Published: May 09, 2007 02:09 pm         

SPORTS COLUMN: Mixed bag, mixed emotions

As I sit down to write this article, I do so with mixed emotions. I just got through cleaning my shotgun from turkey season as its over now and I’m kind of relieved. Yet mixed with a little sadness as it will be another year before I can match wits with the master game bird. Seasons come and seasons go. I’m always glad to see them coming but as they wind down, I’m looking forward to another.

Yesterday, my son, Jason and my wife, Janet went down to my pitiful pond and caught a nice mess of bream and channel catfish. I say pitiful as with the drought it’s mighty low but we have plans in the future to cure that problem. We had a good time and its nice to know we can go right out back and catch a mess of fish. We topped it off with the grilling out of some of the best steaks I’ve ate in quite some time. Jason said it was the best he had ever ate but you have to know him - that boy loves to eat.

I know this is an outdoor article and I’m supposed to keep it along those lines but forgive me if I waiver just a little. I can’t help but say something about one of our own that passed away last week, Stanley Rowe. He was a good officer and never backed down when things got tough. I worked with him and I noticed a trait that some may not of picked up on - he had a soft spot for the elderly. He could not write them a ticket. He would always let them go with simply a warning. He had a deep respect for the elderly and loved little children. I think that speaks volumes for the kind of man he was. I have been to too many police funerals in the last 25 years or so. I guess that goes along with what I’m talking about today as we will all face the final season of life someday. With that in mind please keep the Rowe family in your prayers.

Also, I want to wish Mark Thornton and his family the best in their future endeavors and know that you will be missed. I’ve got to know Mark pretty good over the years and watched him mature with the paper. I guess I like him because he’s been controversial at times as I have in the past but he was not afraid to admit his mistakes in a humble way.

I got to attend the National Day Of Prayer on the Courthouse Square and it was particularly moving as that was the day we lost Stan. The whole theme of that day is about humbling ourselves and seeking our Lord, turning from our wrongs and He promises to hear our prayers. Lord knows our nation needs the healing that He promises, also.

Well, I’ve bounced around enough, the season of life goes on and we need to be thankful for the bounty we have right here in central Mississippi. Take a young person fishing or maybe some senior adult who doesn’t get around as much as they use to. Get out and soak up some of God’s great outdoors .