Vol.2, No. 2 • Winter 2008
TRADITION OF THE HUNT Tracking Haley Heath
COINCIDENTAL JOURNEY A Thanksgiving Story
HEADLINER IN BEAUTY
Holly Doss Cosmetics
BULLRIDER EXTRAORDINAIRE Gus Huff
Holiday Calendar!
Wanda Fountain
Publisher and Owner 478-960-2474 wandafountain@ bellsouth.net
Timm Chambliss Creative Design & Advertising 888-244-3016 tchambliss@ columnsmag.com
Robert Martin
Marketing & Sales 478-747-7230 ads@columnsmag. com
COLUMNS MAGAZINE Published by FSW Publications, Inc. 30 E. Johnston St., P.O. Box 1577 Forsyth, GA 31029-1577 478-992-9300 478-960-2474 columnsmag.com
Columns Magazine for Middle Georgians staff would like to dedicate this issue to all of our supporters, advertisers and readers during this Holiday Season. Again, as we enter into the New Year, we would like to thank you again and it is our wish that prosperity be yours throughout the years to come. Wanda Mays Fountain Timm Chambliss Robert “Bubba” Martin A.J. Stovall Correction: In our last issue we mistakenly identified Samuel Hubbard as Samuel Howard, our sincerest apologies go to the Hubbard Alumni Assoc. and the Hubbard Family.- Columns Staff PAGE 4 . WINTER 2008
Founding Members: Wanda Fountain, Jay Fountain Dewayne Strickland and Eric Wilson. For more information about advertising contact Timm Chambliss at 888-244-3016 Robert “Bubba” Martin at 478-747-7230 Letters and Comments Welcomed. Email Wanda Fountain at: wandafountain@bellsouth.net A.J. Stovall Serves as Editorial Consultant
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
Columnists TRADITION OF THE HUNT Haley Heath Page 6
Terry Johnson
HEADLINER IN BEAUTY Holly Doss Cosmetic Page 10
Jolee Vaughn
COINCIDENTAL JOURNEY A Thanksgiving Story Page 14
Ayanna Parks
BULLRIDER EXTRAORDINAIRE Gus Huff Page 22
Anne Jones
Why December 25 Christmas Events Healthier Child Canoeing the Rivers
17
By Dr. William F. Cummings
18 Around Middle Georgia 20 By American Counseling Assoc. 24
By Niki Collins-Queen
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
WINTER 2008 .
HALEY HEATH Tradition Of The Hunt
By Terry W. Johnson Hunting has long been part of the fabric of American life. However, with the number of hunters dwindling year by year, this fabric has become a little thread bare. Among the growing number of people that are trying to do something about this alarming trend is a young Monroe County woman named Haley Heath. Haley is the host of the popular outdoor television program Family Traditions with Haley Heath. Each week she reaches some 15 million Americans with the message that hunting is a wholesome outdoor sport that can be enjoyed by the entire family. The story of how Haley became the only woman to host a hunting program in a genre that was formerly the exclusive domain of men is just as fascinating as is the young woman herself. Most hunters grow up in a family in which at least one parent, typically a father, grandfather or uncle is a hunter. In Haley’s case, both her father and mother, Henry and Gail Davis, are hunters. Her first hunting trip was a deer hunt with her dad when she was only four. They hunted in a box stand that allowed her to move about without scaring away any deer or other animals that happened by. She was hooked. PAGE 6 . WINTER 2008
From then on, she wanted to go hunting whenever she could. Haley can still remember that, by the time she was five, she was leaving notes on the coffee pot in the kitchen reminding her father to wake her up so that she could accompany him on early morning deer hunts. These hunts were great adventures. Remembrances of the sun rising above the Monroe County countryside and the amazing array of wildlife she saw on each hunt are etched in her memory. Often she would bring her dolls, appropriately dressed in camouflaged clothing, to the stand with her. When she grew tired she often slept in the loving, secure arms of her mother. By the time she was six, her shooting skills had developed to the point where she was able to bag her first deer, a buck with a 7-point basket rack. The young girl’s trophy was taken with a .223cal rifle equipped with a scope and an extra large recoil pad. The head of this deer still adorns a wall in Haley’s Monroe County home.
