop so to speak. In all of these comments and thoughts it is almost implied that to be “successful” one must move away from our fair little community.
I won’t dispute that well paying jobs or highly skilled industry are not in abundance in Jackson County. But in this week’s Times our Yesteryear feature is about a young man from our county who went off to school, got a law degree and has returned to Jackson County to hang out his shingle.
As I talked with Ladray Gilbert about why he chose to return to Jackson County it once again reminded me of the choices that we all have to make about where we are going to live our lives and what factors go into making those decisions.
It reminded me of that time in my life when I left Jackson County to live in far off Tallahassee. And while Tallahassee was a good place to live, for me and my wife it was not home. So after six years of city life we made the decision to move back home. That was almost 20 years ago. I know that Jackson County is not a perfect place and yes there are occasions when I allow my mind to wonder about how our lives would have been different if we had stayed in Tallahassee. But I know without any hesitation that it was the right decision for our family.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking those folks that chose to leave and not return to live here for economic reasons. I have friends that likely would not be able to make the same kind of living in their chosen field if they lived in Jackson County. Some would not even be able to make any kind of living if they lived here. Moving home meant some sacrifices for us. My wife’s degree in Interior Design was almost useless in Jackson County. She had to work out of her field and while doing so went back to school to get a degree in counseling and psychology. My sacrifices were much less dramatic. I simply had to live without a good chicken wing restaurant and my USTA tennis league.
My point is that we all have choices to make and some have made the choice to move away while some of us have made the choice to live in Jackson County. So in my book you don’t have to leave Jackson County to make a living. Simply Put, a person can choose to stay or come home and still live the good life.
From the Front Porch: Coach said don’t corner something that you know is meaner than you.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
“The Sea King Is Back”
In June of 1978 a major miracle occurred. Somehow, someway my 18 year journey through Jackson County’s school system culminated with my graduation from high school. My parents were so elated, or surprised, they asked what’d I like for a graduation present. I knew better than to ask for a new car, so instead I requested a boat.
My wish was granted when for $375 dollars my dad bought a used 14 foot aluminum Jon boat, complete with a trailer and 9 horse motor. The boat was made by Montgomery Ward and was called a Sea King. The motor was a 10 year old Wizard (Western Auto) and would shear a pin quicker if you sneezed wrong.
The ole Sea King wasn’t the fanciest boat around but it was mine and I was the Captain of the ship. Six years later I sold a motorcycle and bought a brand new 15 horse Evinrude motor. The ole Sea King still wasn’t fancy, but I had a ton of fun on that boat. Some of my fondest memories from that time in my life are associated with the ole Sea King.
A few years back though the ole Sea King started having some problems. The trailer needed a lot of work and the motor quit running. I neglected her and didn’t get her fixed. She sat patiently waiting for some attention. Well this past spring my oldest son Taylor requested and was granted permission to restore the Sea King to her original glory.
Time had not been on her side. In fact while it seemed like it she had only been out of commission a few years, a closer inspection revealed that the last boat sticker I bought was in 1995. And that closer inspection revealed extensive work that needed to be done on the boat, trailer and motor. I knew I didn’t have the time, skill nor willpower to get the job done. And I wasn’t sure if my son had what it took to get the job done either.
I must proudly say that not only did he have what it took to get the job done, the ole Sea King looks better than she ever did before. He completely refurbished the trailer, built new carpeted floor boards and mounted new seats for the boat. His proclamation that he was going to give the Sea King a camouflage paint scheme had me worried. But he did a great job and it has a matching camouflage gas can.
The boat motor, which wasn’t running 15 years ago, had become a Mecca for dirt dobbers. The mechanic said it was the worst he’d ever seen. It took him a while but he got that Evinrude running like a clock again. So if you are out and about and see a tan camouflage boat on the water, it just might be me or my son because thanks to him, Simply Put, the Ole Sea King is back in business.
From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said honesty pays, but apparently not enough for some people.
My wish was granted when for $375 dollars my dad bought a used 14 foot aluminum Jon boat, complete with a trailer and 9 horse motor. The boat was made by Montgomery Ward and was called a Sea King. The motor was a 10 year old Wizard (Western Auto) and would shear a pin quicker if you sneezed wrong.
The ole Sea King wasn’t the fanciest boat around but it was mine and I was the Captain of the ship. Six years later I sold a motorcycle and bought a brand new 15 horse Evinrude motor. The ole Sea King still wasn’t fancy, but I had a ton of fun on that boat. Some of my fondest memories from that time in my life are associated with the ole Sea King.
