Choices

(Wichita KS) School’s out in Wichita today. So are the snowmen. Many people had their schedules altered too. I was one of them.

It is amazing what you can get done in an airport these days when your flight is delayed because of a winter storm. I had my laptop up and running as was able to take care of some important emails, work on a couple of spreadsheets and even kept an eye on the Doplar radar. I also used all my battery up on my cell phone.

So did a few other people. Cell phone city today in the Wichita airport. Everybody was busy telling someone on the other end that they were not going to be wherever they were supposed to be.

But some were taking care of other business.

At one point I couldn’t help but hear the man next to me talking with one of those little ear pieces in his ear. I figured out fairly quickly that he was talking to his sister and he had decided it was time for them to put their mom in a nursing home. I discovered their mom was 92 years old and still lived in the house where the siblings grew up and just didn’t want to let it go. After he finished talking to his sister, he called their nursing home of choice to get rates and to see if there was a waiting list. He (and I) found out that it cost $1680 per month. This delayed passenger then held the room with his credit card.

After he finished talking to the nursing home person, he then called his 92 year old mother and suggested to her (on the phone mind you) that he felt like it would be good if she would consider moving into the nursing facility where her sister in law used to live (before she died). This loving son told his mom that he surely didn’t want to put pressure on her but he really wanted her to consider it.

I started to grab the phone and tell the poor lady that her son already had a confirmation number on the reservation at the nursing home. But instead I told him if he wanted to go ahead and take care of her funeral arrangements we could take care of that as well.

Not really. But I thought about it.

I’ve witnessed a few things in my life but talking your mother about going in a nursing home while delayed at an airport was a first for me. Some things you just need to handle face to face.

People were there from all parts of the country (and other countries) but we all had one thing in common today. We had somewhere to go but none of us could get there. And there was nothing we could do about it.

I stood behind one man at the ticket counter who spent 20 minutes arguing with the ticket agent because he had to be somewhere. I couldn’t help but wonder what in the heck he thought the agent could do about it. The persistent customer just couldn’t understand why the agent couldn’t get him on another flight. And he thought the airlines should take him to a hotel and pay for it. He was mad with the world.

I saw another family of four explaining to an agent that their son was supposed to be in a cross country event tomorrow and it was the biggest race of his life and they had to be there. I wondered if they thought the agent had a button on his computer screen that could stop a blizzard.

I laughed later when I heard an announcement on the public address system asking if there was anybody in the airport that could speak Chinese to please come to the Continental ticket counter. I suppose someone was upset in Chinese. I almost went back through security just to watch.

I was reminded again today that there are some things you can control and some things you can’t do one thing about.

We have two choices. We can be miserable and make everybody around us miserable or we can make the most of the situation.

I chose the latter today...but I never got out of Wichita.

BUT if I this happens again tomorrow I will probably choose the former.

I did learn one lesson though.

The next time I come to Wichita KS I’m bringing my long underwear.

I Got the Tee Shirt

(Goddard, KS) I had to stop in this town today when I drove through. Goddard, population 3,300 boasts of being the fastest growing town in Kansas.


I didn’t count the people but I did count the degrees. It is cold today in Goddard Kansas. I mean freezing cold. When this picture was taken it was 22 degrees and the wind was blowing. Just a few minutes later we were in the middle of an ice storm.

I think it is getting down to 14 degrees in the morning. Snow is expected during the night. I just looked to see if I had enough underwear in my bag to stay a couple of more days in case I can’t get out of here tomorrow.

The people are friendly in Goddard Kansas though. We stopped at a local convenience store for a bathroom break and while there I asked the clerk if there was a store close by where I could by a Goddard KS tee shirt. She gave me simple directions of how to get to a local sports wear shop. The clerk was looking at me kinda funny and I knew she was trying to figure out my accent. I told her I was from Georgia.

I also told her my name.

That got her attention. I also stretched in a little and told her I was looking for my ancestors that founded this town.

I thanked her for the directions and we headed down the road looking for the store. We couldn’t find it so we turned around and were headed back to get back on the road to head to Wichita. A lady in a car waved us down. I had no idea who she was. We rolled the window down and I was shocked when she said, “Mr. Goddard?”

I answered her through the window, “Yes ma’am.”


She went on to tell me that she was in the convenience store a few minutes earlier when she overheard me asking for directions for a place to buy a tee shirt. She said there wasn’t a store there anymore where the clerk thought and she proceeded to give me directions to another nearby store.

I’m convinced my name did it.

I’m not sure if there are any Goddards living in Goddard, KS but there was one there today. And I was impressed that this lady thought enough about it to chase me down to make sure I had the right directions.

Let it go on record that Bruce Goddard visited Goddard Kansas today.

It was cold as a well diggers bahooty.

But I did get the tee shirt.

My Heart Will Be in Reynolds

Tonight I am in Oklahoma City which is about 1100 miles away from Reynolds, GA. Tomorrow I will be in Wichita KS where I will be further away.

I am doing what I get paid to do and enjoying every minute of it at a very critical time in our company’s history. As of today our company, which is the largest funeral provider in the United States, now owns the second largest funeral provider in the United States. We are in the process of assimilating all the new locations into our company.

I am responsible for eight markets in seven states. Oklahoma City is one of them and in the OKC market alone we now own 18 funeral homes and 7 cemeteries with 265 employees. My market director and I met with most of those employees tonight in what we call a “town hall meeting.”

Tomorrow night I will do the same with another market director in Wichita.

I am a long way from Reynolds Georgia as far as geography tonight. And I am a long way from what I used to do in Reynolds in the funeral business. I pretty much waited on every family and conducted every funeral for people I had known and loved all my life. As you can imagine it was more than a job for me. It was my life.

The neat thing is I now get to share my passion for this business with people all over the country. I surely am not insinuating that I know more than other folks but I get to communicate my passion and my life and I am in a position to have the potential to make a difference. I was born to do what I am doing.

As good as all that is, my heart will be somewhere else tomorrow.

Dorothy Brunson died this past Sunday night. I cannot imagine not being able to attend her funeral.

If you have read my book or these articles on this blogsite, you know I have written about the most secure times in my life as a young boy. It was when my parents would have friends over to eat (everybody would bring their own steak to grill) and my mom would tuck me in bed at night and I would say my prayers. I would go to sleep with the sound of laughter in the living room.

Willard and Dorothy Brunson would usually be one of the couples in the living room.

I remember as a kid the day I had to put on my Sunday clothes to go to Atlanta to see Gone with the Wind when it premiered at Lowes Grand Theater. My brother and I sat in the back seat. My mom and Dorothy Brunson were in the front seat.

When I got married almost 30 years ago, Dorothy hosted a pre-wedding party for us around the swimming pool at her house.

Dorothy worked at the local post office. I saw her literally every day of my life for many, many years.

I have never met a sweeter lady.