It is easy to see why Haley thought most children are hunters. However, when she entered the first grade at Stratford Academy, she quickly discovered that she was one of the few children and only girl in her class that hunted. This proved to be the case throughout her academic career. Even her sister Holly Davis Doss didn’t share Haley’s love for the sport. While in elementary school she met two people that would have significant impacts on her life. One was a fellow classmate G.O. Heath. Like Haley, the tradition of hunting was also strong in his family. G.O. was Haley’s first grade sweetheart. Little did she know she would later marry G.O. The second person was George Freeland her fourth grade teacher. Like Haley, he too was an avid hunter and the two often talked about hunting experiences and wildlife. To this day, George, G.O. and Haley still hunt together. Throughout her elementary, junior and senior high years Haley’s passion for hunting continued to grow. While she engaged in all of the typical school activities that young people enjoy, hunting always took precedence over anything else.
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
The importance of hunting to the young girl is amply illustrated by the fact that Haley suspended a burgeoning modeling career when weekend modeling assignments conflicted with the times she wanted to go hunting. Upon graduation from Mary Persons Haley attended nearby Wesleyan College. There she received degrees in psychology, communications and studio arts with a specialty in wildlife photography. When Bass Pro Shops opened their new store off Bass Road Haley was hired as its marketing manager. Additionally, she and her husband, G.O., became the proprietors of the Roly Poly Sandwich Shop located near the Medical Center of Central Georgia. It appeared that Haley was destined to enjoy a satisfying and challenging life balancing the demands of being a wife, mother, marketing manager and restaurant owner. Little did she know that her life was about to become more complicated and exciting than she could ever imagine. Often a life changing moment occurs when you least expect it. Such was the case with Haley. One day in May 2005, while she and her husband were watching The Ultimate Outdoorsman on ESPN2, they saw a commercial advertising the 2006 Ultimate Sportsman’s Challenge. The winner of the hunting and fishingbased reality competition would win an all expense paid elk hunting trip to New Mexico. To enter, all you had to do was fill out and submit a brief application online. Haley laughed when her husband told her that she should enter. However, she finally acquiesced to G.O.’s persistent prodding and entered. Weeks passed and thoughts of her application were soon forgotten. Then one day in August during the noon rush hour the phone rang at their restaurant. Answering the call, Haley learned that the person on the end of the line was a representative of ESPN2 calling to inform her that, out of 50,000 applicants to the Ultimate Sportsman’s Challenge, she was chosen as one of 1,000 people invited to submit 3-minute videos that demonstrated their hunting and fishing skills. Twelve of these folks would be selected to compete in the actual challenge. The catch was the video had to be sent to ESPN overnight that very day. Never one to walk away from a challenge, Haley agreed to do it. This was something
for someone that didn’t even own a video camera. She and her husband rushed around and borrowed a video camera and headed to her folks farm in Monroe County. For the hunting sequence, while perched in a tree stand, Haley shot arrows at a bear target. Then it was off to the small lake on the property. After trying mightily, all she was able to catch was one small fish. Although the sequences were less than impressive, they would have to do. The video was mailed on time. The 2005-2006 Deer Hunting Season came and went, and still the couple had not heard a word from ESPN. Then, out of the blue, on a Wednesday another call came from ESPN. This time Haley was advised that she was selected as one of the 12 finalists and the only woman in the competition for the title of the 2006 Ultimate Sportsman. And, oh yes, she needed to pack her bags and head to South Georgia to compete with another contestant on a deer and quail hunt the next weekend. ESPN had separated the remaining 12 contestants into 6 groups. The members of each group would be filmed as they competed with one another. The winners of each group competition would advance to the next elimination round. Each contestant would be judged on camera presence, entertainmentvalue and education. Winners were to be selected by the host, outfitter, guides and cameraman. As things turned out, both she and her competitor did well on the South Georgia hunts. Both moved on to the next challenge. Haley’s life returned to normal. Then, during the heart of the 2006 Turkey Hunting Season, another call came from ESPN.
