View from a Hearse

Five Generations on One Sofa

2009-07-19T21:48:00.010-04:00

Being in the funeral business all my life, I understand really well that life can be short. As you can imagine I’ve had a front row vantage point of some serious stuff.

Such things as children having their parents taken way before their time to be raised by someone else, parents losing children to accidents and disease and adults dying before they ever get to enjoy the privilege of being grandparents…

I could go on and on.

It all doesn’t seem fair but then again God never said life would be fair. We play with the cards we are given and we make the most out of the life we have been given.

And that ain’t a bad deal.

Sometimes families are just blessed and when I see it I can’t help but smile. Case in point is this family.

Nell Wainwright, fondly known by local folks as “Mama Nell” is the matriarch of this incredible family and pretty much the matriarch of Reynolds, GA. Mama Nell is the widow of Walter Wainwright, a prominent businessman and peach grower from Reynolds. She has always been sweeter than any peach her family has ever produced – and trust me, they grow the sweetest peaches in the land.

Her daughter is Mary Ayers who not only was in the peach business for years but also served as Mayor of our fair city for many years along with too many civic volunteer sightings to mention. Mary has the distinction of being the first female mayor of Reynolds… and she was a very good one.

Mary Nell (catch that name) is Mary’s daughter and grew up two doors down from where I grew up. The Ayers’ family moved into our neighborhood when I was a young kid and we grew up together in the backyards on Macon Street. The best looking girls in the planet came from Macon Street in Reynolds, GA and Mary Nell is a member of that club. The funny thing is there were no street signs in those days so none of us knew it was Macon Street. But all the boys knew it was a very special place.

Laurie is Mary Nell’s beautiful daughter who has a beautiful daughter of her own named Taylor. And Taylor is shown here with her mother, her grandmother, her great grandmother…. and her great-great grandmother.

When little Taylor grows up, this picture will be one of her most prized belongings.

Five generations together on one sofa.

And blessed.

Doe's Eat Place

2009-07-16T23:26:00.003-04:00

(Bentonville, AR) Being a connoisseur of fine red meat, my antenna rises when I am traveling and I hear someone recommend a great place to eat a steak.

When a second person and then a third person recommend the same establishment, I sort of make it my business to make my way there.

Doe’s Eat Place is known for their world famous steaks and tamales. I didn’t eat the tamales but two of my co-workers and I ate the biggest steak and best I think I have ever eaten.

And I’ve eaten a few.

I discovered a few interesting details about the history of this famous eating place while there.

Without going into all the details, in the early forties, the business started as an African American “Honky Tonk” in Greenville MS serving only African Americans. They had a small kitchen in the back where they prepared food for the honky tonkers. Big Doe and Mamie who worked in the kitchen developed quite a reputation for serving great tamales. A local Caucasian doctor began stopping by (at the back door) between calls to eat a delicious tamale. One day he asked “Big Doe” to cook him a steak. Big Doe cooked the good doctor a huge steak to go with the normal tamale.

The doctor was more than impressed.

The doctor began bringing his friends to join him for the great food. Being Caucasian, they were required to eat out of sight in the back of the building.

Talk about discrimination.

The business grew. Big Doe now had an African American Honky Tonk in the front and a Caucasian “Eat Place” in the back. He eventually closed down the Honky Tonk and expanded the Eat Place.

And the rest is history.

Big Doe passed away in 1987 but his Eat Place is now a chain of about 14 restaurants in such places as Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Missouri and Louisiana.

For the record, they don’t charge by the steak. They charge by the pound.

It just doesn’t get any better than Does’s Eat Place.

In the video below you will see that Frances took great care of us.

Abbi's Dad

2009-07-13T22:34:00.004-04:00

I don’t know what the rest of you good folks will be doing Saturday afternoon at 4PM EST, but I plan to be in my den tuned in to ESPN watching my high definition plasma television.

Some of you reading this in the Oklahoma City area can do better. You can show up at the finest softball facility in the land at the ASA Hall of Fame complex at 3PM your time and watch in person.

And while you are there introduce yourself to one of the members of Team USA , #11 Brian Rainwater.

Team USA will be competing against Team Canada in what has been called the “Border Battle.” Millions will be tuned in to ESPN to see slow pitch softball played at its highest level.

I’m betting on Brian Rainwater and Team USA.

Brian has several things going for him. For starters, he is an authentic Georgia Bulldog and is a former player for the University of Georgia baseball team. That already makes him in an elite club. But since college he has also played an awful lot of softball in a lot of places and in the process has become one of the elite players in the United States.

Brian, by the way, has a drop dead gorgeous wife who I love almost as much as he does. And to top it all off, he and Natalie have a little girl named Abbi, who is the cutest thing this side of the Mississippi.

Actually Brian, Natalie and Abbi are more than just my friends. They are part of our church home group and we hang out almost every Sunday night.

Every time they ride by a ball field, 5 year old Abbi always makes the comment, “Daddy, that’s where you play ball.”