Every year on September 20th I got a birthday card from her. I have a feeling she sent birthday cards to a lot of people but she sure did make me feel special.

Dorothy was one of the few folks who got tickets (badges) to the Masters Golf Tournament. She got six of them and she made sure my family got those badges on one of the days of the tournament every year. I attended that tournament every year since I can remember and I had some of the best times of my life there.

In the last 15 or so years, it became a ritual for me to drive to her house to pick up the Master’s badges. We would always visit and get caught up and I took my time doing it. And I always thanked her from the bottom of my heart for letting me go to the Masters.

She always told me she loved me when I left her house. Always.

And she did. And I loved her.

Her funeral will be held tomorrow morning and I will say a prayer for Gene, Patsy, Derek and Gina and the rest of the family.

My body and my energy will be in Wichita KS tomorrow.

But my heart will be in Reynolds, Georgia.

I Ate at Mickey's Tonight

(Oklahoma City) I ate at Mickey Mantle’s tonight. It was a business dinner but I checked out the memorabilia as I walked out and couldn’t help but notice a chill bump or two on my arms.



When I was growing up Mickey Mantle was my hero. In the last months of his life in he became a much bigger hero in my eyes.

Mickey Mantle was born in northeast Oklahoma in 1931. As he grew up, he was a gifted athlete playing not only baseball but also football and basketball. He became one of - if not the most recognized name in the history of baseball. He took over for Joe DiMaggio in center field for the New York Yankees when he was 20 years old. He was clocked at an incredible 2.9 seconds from home to first base on a drag bunt. He could round the bases in an amazing 13 seconds. Mantle also hit home runs where they had never been hit before.

He hit a home run one time that was measured to be 565 feet. It’s listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest home run ever measured. Guinness also mentions that Mickey hit a 643 foot home run that was the longest ever measured “mathematically after the fact.”


Without a doubt Mickey Mantle was the most popular player to ever play the game of baseball. I watched the Yankees every Saturday afternoon on the “Game of the Week” and along with all my buddies, idolized him. I still can name every player on those Yankee’s teams. They were amazing. In Mickey’s first 14 years with the Yankees he appeared in 12 World Series. He still holds the record for most home runs, runs, and RBI’s in World Series history.

Mickey retired from baseball in 1969 after an injury riddled career. There is no telling how many records he could have set if he could have stayed healthy.

He was also the most popular retired baseball player who ever lived.

In 1993 Mickey was admitted to the Betty Ford Center for alcohol rehabilitation. He received more mail than anyone in the history of that center.

His fans were still pulling for him.

After he left the Betty Ford Center, he began to spread the message of the ills of drug and alcohol abuse to anyone who would listen. Mickey also made peace with God.

Former Yankee second baseman and teammate Bobby Richardson eulogized Mickey at his funeral service in 1995. He ended the eulogy with these words:
“Mickey’s last press conference, he once again mentions his struggle with alcohol and a desire to be a dad to his boys. But, if Mick could hold a press conference from where he is today, I know that he would introduce you to his true hero. The one who died in his place to give him not just a longer physical life but everlasting life, his savior, Jesus Christ. And the greatest tribute that you could give Mickey today would be for you to receive his savior too.”

Mickey Mantle was my hero. He was the best baseball player I ever saw. He made some mistakes in life along the way and he paid for his mistakes. But make no mistake about it. He died as well as he played baseball. And he impacted a lot of folks the last couple of years of his life in a way he never impacted them before.

One of Mantle’s quotes always stuck with me. He said, “I guess you could say I’m what this country is all about.”

He was right. We all have the opportunity to be someone's hero. And we all have people watching.

And it's never too late to start over.

And just think - all I did was stop at his place for supper tonight.

A Hug is Worth a Thousand Words

I first met Ed Grisamore about 10 years ago as I was getting in my car after I had spoken at a civic club in Macon. I had actually already met him in print because I was already reading his column in the Macon Telegraph on a regular basis. He told me he would like to come to Reynolds and interview me for a column.

I was flattered but kinda nervous at the same time. Not nervous because he wanted to do an interview but I was nervous because I didn’t know the slant he would put on my humorous slant of the funeral business. The last thing I wanted was for someone to take my humor the wrong way and I knew that could happen if I was not in control of what would be written.

He came over and we sat on the front porch of the funeral home in Reynolds. He asked me questions and I answered them. And I probably answered some questions he didn’t ask. We realized we had a lot in common and really hit it off.

A special friendship had begun.

The article came out in the next day or two and his slant was perfect. Because of his article, the demand for my speaking services increased at an almost alarming rate. No doubt about it, Ed Grisamore put me on the map with that article.


I was always completely fascinated by Ed’s writing ability. He paints an amazing picture with words and his columns are always positive and motivating and heart warming. He has brightened the day for many folks in Middle Georgia for many years. I am one of them.

He encouraged me over and over to put my own stories in writing. For those of you who have read my book, you know that Ed wrote the Foreword.

Ed and I have continued our friendship since the first time we met. We make it a point to meet for lunch every now and then to catch up and enjoy each other’s company.

In many ways we have become like brothers.

If you read Ed’s columns or have read his books, you know about the close relationship he had with his dad. I met Ed’s dad and mom at the book signing when Ed’s first book was released. I feel like I knew Ed’s dad well because I have read the words Ed has written about him. I have also heard Ed speak so affectionately of him many times.

Ed’s dad, Jennings M. Grisamore, MD died a few weeks ago. His memorial service was held today.

I was there.

I had several impressions as I sat in the congregation. My first impression was that Ed Grisamore’s dad was an amazing human being. Secondly, as I listened to what this man accomplished in life, I realized that Ed has been very humble in talking about his dad. And my third impression was that this man produced an incredible family.

As I sat and listened I had to fight back tears.

I fought tears because I was getting a glimpse of the impact one man can have on people in his care. I fought tears because the service brought back memories of my own dad who impacted me so greatly. And I fought back tears because I never want to lose sight of the important things in life. You can’t attend a service like that without doing some inner soul searching.

After the service I worked my way through the crowd of people at the reception and found Ed. There was really nothing to say. I hugged him and he hugged me back and we shed tears.

I left that reception with another impression.

A hug is worth a thousand words.

A real friend is worth more.

(Additional note: 11/29/06) I had the most hits by far I've ever had yesterday as a result of this article. The reason is not my writing but Ed mentioned this in his blog yesterday. Ed has TONS of readers. Check out his blogsite below. RBG

http://grisamore.blogspot.com

He Was a Man Among Boys

It was January 1, 1974 and I was at home from UGA for the holidays spending a normal New Years day watching one football game after another. The Rose Bowl that day featured Ohio State and USC and I watched a big freshman fullback by the name of Pete Johnson score three touchdowns as Ohio State put a major whooping on USC.