A few years back though the ole Sea King started having some problems. The trailer needed a lot of work and the motor quit running. I neglected her and didn’t get her fixed. She sat patiently waiting for some attention. Well this past spring my oldest son Taylor requested and was granted permission to restore the Sea King to her original glory.
Time had not been on her side. In fact while it seemed like it she had only been out of commission a few years, a closer inspection revealed that the last boat sticker I bought was in 1995. And that closer inspection revealed extensive work that needed to be done on the boat, trailer and motor. I knew I didn’t have the time, skill nor willpower to get the job done. And I wasn’t sure if my son had what it took to get the job done either.
I must proudly say that not only did he have what it took to get the job done, the ole Sea King looks better than she ever did before. He completely refurbished the trailer, built new carpeted floor boards and mounted new seats for the boat. His proclamation that he was going to give the Sea King a camouflage paint scheme had me worried. But he did a great job and it has a matching camouflage gas can.
The boat motor, which wasn’t running 15 years ago, had become a Mecca for dirt dobbers. The mechanic said it was the worst he’d ever seen. It took him a while but he got that Evinrude running like a clock again. So if you are out and about and see a tan camouflage boat on the water, it just might be me or my son because thanks to him, Simply Put, the Ole Sea King is back in business.
From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said honesty pays, but apparently not enough for some people.
Friday, June 11, 2010
“The Wiz is Gone”
The world of sports, in fact the world for that matter, was saddened this past week with the passing of legendary former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. Dubbed the “Wizard of Westwood” for how his squads absolutely dominated the game of college basketball for more than a decade, Wooden was a true winner both on and off the court.
His attributes on the court are astonishing. As a player he led his high school team to a State Championship. He led his Purdue Boilermakers to a college National Championship. As coach at UCLA his teams set the high water mark, especially from 1964 – 1975. In those 12 seasons they won 10 National Championships and went 339-22.
But for many of us it was not just that he won but how he won. He was not a coach that ranted and raved at his players like a Bobby Knight type coach. He said there was no need to yell at young men or snatch them around. His greatest motivator, he said, were the seats next to him on the bench. He coached by respect and motivation not fear and intimidation. Wooden won 10 National Championships, Knight won 3.
If he was anything he was a man of integrity and principal. When his big man, John Walton, proclaimed that it was his right to grow a mustache and long hair, which was against team rules, Wooden didn’t blow up at Walton. But he didn’t back down either to arguably one of the best big men to ever play the game. He calmly agreed with Walton that it was his right and he was welcome to exercise that right at any other team in the country. Walton shaved the mustache and cut his hair.
One might think that as a youngster I would have disliked UCLA because they were always beating my favorite southern teams like Kentucky and North Carolina. But they were a team that was hard not to like, in part because of their unselfish play. But I became an even bigger fan of Wooden as an adult when I read several books about him and by him.
When I began closing my weekly column 3 ½ years ago with humorous one liners I started with the mythical figure of Uncle Bob. After reading a book by Wooden I decided to start rotating insightful one liners from the mythical figure “Coach.” That was in honor of Coach Wooden and many of the one liners that I have used over the last 3 years are quotes from Coach Wooden.
Simply Put, the Wiz is gone and we’ll never see another coach like him. But we can all pay tribute to him by encouraging today’s coaches to deploy the John Wooden model for coaching. And I will continue to pay tribute to him with thoughts “From The Front Porch” by Coach.
From the Front Porch: Coach Wooden said talent is God given…be humble; conceit is self given…be careful.
His attributes on the court are astonishing. As a player he led his high school team to a State Championship. He led his Purdue Boilermakers to a college National Championship. As coach at UCLA his teams set the high water mark, especially from 1964 – 1975. In those 12 seasons they won 10 National Championships and went 339-22.
But for many of us it was not just that he won but how he won. He was not a coach that ranted and raved at his players like a Bobby Knight type coach. He said there was no need to yell at young men or snatch them around. His greatest motivator, he said, were the seats next to him on the bench. He coached by respect and motivation not fear and intimidation. Wooden won 10 National Championships, Knight won 3.
If he was anything he was a man of integrity and principal. When his big man, John Walton, proclaimed that it was his right to grow a mustache and long hair, which was against team rules, Wooden didn’t blow up at Walton. But he didn’t back down either to arguably one of the best big men to ever play the game. He calmly agreed with Walton that it was his right and he was welcome to exercise that right at any other team in the country. Walton shaved the mustache and cut his hair.