This Saturday she won’t have to go to a ball field to see him play. Abbi’s dad will be playing on national television representing the Red, White and Blue.

And I don’t know who will be more proud, Natalie or Abbi….

Or me.

She Finally Caught Up With Him

2009-07-09T21:28:00.006-04:00

“She finally caught up with him,” was the caption one of her granddaughters put on this photo.

Lucy Bryan Philpott was buried this week at Andersonville National Cemetery after a courageous battle with Lymphoma. Her funeral service was held at the First Baptist Church in Reynolds, GA.

And that is exactly where it should have been held.

Lucy was the last of the children of Dr. S.H. and Louise Bryan. For many years, Dr. Bryan was the town doctor and was also a prominent farmer. He raised his four children in what was affectionately known in Reynolds as “Big House” that sits directly across the street from the Baptist church.

I couldn’t help but notice some folks who grew up in Reynolds and moved on to other places made the effort to come back home Wednesday morning to pay their respects to this magnificent lady and her family.

And maybe even to pay respects to a remarkable community that helped shape their lives.

You would have to be from a small town to understand how deep the roots of friendships grow for people who have friends whose parents were friends, whose grandparents were friends and even whose great grandparents were friends.

It becomes difficult to separate friends from family.

Lucy left Reynolds after high school to get an education. She fell in love with an Oklahoma boy who had just graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point. They married, had a family and traveled all over the world with the United States Air Force.

By the way, her husband had a rather illustrious military career. He eventually became Director of Intelligence of the U.S. Strategic Air Command and later became Vice Commander in Chief of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and a 3 Star General.

Of course they would visit her family in Reynolds every chance they got.

Sometimes their kids would spend their summers in Reynolds at “big house.” In fact many of the other Bryan grandchildren who lived in other parts of the country would also spend their summers in Reynolds. As you might imagine, the “big house” was a very active house and kind of like the Grand Central Station of Reynolds.

And the Bryan grandchildren who lived in other places became friends with all the kids in Reynolds. And lifelong generational relationships were established.

General and Mrs. Philpott, known in Reynolds as Jammie and Lucy, retired in the 70’s and built a home on the outskirts of town. General Philpott died in 1999 and was honored at Andersonville National Cemetery in the incredible way a decorated retired General should be honored.

When Lucy found out she had cancer a few years ago, she decided to sell her house and move to Virginia to be closer to her children.

She said she didn’t want to be a burden.

The retired General and his wife loved to exercise after they retired. It was a normal occurrence to see them walking through town or on the outside of town or on the golf course. Jamie always had a stick in his hand. Lucy was always about 8 paces behind him.

She had also followed him all over the world as he served our country.

But she has caught up with him now.

And when she did, an incredible era in the history of Reynolds GA ended.

This Miracle is Growing

2009-07-05T20:47:00.008-04:00

Kathy and I celebrated the 4th of July and our 32nd wedding anniversary with David and Holly and our brand new grand baby girl this weekend at their home in Roswell, GA.

Actually we haven't actually met our new grand baby yet but I did get to pat her several times. We are planning on her arrival in early November. And there was strong evidence little baby Goddard is getting ready for the big day.

I couldn't help but notice the expansion in her mommy's tummy.

It seems like just yesterday this new grand baby's dad was growing in his mom's tummy. Back then we didn't know if it was a boy or a girl until the day the baby arrived. I can vividly remember the night of Dec 6, 1979 walking out in the waiting room and announcing, "It's a boy!" to family and friends who had gathered there.

These days we know that kind of stuff way ahead of time. And yes they already have a beautiful name picked out.

But the neat thing is this beautiful little baby girl growing in her mommy's tummy doesn't know it yet but she already has a Papa picked out.

That would be me.

And that would also be me smiling as I type this.

Actually there are at least three other grandparents who are rightfully making the same claim. And I can promise you they are smiling just as much as me.

I don't think I have ever seen a couple who is more ready to become parents than David and Holly.

They fully realize they are about to receive a true gift from God.

There are some things man can explain but I can tell you no man has figured out how a sperm and an egg can join together to produce another life. If there was ever a God thing, this is it.

In case you are wondering, it's called a miracle. And this miracle is growing.

In fact this miracle is getting bigger and bigger every day.

Freedom is Very Costly

2009-07-01T23:48:00.011-04:00

(Piedmont OK) The mayor of this quaint town on the outskirts of Oklahoma City said it well tonight when he told me, “this is a proud day for Piedmont.”

It was also a proud day for me.

We were both proud because the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall arrived here today. To witness the thousand or so Vietnam Veterans arriving on their motorcycles into this flag-decorated town with cheering crowds lining both sides of the road is an experience one won’t easily forget. They were escorting the truck carrying the three-quarter-replica of the Washington DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial that will be on display here throughout the July 4th weekend.

The mayor is proud because 50,000 or so people could visit the wall at the high school football field in his town this weekend and see Piedmont in its best light honoring the heroes of the Vietnam War. I am proud because I am employed by Dignity Memorial who owns the wall and makes it all possible.

