What impact do you want to leave behind?
Most all of us are motivated by wanting to leave a positive impact as our legacy. I know last night I had to console a very sad 12-year-old basketball player who was equally disappointed that his team lost by missing a last second shot and his lack of playing time to make an impact on the outcome.
I write this not to reflect poorly on his coach or teammates, but to reflect on the passing of Whitney Houston and wondering what we will all be remembered by when we pass. That is the one thing we unquestionably have in common no matter what our believes or faith. But let us strive to understand and appreciate our differences as something to celebrate rather than discriminate.
Oconee County Georgia is an amazing and refined suburban location for anyone to visit or relocate. It is where I call home. I love living here and owning a home here. I planted two trees yesterday given to me by Watkinsville Mayor Charles Ivie and City Clerk Julie Sanders that may live a lot longer than me if I am fortunate enough to have them take root and grow. The red bud and oak trees may not survive my lack of planting ability, my father's long standing tenure at Better Homes and Gardens not withstanding, but it is not out of lack of wanting to leave something behind to have my son say: "My Dad planted those on the day we played for and lost the city title in basketball as a 12 year old."
I think the Caterpillar plant coming here will keep the excellent standard of living here pretty much guaranteed well into the next generation and beyond. I marveled at the general cooperation and secrecy maintained by most of the public officials on both sides of the county border. My son spotted State Representative Chuck Williams outside the La Parilla restaurant glad-handing a constituent as we drove into eat as at Carter Huckabee's Your Pie as a team before out Premier League title tilt and Lowell made a typical disparaging remark as one might make of a former political opponent or a rival team on the brink of a battle. I tried to redirect his emotions and just said that he has every right to take part in eating out at local restaurants, and reflect on his reasons to want to rise about his banking disasters to take part in taking credit in bringing the biggest industrial development this area may have ever seen.
The adults sat around the table while the kids broke pizza together before the game, and it dawned on me that I was at a cusp as a parent where my son's childhood was rapidly disappearing before my eyes. It made me sad that I did not lobby his coach harder for more playing time or to get him in today's three-point shootout or whatever. We only have one childhood and it never comes back, no matter how hard we try. The coach cried before the game in trying to inspire his players in reflecting on the last four years of twice a week practices and much screaming and instructions. I suspected that no matter how fired up his troops may have been at the moment of the tip off, that the tears may have portended more tears yet to flow by kids who barely got off the bench last night.
We tried hard, whether it was running for office or up and down the court of life or basketball. Sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. These same sixth graders won the title as fourth graders. We thought we had automatically won the title game this when Madison County upset our Moby Dick in the previously undefeated and seemingly invincible North Oconee team of Jack Mangle and friends Wednesday evening. I was happy my friend Tony Lathrup made that game and could see the what the Premier League had siphoned off from the Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department's basketball leagues.
Sometimes life is cruel and results do not turn out the way you want. Most inconsolable last night may have been the most talented basketball player on the court in one tall and lanky Alex Deltchev. With less than three seconds left and down three in a furious, chaotic, intense game, Alex intercepted a tipped pass near half court in front of the scorer's table where I sat and dribbled to his familiar right corner instead of taking the most direct path to the bucket. He launched a shot after he dribbled to his right but nicked the side of the backboard and did not draw iron at all. Who knows what would have happened if he drove straight instead and launched from the top of the key outside the three. We might still be playing overtimes, but I hope this helps these young men grow and mature. Alex will continue to sink jump shots. He will probably start on his high school team and play many more games and get better with every dribble. We can all only hope to do the same in our own way.
There is a certain friend of mine who moved here to take a high tech job with the Board of Regents recently. She has had an ongoing struggle with the Board of Education over her children and their medical conditions. She has requested my help with shedding some light via this blog about her struggles. I do not pretend to have any appreciation or expertise in her children's medical conditions, other than I have had migraines and know how debilitating they can be. This mother is very understandably protective of her children and I wish I could rectify her situation by getting her in room with David Weeks or Kim Argo or whomever to make things better. There are issues of attendance, medical privacy, school policy, legal representation, and many other topics I do not have the wherewithal to address in this post. But just suffice to say that we should all consider those less fortunate than us in this great time of triumph for the county, defeat for my son's basketball team and realize that there is always room for improvement in certain situations. I hope the resolution of this case for best for all parties concerned, especially the children.
I try my best not to bear false witness or otherwise cloud the debate with emotion or anger. We all have our motivations and destiny. I hope I am remembered as someone who loved his son with all his heart and his city and county with all his soul when I am gone. Running for office twice does not make me smarter or better than anyone else. Many times when I am sad about a loss or defeat I try to remember the blessings I have had bestowed upon me in a relatively short time. I have friends and loved ones of every political stripe and leaning. I appreciate and try to reciprocate the respect given to me. Hope the best for those with battles as of yet unresolved. Attempt to understand at least where those with whom you might not share some view at least where and why that person believes in what they believe in.