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WINTER 2008 . PAGE 7
This time the voice on the other end of the line told her to get her gear together as ESPN was flying her to South Dakota to participate in a 5-day turkey hunt. This hunt proved to be unlike any turkey hunt she had ever been on. After experiencing long delays in her flight, Haley arrived in South Dakota at 3 a.m. In spite of the fact that she had been up for more than 24 hours, she was told to be ready by 5 a.m. Now this would have been difficult for anyone, however, it was especially taxing on Haley as she was pregnant. On this hunt, she was pitted against two other men. The hunt was especially difficult as a snowstorm struck the area. They forced the contestants to hunt wily gobblers in two feet of snow. According to Haley, when a gobbler was spotted, all you could see was its red head bobbing above the blanket of snow. Accordingly, it came as no surprise that by the fifth day of the hunt nobody had bagged a gobbler. Haley avoided a shut out by harvesting a gobbler on the last afternoon of the hunt. Returning to the lodge and a warm supper, the hunters were forced to wait until midnight before the judges announced that they had selected Haley to advance to the next round. Then in July, she was sent to Pine Island, Florida to fish for snook and redfish. Once again the young Mary Persons graduate proved to be up to the challenge and advanced to the final round of the competition. Her final challenge came in August. This time she and the remaining contestant faced the task of stalking and bagging Axis deer with muzzleloaders on the Brady Ranch situated near Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. By this time, Haley was six months pregnant. Consequently, the prospect of possibly having to crawl along the ground on her stomach trying to get close enough to shoot an Axis deer was disconcerting. As luck would have it, her competitor downed his buck the first day. With the pressure on, Haley managed to harvest a large buck on the second day. Before the judges declared a winner, Haley felt that it was only fair to tell the judges that, if she won the final challenge, her baby was due in October and she wouldn’t be able to take part in the November Elk given to the winner. As things turned out, Haley didn’t win the competition. Interestingly, although the folks from ESPN knew that she was pregnant during the contest, viewers weren’t told of her condition until the winner was named. Soon after the completion of the contest, emails and letters from around the nation found their way to Haley’s Bolingbroke home. People told of how much they enjoyed watching her compete against 11 male challengers. They also wanted to know when she was going to have her own outdoor show. Advertisers wrote promising to sign on as sponsors should she ever decide to produce her own program. The overwhelming public response to her appearance on the 2006 Ultimate Sportsman’s Challenge, prompted Haley and G.O. to try to create their own show. Not knowing what it took to produce a show didn’t stop them – they just went ahead and did it. They decided to film two programs and then attempt to market a hunting program at the Shot Show -- the outdoor industry’s trade show in January 2007. Soliciting the services of Bright Blue Skies in Macon they filmed a mourning dove hunt on her parent’s Monroe County farm. Then it was off to Texas for a white-tailed deer hunt. With Haley’s due date drawing near, her OBGYN, Dr. PAGE 8 . WINTER 2008
Pictured above are Haley, her father Henry Davis, her son Gunner and husband G.O. and two record book whitetail deer and a record book Elk (center). Haley and her daughter Dakota are pictured at right
John Slocumb, who is also an avid hunter, accompanied them on the hunt to ensure that the expectant mother didn’t experience any problems. At the Shot Show, armed with a brochure and supply of videos, she and her husband were able to land 5 sponsors including Bushnell. In addition she signed with a company to air the show. However, her dreams of hosting her own hunting show suffered a major setback when the company she contracted with to air her shows filed for bankruptcy. Not to be deterred, she signed with the Sportsman’s Channel. Haley and G.O. produce 26 new shows a year. In addition, Family Traditions with Haley Heath is aired five times a week for 52 weeks a year. Shows are taped from August through January. Her outdoor adventures are shot at some of the top hunting areas in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Whether Haley and her husband are fighting 7-foot waves, freezing temperatures and 40 mph winds in the Arctic trying to locate trophy-sized caribou, tracking bears in Ontario, hunting pronghorn on the open Plains or trying to bag a trophy whitetailed buck in the South, her shows are packed with action. Through her words and actions she is proving that women do enjoy hunting and can be every bit as accomplished hunters as their male counterparts. The inclusion of her two children, Gunner and Dakota on these trips also demonstrates that hunting is a sport that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Filming the shows is the fun part of the show. After the films are in the can, Haley assists in editing the footage, recording voice overs and conducting interviews. If that isn’t enough, she also has to find sponsors and make personal appearances. In addition, she finds time to model four times a year for her sister’s cosmetic line Holly Doss Cosmetics. These are daunting tasks for any mother, even one with her boundless energy and enthusiasm. COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE
Haley is quick to emphasize that producing the program is a team effort that requires the combined talents and efforts of her husband, family, and local resident Chad Sanders This year Haley bagged the number 3 who serves as in the world Caribou a videographer and film editor. Making it all possible is a host of sponsors that includes local businesses such as Southern Commercial Tire and Fivaday.com. Haley’s efforts are already being recognized by both the outdoor and national media. Recently she was the subject of feature articles that appeared in both USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Haley has overcome many challenges to achieve the success she now enjoys. However, in her mission to encourage more women and children to embrace the sport of hunting, she is perhaps facing her greatest challenge of all. I am convinced, though, that if anybody can achieve this lofty goal, it is a very special Monroe County woman named Haley Heath.