The wall which is dedicated to the veterans of the Vietnam War and honors all U.S. servicemen and women has been displayed in over 200 cities. In the last almost 20 years millions of people have experienced the healing power of the memorial.

I spent some time talking to a Viet Nam veteran and his wife who were part of the group who escorted the wall into town tonight.

Gordon Kiselburgh spent three years from 1968 to 1970 in Viet Nam with the 1st Group 5th Special Forces of the US Army. He was a gunner …or maybe better described as a sniper. Thirteen of his comrades’ names are on that wall. He was one of only three people in his group who made it back alive.

Gordon told me he has been to the wall two times. As he begin to weep, he said his legs turned to jelly during both visits. He watched nine of his friends die in Vietnam – some of whom he couldn’t even stop to pick up. He escorted two of his fallen friends back to the United States.

He says he is here for one reason and that is to honor and give proper respect to the people who sacrificed their lives for our country.

Regretfully, proper respect has been a long time coming for our Vietnam Veterans.

Gordon told me when he was returning from Viet Nam in 1970 and when he walked in LAX airport a protester who happened to be a Hare Krishna spit on him as he walked by. Gordon didn’t appreciate the gesture and took one strong swing at him and broke the man’s jaw.

Welcome home.

As I was talking to Gordon another Vietnam veteran by the name of Larry Inman joined in the conversation. Larry explained to me he was at Kent State during the riots in the late sixties. A protesting punk college student urinated on his leg during the riot because he protested the war. Larry did not retaliate because he was under orders from his commanding officer not to budge.

The fact is there are over 58,000 names on the Vietnam Wall representing 58,000 mother’s children who were either killed or are still missing in Vietnam.

They are true American heroes.

And they sacrificed their lives so that you and I can celebrate our freedom this weekend.

I was reminded tonight that freedom is very costly.

Have a safe 4th of July weekend.

Not Bad for a White Boy

2009-06-27T22:16:00.005-04:00

The first video is from 1983 and I believe it is the first time Michael Jackson did the moonwalk on stage and you will see he brought the house down.

The King of Pop was was obviously a troubled man at the end and was about as weird as weird can get.

But in spite of all his personal problems, he might have been the greatest entertainer of my lifetime.

Maybe this is how he should be remembered.

The second video is my youngest son Luke impersonating him.

Not bad for a white boy.

Two of the Sixty Seven Hundred

2009-06-25T22:06:00.005-04:00

There are approximately 6,700 folks who die every day in the United States. Two of them today are getting plenty attention.

In fact they both got plenty of attention for many years.

And for good reason.

Farrah Fawcett had every warm blooded heterosexual male foaming at the mouth when she first appeared on Charlie’s Angels. I don’t think I ever missed an episode of that show. I hardly remember what the show was about but I remember Farrah Fawcett. Good lord she was gorgeous.

I was married when THE POSTER first came out so I never had it on my wall. Kathy probably wouldn’t have appreciated that. But I remember well my regular trips out to Mrs. Childree’s house on Hwy 128 south of Reynolds to get my pants hemmed. I would make sure to go in Stan’s room (one of her sons) to change my pants. Stan had several huge posters of some of the gorgeous ladies of that age hanging on his wall. And I got more than a few close views of THE poster. I made sure I always went to Stan’s room to change pants.

I think it was in 1971 when I first had live contact with Michael Jackson. We went to the Jackson Five concert at the Macon Coliseum in Macon, Ga. I don’t think I have ever been to a more entertaining concert. The Jackson Five were incredible with their famous songs and synchronized dancing. The lead singer and star of that show was 12 year old Michael.

He of course would get much more famous. I cannot even begin to know how many times I have seen the Thriller video. Nobody and I mean nobody could dance like Michael Jackson. The man invented the moonwalk for goodness sakes.

One thing is for sure. When a Michael Jackson song is played, everyone has the strong urge to get on their feet and dance.

And when a warm blooded male sees THE poster of Farrah Fawcett, he just can’t help but smile.

Charlie’s most famous angel and THE King of Pop were two of the sixty seven hundred today.

May they both rest in peace.

In fact may all sixty seven hundred rest in peace.

Can't Touch This!

2009-06-24T20:53:00.000-04:00

Has Table. Will Travel.

2009-06-21T22:54:00.012-04:00

While most of you guys were getting such things as ties or socks or underwear for Father’s Day, my wife was much more creative.

She purchased an “in home Amanda Baker” massage for me.

Amanda Baker, in case you are wondering, is a sweetheart. She is a licensed massage therapist sweetheart. She says she enjoys helping people relax and feel better.

Amanda should be really happy because she sure did help me relax and feel better Saturday night.

Amanda graduated Friday night as Salutatorian of her Massage Therapy school. She told me 140 something people graduated with her. I don’t know who the Valedictorian is but if she can massage better than Amanda I need to meet her.