One might think that as a youngster I would have disliked UCLA because they were always beating my favorite southern teams like Kentucky and North Carolina. But they were a team that was hard not to like, in part because of their unselfish play. But I became an even bigger fan of Wooden as an adult when I read several books about him and by him.
When I began closing my weekly column 3 ½ years ago with humorous one liners I started with the mythical figure of Uncle Bob. After reading a book by Wooden I decided to start rotating insightful one liners from the mythical figure “Coach.” That was in honor of Coach Wooden and many of the one liners that I have used over the last 3 years are quotes from Coach Wooden.
Simply Put, the Wiz is gone and we’ll never see another coach like him. But we can all pay tribute to him by encouraging today’s coaches to deploy the John Wooden model for coaching. And I will continue to pay tribute to him with thoughts “From The Front Porch” by Coach.
From the Front Porch: Coach Wooden said talent is God given…be humble; conceit is self given…be careful.
Friday, June 4, 2010
“Help The Jays Take Flight”
This past Thursday night I had the privilege of being invited to sit in on a meeting of the Big Bend Baseball League. (See Jump Starting The Jays on this page). I say privilege because they thought enough of me to invite me to this meeting. That plus the fact that Homer Hirt was there and any time I can spend time around an octogenarian I figure it’s a privilege.
The Big Bend Baseball league started several years ago and last year was the first year that Jackson County had a team. For those not familiar with the league it is basically geared to young men ages 18-30 that enjoy still playing the game of baseball. I say that age range simply because you have to be at least 18 to play and most men over 30 aren’t in much baseball shape anymore. But if you are over 30 and can still play the game at a competitive level we’ll I’m sure they’ll give you a shot.
While the overall league has been very successful, our Jackson County Jays team has not prospered as some would have hoped. Logic tells folks that with five high school baseball programs in the county, there ought to be an ample supply of young men that would like to play for the Jays. Throw in a few from Chipola, a few that are home from college or have been out of school for a few years but still want to play and you’d think there would be no problem finding at least 9 guys to play on any given Sunday.
Some of the communities around Jackson County have been able to raise ball clubs without too many problems. Calhoun (Horseman), Washington (Bruins), Liberty (Diamond Dawgs) and Chattahoochee (Red Birds) have had a lot of success in getting plenty of players to come out. If those communities can do it our community should be able to do it.
My personal opinion is that the missing ingredient for the Jays right now is a coach. What is needed is a former coach that still wants to be involved with the game. Someone who can come out of retirement, so to speak, and has the experience of managing a team. Maybe there is an ole ball coach sitting around that has fished all he wants to fish or has gardened all he wants to garden. Heck if nothing else it might be a good excuse to tell the wife that her honey do list will just have to wait until fall (and cooler weather).
So if you are an ole ball coach looking for something to do, the Jays might just be your ticket. If the Jays could get a coach, and the right coach, Simply Put, I think the Jays could take flight.
From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.
The Big Bend Baseball league started several years ago and last year was the first year that Jackson County had a team. For those not familiar with the league it is basically geared to young men ages 18-30 that enjoy still playing the game of baseball. I say that age range simply because you have to be at least 18 to play and most men over 30 aren’t in much baseball shape anymore. But if you are over 30 and can still play the game at a competitive level we’ll I’m sure they’ll give you a shot.
While the overall league has been very successful, our Jackson County Jays team has not prospered as some would have hoped. Logic tells folks that with five high school baseball programs in the county, there ought to be an ample supply of young men that would like to play for the Jays. Throw in a few from Chipola, a few that are home from college or have been out of school for a few years but still want to play and you’d think there would be no problem finding at least 9 guys to play on any given Sunday.
Some of the communities around Jackson County have been able to raise ball clubs without too many problems. Calhoun (Horseman), Washington (Bruins), Liberty (Diamond Dawgs) and Chattahoochee (Red Birds) have had a lot of success in getting plenty of players to come out. If those communities can do it our community should be able to do it.
My personal opinion is that the missing ingredient for the Jays right now is a coach. What is needed is a former coach that still wants to be involved with the game. Someone who can come out of retirement, so to speak, and has the experience of managing a team. Maybe there is an ole ball coach sitting around that has fished all he wants to fish or has gardened all he wants to garden. Heck if nothing else it might be a good excuse to tell the wife that her honey do list will just have to wait until fall (and cooler weather).
So if you are an ole ball coach looking for something to do, the Jays might just be your ticket. If the Jays could get a coach, and the right coach, Simply Put, I think the Jays could take flight.
From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.
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