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WINTER 2008 . PAGE 9
HeadlinerInBeauty Creating Beautiful Colors & Classic Looks By: Jolee Vaughn
Colors make the world. The pink hues of a sunset, the aquamarine waves on white sand, and shiny, green spring leaves on a tree are the colors existing in nature. What a shame it would be if the world only consisted of black and white. It is the aesthetic value of the world that pleases the soul. Artists are inspired by colors to create their palates and transform a blank canvas into a masterpiece. Holly Davis Doss, Monroe County native, is make-up artist who uses color to allow people to express their beauty. She creates her products to bring out not only a person’s outer beauty but also their inner beauty. According to Holly, “no one should notice the make-up someone is wearing. They should notice the person.” Holly currently is based out of Los Angeles, CA, and her line, Holly Doss Cosmetics, is now featured at West Mane Salon in Forsyth. Michael Agnew, Monroe county resident, also carries the line at Michael Agnew Salon in Macon. Holly didn’t know she would end up in the make-up industry much less owning and operating her own line of cosmetics. Although, she said her mother did tell her, when she was little, she once said she wanted to have her own make-up line. After PAGE 10 . WINTER 2008
graduating from Mary Persons High School, Holly enrolled at Valdosta State University. She later moved to Atlanta to finish her degree at American Intercontinental University (AIU). Upon completion of an interior design degree from AIU, Holly had every intention of enrolling at Georgia Tech and pursuing a career in Architecture. However, the day after graduation from AIU, Holly was shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue and met Trish McEvoy, well known make-up artist. Holly made quite a first impression, and McEvoy offered her an internship right there on the floor of the department store. Holly regrettably informed McEvoy she already was committed to another internship, but McEvoy wouldn’t take no for an answer. She offered to pay Holly double what she would make at the other job. Holly says, “she handed me her phone and told me to call and tell them I wouldn’t be coming to work there.” It might be easy to think that because of how Holly got her start the rest was just cruise control; but, Holly has worked extremely hard to achieve the success she has seen. Meeting McEvoy was a life changing moment for Holly, and she says, “it helped me find my purpose and passion.”
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
McEvoy remains Holly’s biggest influence in the industry; but, five years ago Holly decided it was time to start her own line. She was frustrated with the makeup available to her. As an artist, Holly felt that color was the most important aspect of creating a look. There seemed to be a stigma connected to vivid color, but Holly knew it wasn’t the colors causing problems. She felt that with the right tools and blending techniques strong colors could be used effectively. The beginning of Holly Doss Cosmetics didn’t start as most lines start. Instead of starting with the make-up, Holly started by designing brushes. She worked with designers to create unique brushes that would serve as the foundation of her cosmetics. Each brush has specific purpose and is numbered for convenience. Most of the brushes are made from real animal hair, but Holly says, “don’t worry the animals just get a little haircut.” The brushes, with a weekly cleaning, should last a lifetime. It was after the brushes were designed that Holly began creating her products and colors. Holly says, “I like pretty make-up. I like a classic base that someone can wear for years without going out of style.” She says it is very important that when someone looks at a photograph they can’t tell what year it was because of the make-up. Holly says, “Playing with trends is okay, but make sure you have a classic base.”