I really appreciate Amanda coming over with her table and setting it up in our living room and spending a whole therapeutic hour with me. And I appreciate my wife making it all happen (even though she did take a few pictures during the operation).

But just for the record I also appreciate the privilege of being a dad.

Like a whole lot.

We started with three boys. Now we have two daughters in law and another to be added In about three months. And there is a grandbaby girl and another little girl on the way.

I wear several hats. Sometimes I wear more than one before a day is done. And I enjoy them all.

But there is no better fitting one I wear than the one with Dad written on it. The Dad hat just feels right.

And it really feels right when I am the recipient of an Amanda Baker massage as a gift for being a dad.

If you are in the middle Georgia area, contact her at abbbrb03@hotmail.com.

Has table. Will travel.

Nothing Better Than Family

2009-06-18T21:49:00.006-04:00

Here's the first of a couple of a videos I put together for the family from our beach trip last week in St. Augustine Beach FL. This will become more valuable to our family as the years go by.

Only one of our sons and his family could make the trip. Sure is hard to get everybody together these days.

Jim and Lynn Whatley (Kathy's sister) had all three of their children and their families there.

Tom and Mia O'Malley (Kathy's other sister) had their children and a girlfriend with them. Even Tom's dad joined us for a few days.

Much fun and great memories were created.

Nothing better than spending time with family.

Thanks for indulging me.

St Augustine Beach FL from Bruce Goddard on Vimeo.

Matt Nagy of Tazewell Georgia

2009-06-14T13:40:00.006-04:00

If you are a golf fan, you have already read recently about such places as Buena Vista Ga and Taylor County High School in Butler, GA. and Kennesaw State University outside of Atlanta.

But let's get this right.

Matt Nagy, certainly associated with all three places above, has put Cedar Creek Golf Club in Tazewell GA on the map.

He did it this past Monday in grand fashion by qualifying for the United States Open Golf Championship. To put this incredible accomplishment in perspective, Matt will join 154 of the best golfers in the world at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, NY as play begins this Thursday.

Tiger Woods is the defending champion.

To give you a little better perspective, about 7,000 scratch golfers (USGA handicap of 1.4 or less) competed to qualify for the approximate 63 spaces up for grabs this year. There were 110 local qualifying tournaments throughout the US. The top 3 or 4 players of those 110 tournaments then moved on to join other golfers who had exempted the local qualifying tournaments to compete in about 14 sectional tournaments held throughout the US (and England and Japan).

Matt qualified to play in the sectional as a second alternate after a grueling 7 hole playoff in one of the local qualifying tournaments. Matt was told to show up at the sectional in case one of those who qualified didn't show up. Matt, with no high hopes of even getting to play, showed up at the Sectional in Ball Ground Ga after only 4 hours of sleep. Somebody did not show up and Matt teed off the first hole without even hitting a practice shot.

He shot a one under par 71 in the first round. He said he saw a few things he needed to work on before beginning the afternoon round. So he ate a half of a sandwich and went to the practice tee. Whatever he worked on, worked.

Like really well.

He shot a course record and blistering 63 in the afternoon and ended up at 10 under for the day.

And with it a trip to the US Open.

Matt grew up at Cedar Creek Golf Club in Tazewell, GA, which is somewhat of a suburb of Buena Vista. Cedar Creek is a beautiful little 9 hole course that is owned and operated by the Nagy family. Not only does this incredible family run the pro shop and cut the grass but they are all great golfers.

And they taught the game they love to their kids.

I have a couple of memories of playing Cedar Creek in years gone by.

One memory is the time I spent in the woods looking for my ball on the very tight course. The other is the time I spent watching the little Nagy brothers as little boys with perfect swings hitting the ball straight down the fairway.

"Watch that little boy hit the ball" was a familiar quote on any given day from any foursome at Cedar Creek.

Now the whole golfing world will get to watch.

Matt Nagy of Tazewell GA tees off at 2:42PM Thursday in the U.S. Open, exactly seven groups ahead of Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els.

A Comforting Thought

2009-06-12T08:56:00.002-04:00

(St Augustine Beach, FL) One of the neat things about getting old(er) is you can find people you know most anywhere you go. In other words, your friends get scattered out all over the place the longer you live.

I found three such ladies yesterday at the Nautilus store on St. Augustine Beach. And I had a blast reliving some special times of years gone by with this mother and two of her daughters.

Sylvia Sams is the mother of five children. Since I spent a lot of time at her house as a boy hanging out with her oldest son Jimmy, I know them all well.

My goodness she put up with a lot.

I remember such things as putting pillows under the sheets at night so it would look like we were in the bed when she checked on us. We would sneak out to hang out with some nearby girls who also were sneaking out.

Several of us guys formed a rock and roll band and we did most of our practicing on her back patio. We were loud and we were not very good. On top of that, her son was our drummer. So I’m sure it was loud at her house even when the rest of the band was absent.

Now that I think about it I bet she had a difficult time watching her favorite television show or even having a conversation with someone with all the noise we were making.