I almost fell out of the chair when they interviewed him after the game and I actually saw him. I realized it was the Pete Johnson I had played basketball with a couple of years earlier at Peach County High School in Fort Valley, GA.

I had no idea he was playing college football. But I wasn’t surprised.

For your information, 33 years later, Pete still holds the Ohio State Buckeye career record for scoring 58 touchdowns in his career. He also scored 348 points which was a school record until a placekicker surpassed his record a couple of years ago. Recently, Pete was selected to the Ohio State All Century Team.


In 1977 Pete was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft and he went on to have a great NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was their leading rusher for all seven seasons he played for them. He played in a Super Bowl and a Pro Bowl. He was the Bengals all-time leading rusher when he left that team. He ended his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins.

Not bad for a guy who was born and raised in Fort Valley Georgia.

Actually Pete left Fort Valley before his senior year in high school to move in with a relative in New York. He became an all state fullback there and ended up getting a football scholarship to Ohio State. In Fort Valley he was a linebacker and played on the offensive line. I don’t ever remember him running the ball in Fort Valley. But make no mistake, he was an amazing athlete then and dominated on the football field at his middle linebacker position.


As a six foot tall basketball player, he was on the starting line-up and muscled his way to lead the team in rebounds. He was a man among boys.

For some reason my brother in law and I started talking about him yesterday and I did some searching on the internet to see if I could find him.

I read in an old New York Times article that he was indicted in 1987 for cocaine trafficking. I never did find if he was ever proven guilty and convicted.


I found a picture of him playing in a charity golf tournament and saw where he was heading up a charity organization at one time called “Fourth and One.” I saw that he was recently a manager at an automobile leasing company in Ohio. I also saw where he was speaking and motivating a group of kids.

He was a man among boys when I knew him some 35 years ago. The possibility exists that he is a man among men now who is spending some of his time helping others.

Pete, if you ever google your name, you may read this. If so, shoot me an email. I would love to talk to you and maybe even figure out a way to get you in front of some of the audiences I have the opportunity to entertain and motivate.

We made a pretty good tandem 35 years ago. Maybe we can do it again.


This photo was taken at an Ohio State Buckeye rally before the Michigan game earlier this month. If any of you have any information about how I can get in touch with Pete Johnson, former Ohio State Buckeye, Cincinnati Bengal and Peach County Trojan, please let me know.

You never know til you ask.

A Sign of Things to Come

I have a great appreciation for what these two accomplished yesterday. They ran 13.1 miles in the Atlanta Track Club Half Marathon yesterday morning. And they did it at a pace that was less than 8.5 minutes per mile.

Claire is my 18 year old niece who is on the cross country team at her high school. She also happens to be academically at the top of her senior class. She is one of those people that I would fully expect to be asked to give one of those two special speeches next spring when she graduates with her 742 senior classmates.

Holly is almost 27 years old and is my daughter in law and is the Director of Communications and Publications for the United States Tennis Association Southern Section. She also happens to be a former college tennis player and is a former homecoming queen at the university she attended.

Both of these young ladies are talented and use their God given talents every day of their lives. They do not get up every morning to try to figure out what they have to do to get by that day.

On the contrary they storm life with all the gusto they can muster. They push themselves to rise above the masses and because they live life in that manner they inspire others around them to push themselves.

Yesterday was the first time either of them had run in a half marathon. And they didn’t wake up on Thanksgiving morning and suddenly decide they would go run in this race. They set their sites on this date months ago and began a disciplined regiment of training to get there.

They set a goal and worked very hard to achieve it.

Claire and Holly’s outstanding finish in the half-marathon yesterday is an obvious sign of their discipline and strong desire to accomplish what they set out to accomplish.

But it is also a sign of greater things to come for both of them.

I tip my hat to both this morning. And I have a strong feeling I will be tipping my hat many more times in the future as they continue to accomplish in life what they set out to accomplish.

It's Time to Give Thanks

It’s that time of year to stop and remember and be thankful.

I am thankful to be alive. With all the traveling I do, I always breathe a prayer of thanksgiving when I make it back home and pull in my driveway again. I am fully aware that some are not so fortunate.

I am thankful for my health. I fully recognize that good health is a gift.

I am thankful for a peaceful place to go after I’ve been on the road and a little dog that greets me at the door. There really is no place like home.

I am thankful for a wonderful wife that allows me to live my dream and do what’s in my heart. She allows me to be me and supports me at every turn. What an amazing gift.

I am thankful for my three boys. I had no idea some 27 years ago when we started having babies how proud they would make me one day. They have grown up and have become responsible adults. They are a true gift from God.

I am thankful for my wonderful daughters in law. For so many years I wondered who they would be. Tami and Holly have surpassed my wildest dreams.

I am thankful for another potential daughter in law who my youngest son hangs around all the time. Drew is another answer to prayer and blows me away every time I’m around her.

I am thankful for a little girl named Taylor who is still in her mommy’s tummy. Of all the people in the world, God chose me to be her Papa. Just the thought of that little girl sitting in my lap one day makes me want to cry.

I am thankful for parents who invested their lives in me from the day I was born. There is no way I can even begin to express how thankful I really am for them and how much I appreciate their memory.

I am thankful for two brothers and a sister and their spouses and families. We all love each other and accept each other as we are. I fully realize that many families are not so fortunate.

I am thankful for my two sisters in law and brother in law and their spouses and families. We all love each other and accept each other as we are. I fully realize that many families are not so fortunate.

I am thankful for my mother in law who lives with us and feels at home at our house. It really is an honor to have her around.

I am thankful for old friends I never thought I would see again but have had the opportunity to connect with again. What a blessing.

I am also thankful for the old friends that I never lost touch with all these years.

And I am thankful for the many new friends I have met this year and the new relationships I have established.

I am thankful for a job and a career that stretches me and allows me to use my God given talents and provide for my family. I truly love what I do and I fully recognize that many are not so fortunate.

I am thankful for a boss who has values and always makes decisions based on them and gives me the freedom to do the same.

I am thankful for an experienced assistant who always makes me look much better than I really am.

I am thankful for the guys on my team at work who surround me. They are all smarter than me and I’m not intimidated one bit. They have been the key to my success. And they have also become my friends.

I’m thankful for the opportunities I had this year to stand in front of audiences and make them laugh and maybe cause them to think about some important things. The whole speaking thing is a blessing and I never stop being amazed by it all.

I’m thankful for all you people who are reading this and the fact that you read it. I didn’t even know what a blog was a year ago and now it has become a part of my daily life. The process of writing helps me keep my sanity and causes me to think about things I normally would not think about.

I am thankful for the storms of life I encountered this year. If I there had been no rain, there would have been no growth.

I am thankful for people in my life who I have watched go through their storms with an enormous amount of grace. They have inspired me.

And most importantly, I am thankful for the grace of God. In spite of all my weaknesses, God always proves himself strong. It is the message of the Bible and without a doubt the greatest truth in life.