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Holly is dedicated to her work and her clients. She says when someone is in her chair they are her priority. She also says she is “very honest with people about what type of look will work for them and what looks will not.” One ongoing challenge she sees is that more and more people see cover shots on magazines and come to her wanting to look like the cover girl on the magazine. She says she “wishes she could get people to understand that is not what that original picture looked like. They take original pictures and airbrush them to create unrealistic looks.” She also says, “you have to wear the make-up that looks good on you.” Don’t be fooled thinking Holly is merely the face of her products. She is a perfectionist in all aspects of her business. There is not a single product that has her name on it that she has not been completely hands-on in the production. She says there are many times she turns products down because they don’t go along with what her line is about -- beautiful colors and classic looks. She says that usually her color choices begin with a swatch of fabric. She then works with a chemist to turn that swatch into an eye shadow shade, blush, lipstick, etc. She travels around the country training salon personnel how to teach clients to use the make-up and brushes. Kelly McCook, owner of West Mane Salon, said, “she personally came all the way to Forsyth and worked with me and my staff for two hours or more teaching us about the make-up. She doesn’t want people just to buy make-up. She wants them to really know how to use it and get the most out of it.” Holly does enjoy educating her clients on how to use her make-up. She says the two areas she sees the most problems are “eye color choices and putting color in the right locations.” With the eyes she says it is important to “notice the eyes not the make-up around the eyes.” She says that using eyeliner opposite of the natural eye color is ideal. The other problem has to do with the use of blush and bronzers. Holly says,
PAGE 12 . WINTER 2008
“people just don’t know exactly where to put cheek color or bronzers, and they also don’t know how to blend the colors.” Because she likes to work closely with retailers that sell her cosmetics, Holly’s products are sold exclusively at select luxury boutiques, spas, and salons across the United States. By personally selecting locations to sell her products, Holly can train the staff to teach people how to use the make-up. Her products have been featured in Lucky, Life & Style, and Jezebel magazines; as well as TodayShow.com, Forbes.com, MSN News, AOL Shopping, Swagtime, and In The Loop Atlanta. Holly is very excited about West Mane Salon carrying her line. She says she and Kelly clicked immediately, and she knew it would be a great fit. Holly’s cosmetic line falls directly in line with Kelly’s already established retail selection of high-end hair products. Holly says, “Kelly reminds me a lot of myself when I was starting in the industry, and we both have similar views on how to operate successful businesses.” Kelly says, “I am so happy to be able to offer Holly’s make-up to my clients and the people of Forsyth. It is a product that before now people had to drive to Macon to purchase.” Holly spent three days at West Mane Salon doing makeovers and teaching Kelly’s clients how to use the brushes and make-up. Everyone was quite amazed at the quality and looks that were created. Holly said, “It is a great experience to be able to carry my line in my hometown.” She also said, “I received such a great response from the people of Forsyth. They were so receptive to trying new colors and learning new techniques. Overall, it was a great show.” Holly Doss Cosmetics can be purchased at West Mane Salon in Forsyth and Michael Agnew Salon in Macon. For more information on the products stop in at one of these select salons or visit www. hollydoss.com on the internet.
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
WINTER 2008 . PAGE 13
Coincidental Journey No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t forget that I didn’t have a mother. After all, everyone else had one. In my neighborhood, at the grocery store, even at school on special days; mothers were everywhere. There were times when I daydreamed of her return, a caricature of all the women I admired, sweeping in with the drama of a Broadway musical and carrying me home, wherever that was. Time passed, daydreams faded, but I could never completely let go. Decades later and with two young daughters of my own, I still cannot forget. I am reminded of this fact each time Hollywood rolls out a film like Antoine Fisher. I am reminded each time I catch myself engrossed in a mad frenzy of runny noses, outgrown shoes and martial arts lessons, and again I’m reminded when the forms at my doctor’s office ask me for a family history of illnesses and each time I hear John Legend sing his rendition of Motherless Child. While it is not something that pervades my every thought, there are moments just about every day when I drift just slightly into that mysterious part of me. And this is very different than losing a mother. When your mother dies, you are left with your identity and your heritage intact. There is a gravesite to cover with flowers on special days and memories of the times you shared to carry you past grief. But I do not have this closure. She just simply isn’t here and I try as much as possible not to wonder why. All I’ve known is my father, a restless trumpet player with big dreams, empty pockets and a drug addiction that called all the shots. From what I have pieced together via childhood eaves-dropping and fuzzy recollections from random family members, he brought me to Georgia from Philadelphia, my birth place, when I was just a toddler, thereby separating me completely from my mother and that part of my family. Her name, emblazoned on my birth certificate, Ruthann Ellison, was never spoken. By the time I was old enough to form substantial questions about her, my father died, leaving me in the begrudging, obligatory