But by the grace of God we all grew up and Mrs. Sylvia survived it all.

She, along with daughters Linda and Charlotte, have been running a very successful business here for the past 34 years.

For the record she also raised a very successful family. And I sure am thankful I was a small part of it many moons ago during my most formative years.

Friends eventually do get scattered all over the place and some you don’t see very often. But real friends never stop being your friends.

And that, my friend, is a comforting thought.

The Dream of Yesterday

2009-06-10T21:28:00.009-04:00

When Alan Dobbins graduated from Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham in 1993, he had plans to become a professional baseball player. He had dreamed about such lofty things since he was a little boy.

He had the credentials too.

Alan was the middle infielder for two state championship baseball teams and also played on a state championship basketball team at the 6A Vestavia. He was recruited by several major colleges including the University of Alabama and Auburn University to play baseball until a stress fracture in his back limited his playing time his senior year.

Things have a way of working out though.

Alan received a baseball scholarship at Samford University in Birmingham and had a great college career as a 3rd Baseman and Closer for the Samford Bulldogs. More importantly he met Jessica Whatley, the girl who would eventually become his wife and the mother of his children. Jessica happens to be my wife’s niece.

Although his dream didn’t exactly turn out the way he first saw it, Alan would not change places with any baseball player these days. After spending four years in the corporate banking world, Alan has been employed for the past nine years with the church development company Myrick, Gurosky and Associates in Birmingham and is now Director of Business Development. Alan and Jessica have been married for nine years and have two beautiful children and another on the way.

The reality of today has a way of being much better than the dream of yesterday.

Since we have been vacationing together this week, I have also learned something else about Alan. He is a connoisseur of fine fried shrimp. The best fried shrimp in the world, by the way, are found at Osteen’s in St. Augustine Beach, FL. We ordered 17 dozen fried shrimp (not kidding) from Osteen’s tonight and we had an old fashioned shrimp eating contest.

Alan, the baseball player and church builder, took the grand prize. He ate 20 of Osteen’s finest along with all the trimmings. He broke the record he set last year by one.

Like I said, the reality of today is much better than the dream of yesterday.

Beach Pics

2009-06-09T19:16:00.007-04:00

(St Augustine Beach, FL) In case you haven't noticed, I am on vacation this week at the beach. Been here since Saturday and incredibly today was the first day I took pictures.

I promised my grandbaby girl before we came that I would catch her when she jumped to me in the pool. We even practiced on our staircase at home.

We did it today.

Way too much fun. Here are a few pics to let you know we are alive and well. More to come in the next few days.

Grab Your Tissues

2009-06-05T21:49:00.003-04:00

10-year-old Hannah Eschrig got the surprise of her life Thursday when her father Master Sergeant Joe Myers walked into her classroom at Randolph Elementary School in San Antonio, TX unannounced. The two hadn't seen each other in a year.

“It was the culmination of 350 days of waiting to be with my daughter and family,” MSgt. Myers says.

“I missed her entire 4th grade year. So my goal was to be back for her last day, so I could say I was there. It was awesome.”

Hannah Eschrig says, “I don't really remember what happened because I was so happy!”

MSgt. Myers plans to take Hannah to a Jonas Bros. concert this summer.

Grab your tissues.

Great Day

2009-06-03T22:13:00.007-04:00

My wife had a wedding shower at our house last Saturday so I got out of the house and headed to Reynolds to do some visiting.

My first stop was at Jamestown Assisted Living Residence in Fort Valley. Mrs. Ruth Jones, my former middle school teacher and long time family friend, was out gallivanting so all I could do was leave her a note to tell her I would be back. For someone who just celebrated her 90th birthday, gallivanting ain’t a bad way to spend a Saturday. While most residents of that facility do their socializing sitting quietly in the front room, Mrs. Ruth spends at least some of her time at her computer in her room socializing on the internet through Facebook. I’m not sure how many 90 year olds are socializing on Facebook but I would think the list is fairly short. She sure does keep the rest of us young.

My first stop in Reynolds was at the home of another special friend, Mrs. Mollie Childree. It has been a while since I have visited Mrs. Mollie. I was struck by the fact that nothing had changed since the last time I visited. And I was thinking about how many places and miles I have been since I had been there. Mollie and her late husband, Elmer, were positive forces and influencers in my life. I sat with the two of them in that same den many times over the years. I never called to tell them I was coming. I would just show up and begin wherever we left off last time. And that is exactly what we did Saturday. Mrs. Mollie got me all caught up on Reynolds and when I left I kissed her and hugged her a little tighter and longer than usual. And when I drove away I was promising myself that I would visit her more often.

As I was making my way to Julian and Sue’s house, I saw another long time friend sitting on his front porch. I pulled in the driveway and joined him on the porch. I first met Jim and Sheryl Cameron when they came to our church years ago as missionaries. We spent a ton of time with them. When they would come home from Honduras on furlough, Jim and Sheryl and their two children would stay with us sometimes for months at a time. I have some great memories staying up late at night with them solving the world’s problems drinking that strong Honduran coffee. When they left the mission field, they made Reynolds their home. And as you might imagine, Jim and I had no trouble striking up a conversation.