I am most thankful I know that truth.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Time to Have a Party

There is something very special about this time of year. I was looking out the window of the plane tonight as I landed in Atlanta. The view was breathtaking. The trees are colorful and gorgeous.

It’s called the circus of autumn.

But there is something else special about this time of year.


The holiday season is upon us. And I couldn’t help but notice it as I was walking through the airport tonight. It was crowded for sure. But people were smiling and acting differently than you normally see at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

As I came up the long escalator on the way to baggage claim it hit me. There was a huge throng of people waiting on their loved ones coming in from all over the United States. Most had big smiles and people were hugging and laughing. I even saw a few tears.

I actually stopped for a few minutes and watched.

This is the season for family gatherings. It is the time of year we set aside to spend time with the people we love the most.

And that’s why all the smiling and hugging and crying.

As good as that was to see and as excited I was to be coming home, I had mixed emotions. It has happened for the past dozen or so years. On one hand I cannot wait to spend time with my own family. We will have a house full of folks and it will be wonderful.

But on the other hand I cannot go through this season without thinking about those people who were so much a part of my holidays for so many years who are no longer around. I suppose when you get my age you can’t help but think about those kinds of things.

It’s all normal and I realize fully that everyone who has family members who are no longer around experiences those same emotions.

The truth is the result from the mixed emotions is a good thing.

It causes us to hug those people we love just a little tighter. And it causes us all to appreciate each other just a little more.

We don’t know what tomorrow holds. But we have the moment. And the moment is a wonderful time of year.

It’s time to cook the turkey and dressing with all the trimmings. It’s also time to bring out the fine china and to roll out the red carpet.

It’s time for families everywhere to gather together and have a party.

To be thankful for each other and all the blessings of life.

And to be thankful for the memories of those who have gone on before us.

Houston's Best

(Houston, TX) I met Jim Toney a couple of years ago. I was at our corporate office in Houston and had to get to the airport. I hurriedly got in the backseat of a car and immediately noticed something different.

For starters the driver spoke English. I thought that was a little unusual. He also was wearing a tie. I started to look around and I noticed how clean the automobile was inside. There were current magazines on the holder on the seat in front of me. There was also a copy of that day’s paper.

My curiosity was in gear by now so I started asking him questions. It was obvious to me that Jim was not your usual cab driver.

When we got to the airport, Jim gave me his card that had his cell number and his email address. I also noticed he was carrying a Blackberry. He told me the next time I was coming to Houston to give him a call or shoot him an email and he would pick me up.

That was a couple of years ago. He has now picked me up dozens of times as he did last night when I arrived in Houston.

For the record, Jim has two bachelor degrees from the University of Houston. He has a degree in Mathematics and a separate degree in Environmental Science. This scientist turned chauffeur worked in the oil industry for years and also was in the semi-conductor industry.

I have asked him why he is doing this job since he is qualified to do much more. His answer is simple: “To keep a roof over my head and food on the table.”

He works seven days a week. Like most in the service business, he has built his business on building relationships with his clients. Most of his business is repeat business like mine. People call him when they are coming to town because he offers what most other drivers don’t, such as dependability, personal hygiene and the English language.

He also offers some very interesting conversation.

There is a moral to this story and I think about it every time I get in the car with Jim Toney.

Sometimes we just have to do what we have to do.

We have two options: We can complain and fuss and wonder why. Or we can make the most of whatever situation we find ourselves in.

Jim chose the latter.

I don’t know what kind of scientist he was in his former life. But he is the best chauffeur Houston has to offer.

A Great Time of the Year and in LIfe

When we were having babies we didn’t even know the gender of the babies until they were born. Ultrasound technology was new then and most doctors only used it when they thought there was a problem.

The days of the doctor coming out to the waiting room after a baby is born and announcing “It’s a girl” are long gone.

Now you can go in and get four dimensional pictures of your baby posing from the womb.

You get to choose from several packages just like you did when you got your school pictures taken. You not only get pictures but you also get a DVD movie of the entire photo shoot. We did that yesterday in Atlanta.


On November 18, 2006 we got our first glimpse of Taylor Reese Goddard. She was naked as a jaybird, but it was enough to cause chill bumps to run up and down the arms and neck of this soon to be papa.

It was a family event. Tami’s parents and grandmother were also there. David and Holly (our oldest son and wife) also joined us for the special occasion.

The good Lord willing, in eleven short weeks we will not only be looking but we will be holding.

I cannot wait.

Obviously Taylor knew we were checking her out because she smiled at us several times and even stuck out her tongue at us a time or two.

We celebrated afterwards. Kathy and I took John and Tami and David and Holly out to eat and then we all went to Atlantic Station in downtown Atlanta to watch the annual lighting of the big Christmas tree. It was cold and it was snowing. The snow was coming from a machine but it was still snowing.

I am about to head to Houston for a couple of days and will get back in time for our Thanksgiving gathering. Then Christmas will be right around the corner.

I love this time of year. It is the season for family. And the shopping is about to begin and I’m sure we all will be spending more money than we should as we get ready to exchange gifts.

This really is a great time of year.

And the idea of becoming a papa is a great time in my life.

You Can Sprain an Ankle Eating Here

You can sprain an ankle eating at this restaurant.

You talk about down home eatin – this is it.

I have been stopping by this place for years every chance I get when I am traveling down Interstate 75 between Atlanta and Macon. I was late eating lunch yesterday but I was determined to bypass all the fast food places at every exit as I drove through Atlanta and make it to the daddy of all restaurants.

It was worth the wait.

Buckner’s Family Restaurant is one of those restaurants where they seat you at a round table with total strangers. I love it. I’ve met all kinds of folks there over the years. Yesterday was no different.

They have a lazy susan in the middle of the table and more food than you can possibly eat. You just fill up your plate, eat what is on your plate, spin the table and eat some more. Their fried chicken makes Col. Sanders’ variety taste like the chicken in a TV dinner. Absolutely no comparison.

It’s close to being as good as Jessie Mae King’s.

Not quite but close.

Almost as good as the food is the conversation you get there. I sat at the table yesterday with four ladies from South Carolina. They work for the National Beta Club in Spartanburg and had been attending the Georgia Beta Club Convention in Macon. After spending several days with 7,000 kids at a convention they said they were ready for some down home cooking.

They were in the right place for that.

Two of the ladies were preacher’s wives and the other two were preacher’s daughters. These four ladies of the cloth were minding their own business attempting to enjoy their lunch and then all of a sudden an undertaker sat down with them.

All four of my new friends left with an autographed copy of View from a Hearse. And now they have their picture on the world wide web.

Imagine that.

This is not a paid advertisement. But if you want some great food with an opportunity to also get a taste of the spice of life, stop by Buckner’s Family Restaurant at Exit 201 on Interstate 75 between Atlanta and Macon.

You’ll definitely leave with a full stomach and if you’re lucky you just may leave with some new friends.

