Bowman, Culberson and young athletes

I stray into the realm of family experiences as related to the influence of athletics and athletes on the young in my family.

We will use two outstanding athletes of former years in Gordon County to illustrate the impact talented and good athletes have on young people. First I will refer to my grandson Jared Mills who now lives in Florence, Ala. and coaches at Central High School of Lauderdale County.

Jared was a little fellow living on Meadow Lane in Calhoun with his parents, Frank and Summer Mills. Back in the 1980s Jared was always dribbling the basketball on his concrete pad and shooting at the goal especially made for the little fellow. He would dribble and pass and occasionally in explanation of some specific action he would say “this is the way Greg Bowman does it.” Greg was an athlete in the Gordon County Schools at the time and Little Jared had opportunities to observe Greg as he tagged along with his dad Coach Frank Mills.

Greg Bowman serves as Gordon County’s Extension Agent. Greg has a column in this paper each week dealing with agriculture and animal issues.

Just last week Coach Frank Mill’s grandson ( my great- grandson) Hudson Turbeville made an impressive play at shortstop in his eightyear old baseball league in the Nashville area. Later, he asked his mother in a soft and admiring way by saying “Mama, did I look like Charlie Culberson?” As most know Charlie is a former athlete at Calhoun High and now plays for the Atlanta Braves in the Major Leagues.

My whole point is that our athletes at the high school level make an impression on not only my young but the young of us all. It has always impressed me that two of my descendants saw the good and valuable in two of our athletes who climbed to great heights. These words are to commend Greg Bowman, Charlie Culberson and other high school athletes as they make valuable impressions on the very young.

Mentioned often over the years is that this writer is not a golfer. It isn’t that I don’t like or appreciate the game; I just can’t hit that little white ball and it is too deep in my years for me to learn the finer points. Still, I appreciate the talent and quality of play of those who do play.

The Masters has just been played and great players exhibited their talent and their emotions. Once more: Tiger Woods did not win the Masters in 2018.

On the “back burner” for a long time is a golf story read several years ago that is appropriate at this time for all who play or follow the game. This story is from the book Healing through Humor by Charles and Frances Hunter. Read my recollection of the story and enjoy the punch line.

It seems a man with a heavy heart approached his preacher and indicated he had sinned grievously. The preacher inquired as to his sin. The man began by telling the preacher he had used some terrible language and was feeling awful. This revelation deserved some more questions and answers.

The preacher asked when the man had used this language. The man answered by saying, “I was playing golf and made a fantastic shot that I thought was going over 250 yards, but it struck a power line over the fairway and fell straight down after going only about a 100 yards.” The preacher asked, “Is that when you cursed?” The man said “no because a squirrel came out of the bushes and grabbed the ball in his mouth and started running away.” The minister suggested that was when the man cursed. The man answered by saying “No, you see, when the squirrel was running, an eagle swooped down and grabbed the squirrel and flew away.”

The preacher was really interested and asked, “Is that when you swore?” The man said, “No, not yet.” He told as the eagle carried the squirrel away, it flew toward the green and over a bit of woods near the green, the squirrel dropped my ball. “And you swore then, the preacher suggested.” The man answered, “No, because the ball fell and struck a tree, bounced through some bushes, then bounced off a big rock and rolled through a sand trap onto the green and stopped within six inches of the hole.”

The preacher then sighed and said, “You missed the putt, didn’t you?” -Selah