While I was rocking with him, I got a call from Julian. He and Sue were eating lunch at the hamburger place and heard I was in town. They knew I would be looking for them so they wanted to let me know where they were. So I headed up and joined them for lunch and then followed them back to their house. I stayed there until my wife called to tell me her party was over and to remind me that Taylor was spending the night.

I got back home in plenty of time to eat a few cheese straws left over from the shower with my little grandbaby girl and to spend the rest of the afternoon with her.

Just in case you are wondering, I had a great day.

Right Place at the Right Time

2009-05-31T08:34:00.004-04:00

We saw Santa Claus yesterday.

He left the land of perpetual snow earlier in the week and was heading to Florida for a few days of rest and relaxation. He stopped in a local restaurant to grab him something to eat.

During Christmas time he wears his famous red velvety outfit. In the summertime he wears shorts and sandals.

Our little Taylor recognized him before we did. She saw him as soon as he and Mrs. Claus walked in the door. I was surprised he didn’t use the chimney. Taylor got him to come over to our table so she could talk to him and give him a hug. She feels fairly confident she got a head start on all the other little boys and girls who will have to wait to see him when he shows up at the local mall a few weeks before Christmas.

Talk about being at the right place at the right time.

I overheard part of the conversation Santa had with Taylor. He was asking her if she has been a good little girl. Of course she explained to him she has been mostly perfect.

Santa is planning on taking a few days off and then he will be heading back to the North Pole to join his elves in his workshop. He has a lot of work to do between now and Christmas.

But Santa sure did make one little girl happy yesterday.

Oh My!

2009-05-30T21:48:00.002-04:00

And to think I have another one of these on the way... Oh my!

King George

2009-05-28T21:00:00.002-04:00

I’ll just go ahead and make it official.

I’m a George Strait fan.

Sounds kinda funny coming from a guy who grew up on such Rock n Roll bands like Herman’s Hermits, the Malibu’s, the Sixpence, the Dave Clark Five and the Beatles.

I remember not too many years ago wondering how anyone could listen to country music. Maybe it’s my age, but I sure don’t wonder that anymore.

I did something last night that is very rare for me. I sat in front of a television and watched a two hour special on television. They were honoring George Strait as Country Music Artist of the Decade. The show consisted of every country star you can think of coming on stage and singing a George Strait song while George and his family looked on.

I would think these stars had no trouble at all coming up with a song to sing. George Strait has accumulated 57 number one hits in his career. His 38 hit albums (multi platinum, platinum and gold) are not too shabby either. Only Elvis and the Beatles had more.

And George ain’t done.

The more I learn about King George, the more I like him. His dad was a high school math teacher in Pearshall ,TX, which is about an hour south of San Antonio. The family would head to the family ranch on the weekends. George’s life has not always been perfect though. George’s mom took his sister and left when George was in the third grade. George and his brother stayed with their dad.

Right after high school, George dropped out of college and eloped with his high school sweetheart. After a stint in the Army, George came back to Southwest Texas State and got a degree in Agriculture. Like most folks that hit it big, he wasn’t thinking big when he started out.

In spite of his now celebrity status, George and Norma’s marriage is still working after 38 years. They had two children. Their son Bubba was on the stage with his dad and mom last night. Their older daughter Jenifer was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 13 in 1985.

Life throws you curves – even if you happen to be George Strait.

But my goodness he is an entertainer. His rich voice and the songs he sings have a way of making you smile.

“If you leave me I won’t miss you and I won’t ever take you back. Girl your memory won’t ever haunt me cause I don’t love you. Now if you’ll buy that - I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona and from my front porch you can see the sea.”

And….

“I thought you and me were something special; Thought you thought that way too. Now I know that this ol’ boy just ain’t the best you think you’ll ever do. It ain’t cool to be crazy about you. It ain’t suave or debonair to let you know I care, like I do.”

You just gotta love some George Strait.

King George rules.

A Lifetime is Not Too Long

2009-05-25T22:08:00.003-04:00

If my life is a book – I’ve been through a lot of chapters. And I hope I have more than a few more to go before I’m done.

When a chapter closes there is always a sense of sadness because of the transition of the moment. Then, as we turn the next page, there is the excitement and anticipation of what the future holds.

The older I get the more I understand the significance of the chapters of our life.

Monday afternoon Kathy and I stopped by Brad and Tessa Hobbs’ house to see their little Caroline and to tell them how much we will miss them as they close another chapter in their life.

And turn the page to another exciting chapter.

As you will see in the video below, most of their stuff is now in boxes. Next weekend they will be moving to Little Rock Arkansas where Brad will begin his residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist. Dr. Brad graduated from Mercer Medical School a few weeks ago.

They say people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

In this case, for us, I think it is all three.

A lifetime is not too long to live as friends. That is for sure.