You also may leave with a sprained ankle.

This Place is Special

(Cullman, AL)

Okay. I am impressed.

Big time.

Take it from someone who has visited more towns than you can shake a stick at. This place is special.

It’s big enough to have things to do and small enough for everyone to be family.

Located between Birmingham and Huntsville off Interstate 65, it is a town of about 16,000. It is absolutely gorgeous in Cullman Alabama.

And the people are first class. I’m sure there must be some thugs around but I didn’t see any yesterday.

I was in town for a couple of speaking engagements.

I stopped first at the Merchant’s Bank. Steve Glasscock, who is the Chairman and CEO of the privately held Merchants Bank, heard me speak on the coast of Alabama a couple of years ago and asked me to speak to his employees while I was in town. While there I connected quickly with a bank director, David Moss, who is a local businessman and former owner of the local funeral home. Imagine that. The employees gathered (about 70 strong) in the lobby of the main bank yesterday afternoon after the bank closed. I’m not sure exactly what I said but the 30 minutes I had went by in a hurry. Not sure what it is about banks but I think this is the fourth bank lobby I have spoken in since I started doing this.


I left there with Raymond Williams, who is a senior Vice President of the bank and also on the Farm City committee, and headed to the civic center for the annual Farm City Banquet. This is a huge gathering where the community honors on alternate years the farm family of the year and the city family of the year.

There were several standing ovations as this group of close knit townspeople honored a couple of families they love and appreciate. They also awarded and honored individual school children for contests this group sponsored.

As I was taking it all in, I was wondering if the people in this town really appreciate what they have. I really think they do. It reminded me of a large Mayberry. And I say that with the utmost respect.


I spent some time with the obviously popular mayor, Donald Green, who everyone addressed as Mayor. I couldn’t help but notice he was wearing a green sports jacket. I don’t think that was a happenstance. I was very impressed with Sheila Brock who was the chairperson and mistress of ceremonies of this event. She is one of those gracious southern ladies who are the rocks for communities such as this and I would bet one who is always called upon if someone wants something done right. I sat next to and exchanged stories with local veterinarian Dr. Tom Williamson who also happens to be on the board of Merchant’s Bank. Everyone knows him as “Big Doc” and it was obvious to me he is a mover and shaker in the community. I could go on and on.

Every town is made up of key people who make things happen. I have a strong feeling that this town has more than their share of those kinds of people.

Cullman County ranks #1 in Alabama in hay acreage and tons produced. #2 in sweet potatoes produced. #1 in total cattle and beef cows. #1 in broilers produced. #2 in dairy cows. And #1 in total farm receipts.

In my opinion, they also rank #1 in community spirit.

Recently this group sponsored a contest for the local school. They let balloons go and gave awards to the child whose balloon was found the most miles away. The winner’s balloon landed in Augusta, Georgia. The runner up’s balloon landed in Thomson, GA.

I was in Augusta earlier this week. And I even stopped in Thomson for a cup of coffee.

I can tell you I connected with the people of Cullman Alabama last night.

It’s a wonder the balloons didn’t hit my windshield as I was riding down the road.

God Help Us All

I have dealt with death all my life. It has been more than a job for me.

It’s more of a calling.

For the past several years I have been somewhat removed from the “personal” aspects of dealing with the death of people I know and love because I’ve moved away from that environment. I spend my days now dealing with the “business of death” instead of dealing with the personal impact of it.

I am at home this morning taking a couple of vacation days and about to head out of town on a speaking tour. I’m never at home at 8:30AM during the week.

But I was this morning.

I answered the phone this morning and in just a few moments my heart was in the pit of my stomach.

On the other end of the line was a very broken hearted young woman who was trying her best to ask me what she is supposed to do. Her husband, Charlie, who happens to be a lifelong friend of mine, died suddenly yesterday afternoon. He was somewhere around 46 years old. I may be off a year or two.

I could hardly even understand what she was saying. I have never been where Lynn Dykes is this morning but some of you have. And you know what she is going through.

I wrote on this blog site yesterday about generations of friendships in my hometown of Reynolds. This is a heart wrenching example.

Charlie Dykes’ grandmother, Mrs. Ogburn, was one of my first grade teachers and she and her husband were close friends with my grandparents. Mrs. Ogburn not only taught me in the first grade but she also taught my father… and my two brothers and sister. Charlie’s mom and dad, James and Louise Dykes, were lifelong friends with my mom and dad. Charlie’s son, Lee, spent many nights at our house because he and my youngest son, Luke, were close friends as they were growing up. I don’t have proof of it but I would imagine that my great grandparents and Charlie’s great grandparents were also friends.

That is five generations of friendships in our two families.

I may be wrong but most of the people who are reading this today have little experience with those kinds of bonds and ties. I can tell you they are the strongest bonds on earth. And those friendships are much more valuable than all the money in the world.

Over the years, Charlie and I have had several lengthy conversations about the brevity of life and the importance of our faith. I have no doubt in my mind that Charlie Dykes is in heaven today.

I’m not sure of all the details because the conversation was so difficult, but Charlie walked in the city hall yesterday afternoon looking for help from the paramedic who office’s there (who is also a lifelong friend). He was having chest pains. Charlie collapsed on the floor of the city hall.

In a split second a life on earth was over.

And the lives of those who knew and loved him will never be the same.

I say it all the time. I will say it again tonight when I stand before 400 people in Cullman Alabama.

Life really is a vapor. We are here one minute and gone the next.

There are only a few things that are really important.

And we spend most of our time spinning our wheels dealing with things that do not amount to a hill of beans.

God help us all.

And please be with this special family today.

I Had the Urge to Kiss Her

For you regular readers, my exercising I’ve been writing about has come to a screeching halt this last week. My walking had evolved into jogging on a treadmill. I was pushing myself everyday to improve my 3 mile time. I was feeling great.

Then all of a sudden I got up one morning and my knee was hurting. I went on to the gym that morning but when I got there I knew I couldn’t do it. So I decided to rest that knee. After almost a week of resting the knee, the other knee started hurting.

The second knee is worse than the first knee.

I drove about three hours tonight in pouring down rain to get home. I limped in the house and told my wife I think she needs to start thinking about putting me in a nursing home.

I have felt so good for the past four months with all the exercising I’ve been doing. Now I feel like I’m 85. I’m typing this with a heating pad on my knee.

On top of that my wife has been sick with the virus. One of those “hugging the pot” viruses that nobody likes to talk about but everybody has experienced.

We are in bad shape at our house.


But thank God for our neighbors.

Debbie Krafft walked in the house earlier tonight with a great supper. She had cooked "Skillet Lasagna” which is a hybrid dish of spaghetti-lasagna. That stuff is so good it will make you slap your grandma. She even made a salad to go with it. On top of that, she proceeded to whip up a banana pudding in our kitchen while I was gulping down her delicious dish.