I write this not to reflect poorly on his coach or teammates, but to reflect on the passing of Whitney Houston and wondering what we will all be remembered by when we pass. That is the one thing we unquestionably have in common no matter what our believes or faith. But let us strive to understand and appreciate our differences as something to celebrate rather than discriminate.
Oconee County Georgia is an amazing and refined suburban location for anyone to visit or relocate. It is where I call home. I love living here and owning a home here. I planted two trees yesterday given to me by Watkinsville Mayor Charles Ivie and City Clerk Julie Sanders that may live a lot longer than me if I am fortunate enough to have them take root and grow. The red bud and oak trees may not survive my lack of planting ability, my father's long standing tenure at Better Homes and Gardens not withstanding, but it is not out of lack of wanting to leave something behind to have my son say: "My Dad planted those on the day we played for and lost the city title in basketball as a 12 year old."
I think the Caterpillar plant coming here will keep the excellent standard of living here pretty much guaranteed well into the next generation and beyond. I marveled at the general cooperation and secrecy maintained by most of the public officials on both sides of the county border. My son spotted State Representative Chuck Williams outside the La Parilla restaurant glad-handing a constituent as we drove into eat as at Carter Huckabee's Your Pie as a team before out Premier League title tilt and Lowell made a typical disparaging remark as one might make of a former political opponent or a rival team on the brink of a battle. I tried to redirect his emotions and just said that he has every right to take part in eating out at local restaurants, and reflect on his reasons to want to rise about his banking disasters to take part in taking credit in bringing the biggest industrial development this area may have ever seen.
The adults sat around the table while the kids broke pizza together before the game, and it dawned on me that I was at a cusp as a parent where my son's childhood was rapidly disappearing before my eyes. It made me sad that I did not lobby his coach harder for more playing time or to get him in today's three-point shootout or whatever. We only have one childhood and it never comes back, no matter how hard we try. The coach cried before the game in trying to inspire his players in reflecting on the last four years of twice a week practices and much screaming and instructions. I suspected that no matter how fired up his troops may have been at the moment of the tip off, that the tears may have portended more tears yet to flow by kids who barely got off the bench last night.
We tried hard, whether it was running for office or up and down the court of life or basketball. Sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. These same sixth graders won the title as fourth graders. We thought we had automatically won the title game this when Madison County upset our Moby Dick in the previously undefeated and seemingly invincible North Oconee team of Jack Mangle and friends Wednesday evening. I was happy my friend Tony Lathrup made that game and could see the what the Premier League had siphoned off from the Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department's basketball leagues.
Sometimes life is cruel and results do not turn out the way you want. Most inconsolable last night may have been the most talented basketball player on the court in one tall and lanky Alex Deltchev. With less than three seconds left and down three in a furious, chaotic, intense game, Alex intercepted a tipped pass near half court in front of the scorer's table where I sat and dribbled to his familiar right corner instead of taking the most direct path to the bucket. He launched a shot after he dribbled to his right but nicked the side of the backboard and did not draw iron at all. Who knows what would have happened if he drove straight instead and launched from the top of the key outside the three. We might still be playing overtimes, but I hope this helps these young men grow and mature. Alex will continue to sink jump shots. He will probably start on his high school team and play many more games and get better with every dribble. We can all only hope to do the same in our own way.
There is a certain friend of mine who moved here to take a high tech job with the Board of Regents recently. She has had an ongoing struggle with the Board of Education over her children and their medical conditions. She has requested my help with shedding some light via this blog about her struggles. I do not pretend to have any appreciation or expertise in her children's medical conditions, other than I have had migraines and know how debilitating they can be. This mother is very understandably protective of her children and I wish I could rectify her situation by getting her in room with David Weeks or Kim Argo or whomever to make things better. There are issues of attendance, medical privacy, school policy, legal representation, and many other topics I do not have the wherewithal to address in this post. But just suffice to say that we should all consider those less fortunate than us in this great time of triumph for the county, defeat for my son's basketball team and realize that there is always room for improvement in certain situations. I hope the resolution of this case for best for all parties concerned, especially the children.
I try my best not to bear false witness or otherwise cloud the debate with emotion or anger. We all have our motivations and destiny. I hope I am remembered as someone who loved his son with all his heart and his city and county with all his soul when I am gone. Running for office twice does not make me smarter or better than anyone else. Many times when I am sad about a loss or defeat I try to remember the blessings I have had bestowed upon me in a relatively short time. I have friends and loved ones of every political stripe and leaning. I appreciate and try to reciprocate the respect given to me. Hope the best for those with battles as of yet unresolved. Attempt to understand at least where those with whom you might not share some view at least where and why that person believes in what they believe in.
Comments