Brad & Tessa Hobbs and Caroline from Bruce Goddard on Vimeo.

To Touch a Company

2009-05-21T08:11:00.007-04:00

(Houston TX)
Having been self employed all my life, in 1997 I suddenly found myself working for someone else for the first time in my career. Although I continued to run my funeral homes (along with a few others) and was continuing to serve families I had known all my life, I found myself in an unfamiliar and somewhat uncomfortable situation.

You just don’t take a small town country boy and throw him into the waters of a large publically traded company without some struggles for the country boy along the way.

When I look back I had no idea the career opportunity this move would eventually afford me. And I certainly had no idea of the opportunity I would have to become friends with folks from different parts of the country who would change my life.

Not long after I had sold my businesses, I received a call from a man from New York City. I have to tell you in those days New York City seemed like a long way from Reynolds GA. I was in my office one day and found myself not only talking to a man a long way away but also one who talked a little differently than me.

Actually that would be a lot differently.

He was questioning me about a decision I had made about a casket I had ordered. I could not understand how a man from NYC would care about my casket order. To be honest, after running my businesses all my life to that point, I didn’t think I needed assistance from someone in NYC in what casket I needed to order. And after a lengthy conversation, I told him exactly what I thought.

I would find out later John Roefaro had a huge job in our company as head of revenue services for the Eastern United States. I would meet John a few weeks after our phone conversation in Houston at a training school. John was one of the facilitators of my training. I was smart enough to know I needed to introduce myself to him and make amends for our previous conversation.

But before I could do that, John introduced himself to me.

He told me had heard I was a humorist. And then John began to tell me one joke after another. As you might imagine, I had a few of my own as well. And before we knew it, we both were laughing. And I mean really laughing.

And in just a few short minutes, this stranger who had made me feel so uncomfortable a few weeks earlier had made me feel very comfortable.

In the past 12 years, John and I have not only been co-workers but more importantly we have become friends. And for a man who I didn’t think had much to offer me during our first encounter over the telephone, he has taught me much and has been a mentor to me.

I could talk about John’s experience, his presentation skills, his leadership skills, his humor, his integrity and many other traits and attributes I have come to appreciate about him over the years.

But the greatest lesson I have learned is about the distance from Reynolds GA to New York City. It is not nearly as long as I once thought.

By the way, John is celebrating his 40th year with our company this year and yesterday he was honored by the officers of our company for his outstanding career. I can tell you I was glad I was there and was able to witness the presentation.

“Most of us have had the opportunity to touch some folks,” someone said, “but John has an an opportunity to touch a company."

I can tell you I am glad to be a part of the company he keeps... and touches.

My Goodness He Lied to Her

2009-05-16T22:32:00.007-04:00

When Randy and Jane Toms were expecting their second child, they were quite sure it would be another boy. Of course, they would have been fine with that. But Randy now admits deep in his heart he longed for a little girl.

On March 29, 1987 his dream came true. And from the moment she was born she had his heart.

He says as she was growing up he always told her she was an ugly child. His reasoning was simple. He didn’t want her to believe some snotty nosed boy when he told her she was pretty.

I think you can see from the pictures posted here, Randy lied to his daughter.

When we moved to Warner Robins a little over six years ago, Randy became our Sunday school teacher. A lieutenant with the Warner Robins Fire Department and an ordained minister, Randy was not your typical Sunday school teacher. As you can surmise from the “ugly” story, Randy has a great sense of humor.

Right up my alley.

Randy also has a drop dead gorgeous wife. I happened to notice that during my first visit to his class. I think it’s wrong for an ordained Sunday school teacher to have a wife that looks that good but this one does.

And drop dead gorgeous mothers tend to produce drop dead gorgeous daughters.

I can tell you this daughter never looked more gorgeous than she did today.

Randy not only gave his daughter away today but he also performed the wedding ceremony. I seriously did not think he would make it through it. In front of God and a throng of witnesses, he had to confess to his daughter he had lied to her all those years about her being ugly. You can watch that confession by clicking here.

And on the video below, you can watch Justin and Callie Beatty’s first dance as a married couple. They will make you smile. And you will also see a proud daddy dancing with his beautiful just married daughter.

My goodness he lied to her.

First Dance - Justin and Callie from Bruce Goddard on Vimeo.

Bo and Lou

2009-05-14T22:20:00.006-04:00

The list of the adult folks who are still alive who helped form my life is getting smaller and smaller. Today I was in Columbus, GA on business and as I was leaving town my car had the urge to pull off the four lane highway and into the parking lot of an assisted living facility to visit one of those special folks.

My car just does that sometimes.

The stunningly beautiful Louise Waters began working for Ben Hinton, a Reynolds, GA businessman, when she was a teenager. Ben’s son, Woodfin (who was a couple of years older than Louise) was away at college at Georgia Tech being trained to be an Electrical Engineer when Louise became his dad’s bookkeeper.

