The Power of the Possible

(Columbus, GA) Last night I was sitting at the head table at a banquet. I pulled my camera out of my pocket and took this picture about five minutes before I went to the podium to speak. The scene is one I have experienced hundreds and hundreds of times.

And a scene, as a young man, I never imagined I would be experiencing.

This past Sunday I drove over to Sandersville, GA to attend a funeral. I did not know until I sat down in the chapel and looked at the memorial folder that my lifelong friend would be doing the eulogy at the funeral.

I was more than impressed by his ability to stand in front of a crowd of folks and communicate what was on his heart concerning his beloved friend. He had the audience leaning on every word and eating out of his hand. In a word, his eulogy was brilliant.

After the service at the cemetery, Jimmy and I walked away from the crowd and had a short conversation. After a few words concerning the reason we were there and my compliments on the great job he did, our discussion turned to the irony that we both ended up speaking in public.

Mrs. Ann Harrelson has to be turning over in her grave. Or maybe she is turning over in her wheelchair. She may still be alive. If she is still kicking and anyone knows her whereabouts, please let me know.

Mrs. Harrelson, for your information, was one of our high school English teachers. We also had her for a speech class we took together in the tenth grade. Or maybe it was the eleventh. Both of us hated the class and were mortified to stand in front of twenty five of our peers and give a three minute speech. We were terrible at giving speeches. If someone told Mrs. Harrelson in 1971 that Jimmy Childre and Bruce Goddard would be invited to give speeches 38 years later, she would have laughed.

Out loud.

And we would have laughed even more.

There is a lesson here.

What you hate today, may just be what you love tomorrow. What is unthinkable to you today, may just be a reality tomorrow.

What you think is impossible today, may just be possible tomorrow.

Never underestimate the power of the possible.