Sometimes it?s necessary to reflect on all that is around you. That time for me is now.
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I have been a fortunate man my entire life. The people I have had the great fortune to meet have helped make my life extremely fulfilling. Growing up I was allowed to be exposed to small-town life living in Russell. I am sure many feel the same way about the town they grew up in but in my head nowhere can be better than Russell was to me.
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I was surrounded by loving, honorable, hard-working people. I learned to work with a straight-ahead work ethic and never to accept less than full effort from myself or those that I was responsible for.
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In the days I went to school, Russell offered a tremendous education. The expectations were great, the education was a liberal arts type which exposed students to many fields of study and it was a pass or fail environment. I didn?t get grouped according to some mainstream rules, if I couldn?t cut the mustard then I didn?t pass. It made me understand that everything isn?t always fair.
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I also grew up in an environment when every child didn?t make the team and there was no dishonor in getting cut.
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I have had a world of experience working across the country and the sheer blessings I have received I really can?t mention in total here.
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When I went to college I met my wife of nearly 42 years ? that alone was one of my life?s biggest blessings and then we had four children and now five grandchildren. I love to watch life through their eyes ? seeing what they see and hearing them tell me how their life is.
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When I took my first job after Marilyn and I were married in Prestonsburg it was at a radio station. I never really figured I?d have the wealth of opportunities I have had. My mother always told me every job you hold will provide some type of experience you will use in the next job. That has been true.
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The wonder of working with so many great people in so many towns is that I got to share in their life experiences as well. Sometimes it is the little stuff that made this so enjoyable. I remember when we lived in Frankfort, whoa ? that was in 1974. We lived in an apartment and had friends we did almost everything with. It was so enjoyable to have friends who had children about the same age as ours so it was always entertaining. We also enjoyed as a family going to Perryville National Historic Park to picnic. It was the most scenic, friendliest place I have ever been. It took us about an hour to get there but we always spent the entire day. It was a time where we would go to church, Marilyn would have food made, and we?d spend a long Sunday afternoon at the park, playing, talking, listening to music and just stopping the cycle for a little while.
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Another thought crossed my mind about living in different places and that came when thinking about when we lived in Las Vegas, well the Pahrump Valley. We had finally gotten everything moved here. We were going to take a trip to California ? well to the California coast as the state line was only a few miles from the house. We could see the mountains on the California side of the border from the back porch. At any rate we made a trip to the big city ? Los Angeles and drove right downtown. It is not unlike any other big city: Crowded, roads outdated and full of hustle and bustle. However, the part of the trip that brings back some real memories was going from downtown to Hollywood. We actually stood on the corner of Hollywood and Vine and went in the building where many movie stars were ?discovered.? On top of that we drove up into the hills of LA to get to the Hollywood sign. It doesn?t seem like a big deal 2,500 miles away but it was surely a big deal that day for our family.
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From there we made our way to Santa Monica. If you drive far enough you end up crossing the Pacific Coast Highway and heading right onto the beach. I can remember parking and making our way onto the beach and Santa Monica pier. That is the backdrop for many movies especially during the Beach Bingo era. I remember standing at the ramp heading up to the actual pier and looking at the ferris wheel and realizing it had been a backdrop to many movies I had seen in my youth. There is a large seafood restaurant that sits just north of the pier and we all had a giant seafood dinner together. The smell of the sea and the taste of the food combine to create a great memory.
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In Texas we had an assistant pressman at the paper I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to operate for a while. His mother would come by on some days and bring homemade Mexican food to sell. I can remember that fresh food like it was yesterday. Add to that the morning vendors who went door to door with breakfast burritos and it was a very pleasant memory I will have to add.
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I have worked in several states ? and from that at each paper there was at least one, and often many others, who were great at what they did. I don?t really have a favorite, but I have some who come immediately to mind. The first is Bridget Pannell. She worked for me in Pahrump, twice. When I first took the job she was the front office operator. She answered the phone, handled the walk-in customers and did a laundry list of other things. I moved her into sales and we were reunited in a new location where she was the lead salesperson. She?s now a management member of a daily newspaper in Washington State. What do I remember most about Bridget ? besides her late husband who was my best friend there ? was that she made sure we found a place to live by scouring the classifieds passing over her desk until we had a place to go.
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Bridget and Don also became our friends, far past the workplace. She is one of many I have encountered and is a special person.
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I could write a book on my life?s experiences and the towns we have lived in. From the great eating places, to the entertainment venues, we have been blessed to see a lot of this country. To those who are close to me I can only say? Rip?s Truck Stop.
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Now, we?re back on the street where I spent most of my youth. Not in the same house, but on the same street.
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Russell will always be home to me no matter where I am.
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Hank Bond is co-publisher/editor of The Greenup Beacon, a member of the Beacon Media Group. The Greenup Beacon, where this column first appeared, is a core concentrated publication distributed in Russell, Raceland and Flatwoods each week. Online presence and advertising at VideWebcasting site, www.beacononlinelive.com. The group is establishing a Tri-State news site at www.bmgnetwork.com. Reach Bond at hank@lifeinrf.com.
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