Kathy has the stomach virus and can’t eat. I have a hurt leg. Hurt legs make it difficult to walk but they do not make it difficult to eat.

I had the urge to kiss her.

Debbie is not only a great cook and great neighbor but she is also a fitness trainer. So I got her to check out my bad knees while she was here.

I grew up with neighbors on both sides of our house and across the street who always looked after each other. After I grew up and got married and moved on the outskirts of Reynolds, we had great neighbors there too. Our neighbors were forever bringing us a cake or pie or something else to eat. And we did the same for them. In Reynolds, not only were our neighbors friendly but the friendships had been passed down for generations.

We really did look out for each other.

We thought that would be over when we moved to Warner Robins almost four years ago. We moved to a much bigger town to a neighborhood where we knew absolutely nobody. Something I was not used to for sure.

Tonight when Debbie walked in the house with all the food I was reminded of days gone by and her act of kindness brought back some warm memories for me.

Maybe I’m not ready for the nursing home after all. At least I won’t be as long as we have neighbors like Col. and Mrs. Greg Krafft.

With the holiday season fast approaching maybe all of us should take Debbie’s lead and get in the spirit of giving early and figure out a way to pass on a little cheer to the people who live next to us.

Taking the time for simple acts of kindness will go a long way to make this the best Christmas season yet.

It started early at our house this year.

There Are Some Things Money Can Buy

I rode by the house where I grew up the other day. I stopped to take a picture. My goodness there was a lot of living in that house.


It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’make it home. Edgar Guest wrote a poem that began with that line and I can still remember my second grade teacher, Miss Hollis, reading it to us.

Edgar had it right for sure.

The day of my daddy’s funeral I remember a statement made by our friend Dennis Parks. I made the comment that we would probably sell the house and I jokingly asked Dennis, who lives in Atlanta, if he wanted to buy it.

He said the house would not be worth much to him in Reynolds but he would pay his last dollar to buy the home that was created here.

There are just some things money can’t buy.

The kitchen was the center of all activity. I already mentioned how well Jessie Mae cooked but Mama could cook too. We did some serious eating in this house.

But we also had some serious fun.

After dinner whoever happened to be at the house on a particular night would gather in the den or the living room and the back scratching and the head scratching would begin.

And so would the stories.

People now pay me a lot of money to tell the stories that were told in our living room. The funny thing is when my book came out, our friends who hung around our house would start laughing while reading the beginning of a story because they already knew how it would end. Anybody that sat around the Goddard living room had heard every one of those stories.

Although we sold the house after our parents died, stories continue to be spontaneously told wherever Goddard’s gather.

Earlier this year, I went to my brother’s house in Atlanta to speak to his wife’s book club. View from a Hearse was the book of the month. Jaye decorated the house with funeral fans and Reynolds signs and all kinds of funeral stuff. All their neighbors came. Most had a copy of my book in their hand when they walked in the house. After an appropriate funeral meal of fried chicken and tater salad, they all gathered in the den to hear me speak.

But this was a different speaking engagement. My brother George was in the room. And he told as many stories as I did that night.

I had heard all his stories and he had heard mine.

But it doesn’t matter how many times you hear them. They make people laugh. Side hurting laughter. I actually left that night with everyone still in the den and George was telling another story. He had taken over. And I loved it.

I have a memory from my childhood that burns in my memory bank. It is of my Mama tucking me in at night when I was a little boy. She would leave the room and I would go to sleep with the sound of laughter coming out of the living room.

It was the best sleeping medicine a little boy could have.

Laughter is the best medicine. I got a lot of doses of that medicine as I grew up in our incredible home.

Money cannot buy a home like that.

But I have discovered that people pay money to laugh. And I’m laughing all the way to the bank.

The Impersonators of the King

Elvis has not left the building.

Actually he probably has gone. But I did do a double take today during lunch at a local restaurant.

We were celebrating our niece’s birthday and I couldn’t help but notice an Elvis wannabe was eating at nearby table.


Since I had my camera with me I decided to walk over and interrupt his lunch and do a little investigating. I had no trouble getting the man with the white shirt, white pants, white shoes, and jet black hair and elvis sideburns to give me permission to take a photo. I then got Hanna to come join us for this special photo opportunity on her special day.

It turns out the man in white really is an Elvis impersonator. And he must be pretty good at what he does.

He confidently explained to me and I quote, “I’m not trying to brag but people tell me I sound more like Elvis than Elvis himself.”

Now that is an Elvis impersonator.

And a confident one at that.

For you younger readers, Elvis was the absolute king of rock and roll. He swiveled body parts that had never been swiveled before on stage. He was king. No doubt about it.

Bruce Springsteen made a revealing comment about Elvis. “There have been a lot of tough guys. There have been pretenders. And there have been contenders. But there is only one king.”

The President of the United States had this comment at Elvis’ death: “Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique, irreplaceable. More than twenty years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense. And he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness and good humor of this country.”

A few years ago I visited his home in Memphis. I discovered that over 600,000 people still visit Graceland annually, second only to the White House. Last year I was in Tupelo and I took the time to stop by and visit the little house where he was born.

It was close to a religious experience.

Forbes Magazine recently named him the most successful and highest earning deceased artist in the history of the United States.

Hanna opened her birthday gifts today at the table. One of the gifts she was most excited about was an Ipod she received from her dad.

If she wants to hear some real music, she needs to download a little Elvis.

Those tunes keep getting better and better.

I know there are all kinds of impersonators out there.

But there was only one Elvis. Sometimes it seems life is just not fair.

Johnny Carson said it best. “If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead.”

Long Life, Riches and Honor

Since my wife is on a shopping trip this weekend with a bunch of ladies and having a large time I’m sure, I drove over to Reynolds this morning. I had a large time myself visiting with a very familiar little bitty lady.


The good Lord willing, Jessie Mae King will turn 100 in about four months. She has been a major part of my life from the moment I was born into the world.

She began working for my mom and dad in 1942. My siblings and I spent an awful lot of time with Jessie Mae King as we grew up. And years later my children spent an awful lot of time with the same lady.

Our lives have taken us in many different directions.

But we have never forgotten this special lady.

She spoiled us in so many ways.

Daddy always said if something happened to Mama he would marry her.

Lord have mercy she could cook. It just never got any better than sitting at a table with Jessie’s fried chicken, rice and gravy, butter beans, fresh peas, ho-cake cornbread and sweet tea. Still today when I eat a piece of fried chicken I compare it to Jessie’s.

And none compares to it.

We never had to worry about who our babysitter would be if daddy and mama were going somewhere. It would always be Jessie. Those nights sitting at home with Jessie when our parents were gone were some of the fondest memories I have in life. We talked about everything under the sun.

And I learned more than I could ever imagine I was learning.