care of my grandmother, a woman in her seventies who made no pretense about her disdain at finding herself in the charge of yet another grandchild when, as she put it, her raising days were done. So, when I left her home at age eleven and moved to South Georgia, I was a refugee of sorts, running at breakneck speed to escape what had been a chaotic, unstable and unkind existence. I settled in with cousins and tried to meek out what I considered to be a normal existence as best I could. Struggling against the troubled teen stereotype, I immersed myself into my studies, I excelled academically and graduated from high school with honors. Afterwards, I headed to Atlanta to attend college and today, I work for a well known healthcare consulting firm in Alpharetta. In mid-August, I was selected to attend a meeting at our new office in Philadelphia. The thought of returning to my point of origin was intriguing but not necessarily exciting. The city was foreign to me, as mysterious as my mother’s face. I imagined feeling lost there, feeling compelled to do something but not knowing exactly what. Should I stop people on the street and ask if they knew of Ruthann Ellison? Do I look in the phone book? Do I dismiss the idea totally and pretend that I, just like everyone else, am just there on business and nothing PAGE 14 . WINTER 2008
A Thanksgiving Story by Ayanna Parks more? For all I knew, she could have moved to Seattle or South Africa in the years that spanned since my departure. I had thought about trying to locate my mother in the past but eventually dismissed those notions. Since entering into that sacred society of motherhood, I held to the belief that if my mother had wanted to find me, she would have. On the day I left Atlanta for Philadelphia, I actually joked about the movie, Antoine Fisher, and laughed at the ridiculous prospect of gathering around a huge table laden with all my favorite foods surrounded by a host of newly found relatives. Don’t get me wrong. I want to see my family, would love to meet them, to reconnect, but the possibility that we’d just run into each other on the street outside my office was too wild to be real. I didn’t have a single lead, hadn’t made a single Internet search or phone call. Heck, I hadn’t even made any fervent pleas to the universe. It just wasn’t on my agenda anymore. So, in the weeks and days prior to the trip, I was more concerned with finding a reliable person to watch my children and preparing notes for my portion of the team meeting. My plane landed on a Tuesday night in August, I immediately turned on my cell phone to call home and saw at once, an email message from a social networking site that read: HI AYANNA, MY NAME IS NIA ELLISON. JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY IN PHILLY . . IS YOUR FATHERS NAME HENRY ELLIS AND MOTHERS NAME RUTHANN ELLISON? PLEASEWRITE ME BACK. I read the message several times, thinking I had missed something. I looked around the plane, somewhat disoriented. Maybe I was asleep? Dreaming? Ellison? It had only been hours since I laughed at a chance meeting with my family. Was this a joke? Rather than taking the risk of ignoring it and finding later that this was, in fact, a real message from an actual family member with my mother’s last name, I hit the reply and fumbled through a short response, trembling the entire way: YES! All of the above! I’m in Philly until Thursday. CALL ME! I typed in my cell number, hit send and waited. COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
Wednesday went along without so much as another email, let alone a phone call. By Thursday morning, the day of the meeting and my flight home from Philadelphia, I had resolved that I was likely the victim of a joke by friends who wanted to have a little fun at my expense. Around 9:30 a.m., as I’m sitting in the office listening to an open discussion about technology services, I let two calls roll to voicemail. At our first break, I pull the messages and the first one goes something like this: “Hello Ayanna, This is your sister Nia. I am so happy that you are here, I have been looking for you for so long. I want to see you before you leave. Please call me back.” My sister? Nia? Wow! Wake up, Ayanna! The second message is from someone who introduces herself as “Aunt Yvonne” who says pretty much the same thing and then starts crying in the middle of the message! An aunt who is crying because is she is so happy about . . .me? Unreal! I hit redial and Nia’s line rolls to voicemail so I hurriedly dial Yvonne. For some reason, I have this feeling that if I don’t hurry up and call back, my alarm clock will pull me out of this bizarre dream. Thankfully, Yvonne answers and we exchange tidings of amazement and joy! She tells me that dad took me away suddenly and that no one had any idea where to look. I tell her of my father’s death nearly 20 years ago, a fact that surprises her. She had no idea. She tells me that she thought that I was out there somewhere with my dad being well taken care of and I cannot help but laugh at that. She explains that she will try to get in touch with my mom but that she’s sometimes hard to find. “It’s them drugs girl,” she says apologetically. In half a breath, my aunt has answered the question that has been curled up in the middle of my entire existence for my whole life. As she goes on, I learn that my mom is an addict, her whereabouts never really known. Strangely, I am immediately relieved. There was a time when I grappled with the possibility that my mother, uncaring and indifferent, had sent me away with my father. In one scenario that played out in my mind, she was too busy, too tired, too consumed with her own indulgences to parent. Had I learned that, say, my mother lived in a Wildwood estate and was the VP of So and So Industries with a slew of children attending the best schools and enjoying the best that their posh lives could afford,… let me just say that it would have not gone down well at all. Yvonne takes down the office address and says that she will be waiting for me when the meeting ends and she will bring my sister!