Woodfin obviously thought his dad hired the right person. And Louise had to be certain she was working at the right place. Woodfin and Louise became man and wife as soon as he graduated from college. They built quite a life together in the little town of Reynolds. They had two children who are beneficiaries of the life they built. And now there are four grandchildren and four great grandchildren who also are reaping the benefits of the life they had together.

Interestingly, with a degree in Electrical Engineering from (dare this Georgia Bulldog say it) one of the most elite engineering schools in the country, Woodfin Hinton could have taken his new bride to an Atlanta or a Columbus or wherever he chose to do pretty much whatever he wanted.

Instead he chose to move back to Reynolds and take over the family business and sell fertilizer and insurance.

Simply stated, this couple chose a simple small town lifestyle over whatever the life of an Electrical Engineer might have offered.

Put me on the long list of the people who are very glad they did.

Woodfin and Louise, known to their friends as “Bo and Lou” were pillars of the community where I had the privilege to grow up. They were movers and shakers in our community and were leaders in their church. They loved the little town of Reynolds.

And they also loved each other.

When Bo died in 1999, a part of his “Lou” died with him. I would suspect one is not married to someone for almost 60 years without being affected that way.

A few years after his death, Louise moved to the assisted living facility in Columbus about an hour from Reynolds. Although it was the right thing to do, as you might imagine, it was not an easy move for her. But today when I visited her she was quick to tell me how content she is where she is living.

But I couldn’t help but notice how her eyes lit up when I walked in her room.

Although she has known me all my life and knew all my family, I don’t think her eyes lit up because it was me. I think they lit up because I am from Reynolds. My parents, my grandparents and my great grandparents were from Reynolds.

Maybe I reminded her of the wonderful life she had there.

If so, my visit today was the most productive 20 minutes I have spent in a long time.

He Actually Laughed Out Loud

2009-05-12T22:53:00.007-04:00

Tonight would be a good time to catch you up on some folks I have written about recently. You can click the link on their name to jog your memory of recent articles.

Callie Toms: I was in church this past Sunday and looked across the church building and up into the balcony at the end of the service and saw a sight that made me smile and have a lump in my throat at the same time. Randy Toms and his daughter, Callie, were standing next to each other at the end of the service and were holding hands. This Saturday Randy will walk his beautiful daughter down the aisle to give her hand in marriage. I couldn’t tell from where I was sitting but something tells me he was holding on tight.

Luke and Drew: They will be married in just four short months. In the meantime they continue to get attention with their music and their proposal video. They were interviewed recently by a writer from a Minnesota newspaper. The YouTube video is at 61,700 hits and counting. A version of their video will be featured on TLC this Friday May 15 at 7PM. The nationally televised show is called Wild Weddings which will feature outrageous proposals this week. Be sure to check them out or DVR it so you can watch it later.

Hannah Kasulka: I wrote about her when she appeared on a recent television show and I am as proud of her as anybody I know. Hannah landed a summer intern job in New York City but decided to take another job at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta instead. She will soon graduate from Georgia Tech. I called this gal that I have known since she was born yesterday to wish her a happy 21st birthday.

Papa’s Precious Princess: Due to the illness of her great grandmother who kept her a few days a week, little Taylor is now in day care. She has been there a couple of weeks now and things are going well. But I have to tell you – although I was in another state, this Papa didn’t sleep a wink the night before her first day. Papa’s don’t even like to think about the prospect of their grandbaby crying and being scared. But Taylor made it and so did I.

Jimmy Childre, Jr. I was speaking near Sandersville, GA a few weeks ago and unbeknownst to Jimmy a little bird told me he would be honored that night as Citizen of the Year for Washington County. I got finished with my speaking engagement and made it to their Chamber banquet just as people were leaving but just in time to speak to his family and congratulate my lifelong friend and give him a bear hug. My friend has accomplished a lot and he makes me very proud. He did not know he was going to win that award and he certainly didn’t expect me to show up. Great stuff.

David and Holly: They were here for Mother's day and Holly is now close to 15 weeks pregnant. She is starting to show a little and her face ia glowing a lot. She will be one gorgeous pregnant lady. David smiles all the time.

This papa is giddy.

Other Tidbits: On April 14, I decided to start exercising again. Since then I have started my day virtually every morning by walking – in the neighborhood at home or wherever I happen to be. A couple of weeks after I began I joined a gym. The trainer almost killed me a few days ago but I am determined to stay with some resemblance of an exercise program.

I may not live longer but I will look much better in the casket.

The resistance training has not helped my golf game though.

I played in a legislative golf tournament the other day with my brother in law, who is a lobbyist. I went to the first tee without having hit a practice shot or even taking a practice swing. In front of some folks I had never met in my life until then, I whiffed the ball on the first tee. This is someone who has played hundreds and hundreds if not thousands rounds of golf. I don’t play golf much anymore and I am liable to hit it in any direction, but whiffing the ball is something I don’t think I’ve ever done. It didn’t help that my playing partner and brother in law laughed.

He actually laughed out loud.

The sapsucker.