I had to get older before I began to understand the wisdom of this lady. She never had much knowledge and she surely didn’t have much education, but there is a huge difference between knowledge and wisdom.

I know a lot of smart, educated and seemingly successful people who are fools. I also know a lot of seemingly successful people who look down on people who are not as educated and those who don’t have much materially.

My lifelong relationship with Jessie Mae King taught me the insanity of such thinking.

Trust me, it doesn’t matter how much money or things we have in this life. We cannot take one dime with us when we leave here. I have never seen a hearse pulling a U Haul trailer. And most of the fine suits are split in the back when they lay you in the casket.

You hang around a funeral home most of your life and you figure out the importance of material things.

I will also always remember Jessie's childlike faith. We try to figure things out and if we can qualify it and quantify it, we believe.

Jessie just believed.

I’ll never forget when our David was a little boy and was very sick. Kathy and I were young parents and we were beginning to get nervous. We just couldn’t get the high fever to break and we were just about to take him to the emergency room.

I looked in the bedroom and saw Jessie kneeling beside his bed. She didn’t use an extravagant prayer or flowery words. I stood at the door and watched and listened. Her prayer was simple:

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” she repeated about ten times very quietly.

In a few minutes she walked out of the room and I walked to the bed and put my hand on David’s head and immediately felt the sweat.

The fever had broken.

She just believed and her childlike faith had a lot to do with all of us believing.

Today as I sat and visited with Jessie I thought about her remarkable but simple life. I also thought about a verse in the third chapter of Proverbs.

Long life is in her right hand and in her left hand are riches and honor.

She has achieved all three.

And I believe God continues to let her live to help fools like me.

Three Dog Night

I learn something new every day.

Three Dog Night was a very popular rock group when I was growing up. From 1969 – 1974 nobody sold more top ten hits or sold more concert tickets. I still remember the lyrics of their most popular tunes.

Eli’s coming hide your heart girl. I’ve never been to Spain but I kinda like the music. I never been to heaven but I been to Oklahoma. One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do. Jeremiah was a bullfrog. Was a good friend of mine. Never understood a single word he said but I helped him drink his wine. And he always had some mighty fine wine.

I remember being blown away by this popular band when they came to Macon in 1970 for a concert. I think that was the first rock concert I ever attended. To hear those rich voices and their rockin music live and in person after I had listened to them over and over on 8 track tapes was quite an experience for a 16 year old boy with a good looking girl on his arm. I even remember the girl.

Man I had it going on that night.

But I never understood how they got the name Three Dog Night.

It seems in years past people slept with their dog to keep warm. A one dog night was a cold night. A two dog night was really cold. A three dog night was cold as a well digger’s booty.

I learned first-hand late one very cold winter night many years ago what it means to be cold as a well digger’s booty. The pump on our well went out and I had to call my friend, Bubba Hinton, to come work on it so we could have water. He came out about midnight and it was definitely a three dog night. I was standing behind Bubba as he was bent over working on the pump. He was cracking me up as he bent over. I knew at that moment where the saying cold as a well digger’s booty came from. Bubba definitely had a cold booty that night.

Now I also have a better understanding about a three dog night.


Last night Luke came in from wherever he had been and as usual came in our room and flipped on the lights and asked me if we were asleep. Also as usual, Kathy never woke up. She never even knew this picture was taken. Look at it in a hurry because she will probably make me remove it when she realizes it is out here in cyberspace.

As you can tell, her hair ain’t doing nothing.

Luke was laughing at our little dog, Lucy, sleeping in the bed with Kathy and me like a human. Next thing I knew he was standing on the bed taking a picture.

I spent the first fifty years of my life and never slept with a dog. (I did date a few along the way). For the past almost two years I have slept with one many nights. She sleeps right between my wife and me.

I guess you could say every night at our house is a one dog night.

In a month or so when it gets cold as a well digger’s booty, I suppose we could turn the heat off, save our money, get a couple of our neighbor’s dogs to join us and be quite comfortable.

I'm glad the neighbor's dogs are a little bigger than ours though.

I’m sure most people think having a dog in their bed is absolutely crazy. But then I remember those special Three Dog Night lyrics.

How can people be so heartless? How can people be so cruel?

Easy to be hard. Easy to be cold.

Need to Take a Break

I think I need to take a break.

Amazingly, I now have 112 articles on this site. On July 8, when I started doing this I had never even heard of a blog. I can tell you I have not missed many days of blogging since.

About the time I started to write blogs, I also started the discipline of exercising. I can’t believe I waited so long to start but I haven’t missed many days of that either in the last four months.

I have written blogs in airports, on airplanes, in hotels in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana. Last Saturday I even wrote one in an automobile on I-65 between Montgomery and Mobile. Some I have written early in the morning before the sun came up. Others I have written late at night when most everybody else had gone to bed.

I have kept writing because I have a program on the site that tells me how many people are coming to the site and how long they are staying.

I knew you were reading so I kept writing.

In fact, today was the most readers I have had to date.

I’ve written about all kinds of stuff. A few of the articles are complete nonsense. But most I hope have caused you to think a little about some basic lessons of life.

The best part has been the connections I’ve made through emails and phone calls with people I have known in my 52 years.

I love you all.

I’ll be back. Keep checking.

In the meantime I’ll keep my camera with me in case I run into something you may find interesting.

Talk to you soon.

-Bruce
naiason@cox.net

An Incredible Family

When Sikes and Mattie Underwood got married over 95 years ago they obviously did not practice birth control. They had eleven children.

As in one less than a dozen.

As you will read later, they actually raised thirteen children.

Mattie gave birth to five boys and six girls born during a twenty two year window. You can do the math but that is a child every two years.

I don’t know how they did it. The amazing thing is that each of the eleven children became productive citizens.

The Underwood clan is truly an incredible family.

For the record, those eleven children had a total of thirty six children. Those thirty six children produced another 80 something more. As the old saying goes, the woods are full of Underwoods.

I bring this up this morning because the Underwoods gathered at Henderson Village south of Perry, Georgia yesterday for a reunion.

I was there because about 30 years ago I married one of the 36 grandchildren. That means our 3 boys are numbered in the 80 something mentioned above.


Three of the original eleven children made it to the reunion yesterday. (Pictured L-R Sara Underwood Pennington, Harold Underwood, Nellie Underwood Taunton). There are two others living that could not make it. The other six have already crossed the Jordan.

There is some interesting history associated with this family.

In 1923, as Sikes and Mattie were busy raising their many children, the Underwood family was struck by a tragedy. Sike’s older brother Howard, who was a traveling salesman, was shot to death for less than $100 as he was peddling medicine.

Howard had ten children of his own. Sikes and Mattie ended up raising Howard’s youngest two children along with their eleven.

As a matter of history, Howard was murdered by a couple of youngsters by the name of Gervis Bloodsworth and Willie Jones. Their trial became one of the most celebrated events in Georgia history. A book entitled “Murder at the County Line” was written about the Howard Underwood murder and subsequent trial. A country song was later written and recorded in Nashville about the event.