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WINTER 2008 . PAGE 15
We return to our meeting and I can barely think for the rest of the day. My mind is a hurricane of thoughts. I can’t quite grasp the fact that I have been sought out by relatives on the very day that I am back in Philadelphia for the first time since my departure. Before I can wrap my mind around that, I am suddenly marveling at the fact that I have a sister, that my mother is an addict, that someone has been thinking about me through many harsh years of my life, that while I felt abandoned and alone in the world, I was not forgotten. I am simultaneously excited, nervous, skeptical, and scared with a million questions careening through my head that I won’t have time to ask because when the meeting finally ends, I have only a short 15 minutes before we depart for the airport. As I prepare to head down to the lobby, my colleagues, who I’ve shared this wild story with, are intent on being part of this reunion but more so as bodyguards. My boss says, “Be careful, there are some crazies out there, you never know.” A co-worker who lives and works in Philly, says, “We have to check these people out!” I take a deep breath, swallow my urge to laugh and cry simultaneously and go downstairs and into the waiting arms of my sister and my aunt. It’s an emotional and tearful reunion. They tell me that I look the same but different, that I have grown into a beautiful woman with the same face as the two year old they remember. They tell me they have missed me and had never stopped searching. My aunt says they used to call me Miss Piggy, that I had lived with them until my father took me away. They tell me that my father hid me from them, refusing to provide any information, telling them at one point that we were moving to Ohio. Blanks are being filled all at once. The jumbled puzzle pieces of my early life start to join together. We exchange contact information. Nia has brought pictures of her four children. All the while, one word is repeating in
my head; unbelievable. I’ve been penning a memoir since high school, jotting down notes and capturing experiences in numerous journals and electronic files. As a young adult, people tend to scoff at the notion that I’ve lived long enough to have amassed a collection of events worthy of print, but when I begin to detail my past, all doubts are quickly removed. Now, seemingly out of the blue, the next chapter, or perhaps the next volume, of this incredible journey has found me under circumstances so spectacular that I can almost hear the gears of the universe turning as it reconfigures itself beneath my feet, expanding and opening, making way for me, for my story. All at once, I am the niece of a woman I have never met, sister to a stranger with nieces and a nephew I know nothing about. Not to mention daughter to a mother who is found but, in a way, still lost, though no longer to distance and time but to an addiction more powerful than any familial bond. I am happy, overjoyed even, but at the same time, a little sad and pained by the cavern of years that have stretched between me and these women who should be very near to my heart and somewhat overwhelmed at the monumental task of now getting to know them and loving them and including them in an already sometimes chaotic life. But, regardless of my trepidation, I must. I belong to these people and they to me. This year, Thanksgiving means so much more. As millions across America gather around feasts surrounded by close friends and family, I’ll return to Philadelphia with my daughters in tow for a reunion 26 years in the making. I will meet the mother, brother, grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews that have, until now, existed only in fantasy and childhood imaginings. When asked what I am thankful for, my list will be too long to recite. An infinite banner of gratitude waving against the winds of this miraculous change in my life. It would begin something like this: I am thankful for Nia, who has reached across the vast cavern of time and distance to take my hand and lead me into the knowledge of self, a gift unlike any I have ever received. I am thankful for freedom from the darkness of half truths and speculations about who I am and how I came to be. And, as I sit, as so many will, around that familiar table, it won’t be pilgrims and Plymouth Rock on my mind and it won’t matter if the turkey isn’t stuffed quite right or the cranberry sauce too tart. As I gaze upon faces that may remind me of my own, I will marvel at the necessity of family, the power of love, and the inadequacy of two small words to express my appreciation for whatever chain of events led me there but I will still, for the sake of the occasion, give thanks.