On January 29, 1926, a little over 2 years after the murder, Bloodsworth and Jones were executed in Columbus Georgia for the murder of Howard Underwood.

It was the last official hanging in the State of Georgia.


The Underwood family has an incredible heritage. Sikes and Mattie Underwood were amazing people. They produced a very large, fun-loving, God fearing and close knit family. (L-R Aunt Nellie, Dawn Smith, Kathy Goddard).

Sikes passed away when I was a senior in high school and while I was dating one of his granddaughters. Mattie died some six years later and I prepared her body for burial. I remember them both well.

I have also had the privilege of knowing all eleven of their children and all their grandchildren.

You just don’t find families like this anymore.


I couldn’t help but wonder yesterday how many of the younger people who are part of this Underwood family really know and appreciate their heritage.

Maybe this will help.

And maybe this will help the rest of you to appreciate your heritage and the people who paved the road for you.

Nauseated but Focusing

Hottomickeyknows.

What is this world coming to? A better question is what will this world be like in 25 years?

Kinda scary ain’t it?


I’m sure you’ve read about Ted Haggard by now or seen him on the news. He happens to be the senior pastor of the 14,000 member New Life Church in Colorado Springs. He also happens to be the President of the National Association of Evanglelicals which has about 30 million members.

He also happens to be accused of having a gay lover who he paid for sex. It also sounds like he may be accused of having snorted a few drugs as an appetizer.

I wonder if he took the cash out of the offering plate to pay for it. I wonder what a gay prostitute charges these days?

If you are sending a monthly check to help support Rev. Haggard and the New Life Church or the NAE, you may want to consider sending more. I have a feeling the membership is about to go downhill. They will need the extra money to pay the light bills.

I also picked up the paper this morning and read about the good doctor from Emory University in Atlanta who is jail this morning for soliciting sex with a 15 year old boy. I was happy to know he was smart and being safe because he had plenty of condoms and lubricant with him.

I like doctors who are smart.

I think I am going to throw up.

Here is a good Saturday lesson for all of us.

God is still God. He has not gone anywhere. And He is still in charge. And He is still righteous and holy.

The problem is man is not. If you have put a human being on a pedestal you may want to consider getting him or her off it.

In a hurry.

Man will always let you down. Some just let you further down than others.

My faith is not shaken this morning. These two news items have just caused me to focus on where I should be focusing.

I am nauseated but I am focusing.

I Hope They Were Serious

(LaGrange, GA) Life on the road can take you down some interesting paths. Last night was one of those times.

I was in town to speak to the Hospice Volunteer Banquet at the local country club. This group has a front row seat on this thing called death and they obviously deal with the pain and heartache that comes along with it on a daily basis.

I think they needed to see the lighter side and if not, they sure acted like it. This crowd was rocking from the get-go and of course I feed off those kinds of audiences.

It was way too much fun. And I was reminded again why I keep speaking.

I was also reminded of how fun and important it is to take time to connect with people along the journey.

As I have mentioned many times in these articles, staying in hotel after hotel gets old. Sometimes I get invited to stay at someone’s house but I usually decline to do that. It’s just easier and less complicated to stay in a hotel.

Last night I accepted the invitation to stay at Thelon and Pat Hamby’s home. I hope they were serious about inviting me.

Thelon, like me, grew up in the funeral business. Unlike me, he and his family were in it big time. For you folks in Georgia, you know that Striffler-Hamby Mortuary in Columbus is a big time funeral home. They did more funeral calls in a month than we did in a year in Reynolds.

Anyway, I have known Thelon for years and his family firms (Columbus, Phenix City and LaGrange) are a part of the company I work for so I see him on fairly regular basis.

But I have never taken the time to do what we did last night.


When Thelon and Pat moved from Columbus and purchased their beautiful home in LaGrange, Pat gave Thelon the basement to use as he wished. Thelon has created a baseball museum. He has an incredible collection of baseball memorabilia. You wouldn’t believe it. The walls are covered with framed autographed jerseys, photos, and everything and anything you can imagine. Most of the collection is relating to the Atlanta Braves. And there is a story behind each item.

He also has authentic autographs of people like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb.

Absolutely incredible.

This diehard baseball fan was in hog heaven.

But there was more.

The three of us ended up sitting down in this “basement museum” and talked and laughed for a couple of hours. I learned about their two daughters and son in law. They learned about our three sons and two daughters in law and our little grandbaby on the way. We also exchanged some stories that only undertaker families would appreciate.

The bottom line is I was reminded again how important it is for all of us to take time to smell the roses and connect with people along the way.

I smelled the roses last night and connected with some wonderful people. I am very glad I skipped the hotel last night.

I just hope they were serious when they invited me to spend the night.

For the Rest of My Life

I got a lump in my throat early this morning when I was eating my oatmeal. And it had nothing to do with what I was eating.

I was reading the obituary column in the paper and I saw that Walter E. Keogh, Jr. passed away in Columbus, Indiana at the age of 94.

The man that always wrote the letter “K” on every golf ball he ever got in his possession.

Gene Keogh was my friend. And he was also the friend of every person who played golf at Reynolds Golf Course during the last 30 years.

He was there every single day. Rain, heat, sleet or snow he was there. I remember one cold winter day when we had a very rare snow storm in Reynolds. We lived on the 9th fairway and we couldn’t believe how white the course looked. The kids had built some homemade sleds to slide down the hill on the last hole.

I looked back and couldn’t believe it when I saw Gene walking down the fairway pulling his cart playing his usual round of golf. He was wearing a coat with a hood over his head and gloves on both hands.

Nothing stopped this man from playing golf.

Gene was a transplant from the north. Gene’s mother in law lived in Butler GA and he and his wife would come down from time to time to visit.


While his wife was visiting her mother, Gene visited the golf course. I never knew if he started playing golf because he loved golf or because he only needed a few minutes with his mother in law. But whatever the reason, he would spend his time at the golf course when they visited (1979 Photo L-R Wade Lane, Gene Keogh).

When Gene retired from US Steelabout 30 years ago, he and his wife moved to Reynolds so Carolyn could be near her mother.

And Gene could be near the golf course.

Gene Keogh, Wade Lane and my dad played hundreds of rounds of golf together. I was fortunate enough to join them for many of those rounds. And so did a lot of other people.

I remember Gene coming by the funeral home to pay his last respects when Wade died and later when my dad died. I saw a tear in his eye on both of those occasions.

He was older than both but outlived them both.

He kept playing golf after those two passed away but I have a feeling it wasn’t quite as fun for him after that.

Yep I had a lump in my throat this morning. And I have another one tonight as I type this. The people who have been so much a part of my life continue to drop one by one.

I can’t bring them back but I sure can take them with me.

And I will.

For the rest of my life.