Eden, Randi & Ayanna
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COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
Why December 25? Was Jesus born on Christmas Day? Well, probably not. You see, we really don’t know when He was born. We don’t even know what year, let alone what month or what day. In fact, December 25th has been a By Dr. William F. Cummings Federal holiday in America since 1870. After we started our war of Independence in 1776, a lot of our brand new Americans identified Christmas with the British, and decided not to celebrate. We’re lucky that Charles Dickens wrote his Christmas Carol in 1843, and December 25th caught on once again. So, how did we get the 25th of December in the first place? As I said, nobody knows, but here’s a few guesses: SUN-GOD: We do know that the Romans celebrated the festivals of the “Sun-Gods” on this day. One of the gods was Roman, one was from Syria and the third was a powerful sun-god named Mithra from Persia. Sun-God and Son of God? What do you think? Could be. SEXTUS: A man named Sextus Julius Africanus wrote a history of the world from creation to his day of 221 AD. (Without any footnotes), he tells us that Jesus was conceived on March 25—the Vernal Equinox -- in the year 1, and born exactly nine months later on December 25th. Oh yeah! SOLSTICE: How about the Winter Solstice? It’s always around the 25th of December, and it was called the “rebirth of the Sun” as it conquers the sky and moves northward. Christians could easily have made this connection with the birth of the “Son of God”. YULE-TIDE Pagan Scandinavia called it Yul, and celebrated the festival in honor of the god, Thor. It would have been easy for the Christian Scandinavians to baptize Thor into Christ, and, by the way, the Scandinavian name for Christmas is still: Yul. But the fact is, we just don’t know. The two
Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke give us no clue whatsoever. Matthew is writing his Gospel for the Jewish Christians who survived the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD, and he wants them to know that Jesus is the “new David”. Luke is writing his Gospel for Paul’s Greco-Roman converts around the year 90 AD, and he wants to emphasize the connection to John the Baptist. Neither writer cares one tiny little bit about the date. But we do. We love the briskness in the air and the TV shows and all the Christmas carols and cards. We love the way the Church Bells ring and the children sing, and the babe lies still in the manger. We love the stories and
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
the season and the way it makes folks feel. We love December 25th, and –trust me -nobody will ever take it away from us again. Dr. William F. Cummings is an internationally known scholar, consultant, teacher, and speaker with Degrees in Philosophy and divinity from the University of Wisconsin. He is the author of more than 500 published articles on Leadership, more than 1,000 television shows on Leadership, and the author of Behind your Back. He lives in Monroe County and is married to the former Ann Conkey and they have two children and two grandsons.
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December 1, 2008 * Nightly Display of Lights in Juliette. Throughout the month of December, the community of Juliette invites everyone to come out and see its nightly display of more than 40,000 lights! To learn more, call (478) 974-0716, or visit www. juliettega.com.
* Forsyth Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Beginning at 6 p.m. on the Courthouse Square. Come enjoy entertainment, shopping and Christmas joy as we celebrate the season by lighting up Downtown Forsyth. Santa Claus will be arriving to visit with the children.
December 4, 2008
* Hometown Holidays Parade 7 p.m., downtown Forsyth ushers in the holiday season in grand style with its annual nighttime holiday parade, a brilliant spectacle of lights and music promenading through Forsyth’s historic commercial district. The parade has been named a “Top 20 Event” by the Southeast Tourism Society for December 2008. Parade-goers can see marching bands, carolers, pageant queens, dance troupes, and Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Hometown Holidays Parade is one of the most anticipated events of the year, and is an event that the whole family will enjoy. The voluntary entry fee will be donated to children’s charities. Last year, $985 was collected and donated to the C.A.R.E. Cottage. Call the ForsythMonroe County Chamber of Commerce for more information, (478) 994-9239.
December 6, 2008
* Plantation Christmas 1 to 4 p.m. in Juliette. Take an afternoon stroll PAGE 18 . WINTER 2008
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
Sales and Marketing Team Timm Chambliss 888-244-3016
December 6, 2008
* Bolingbroke Christmas Parade
3 p.m. in Beautiful Downtown Bolingbroke. Bring your lawn chairs and the whole family, come out early and enjoy pre-parade festivities and concessions. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be the grand finale and all the kids are welcome to visit with Santa after the parade in his workshop. For more information contact Vicki smith at 478-474-7320. Please bring an unwrapped top for Kids Yule Love of Monroe County. This donation will make a child very happy on Christmas morning!
* Plantation Christmas
1 to 4 p.m. in Juliette. Take an afternoon stroll through two of the Jarrell family homes with traditional decoration and natural greenery. Stories, music and refreshments included. $2.50-$4. For more information, please call (478) 986-5172.
* The Village at Indian Springs.
Old-fashioned historic Christmas in The Village at Indian Springs, kick-off Dec 6th with Breakfast with Santa from 9-11, Photos with Santa from 9-4, horse-drawn carriage rides, Children’s Choirs singing Christmas Carols. Ten boutiques with windows fully decorated rivaling Macy’s – leading up to annual “Lighting of the Lights” at 8:30pm where the entire Village explodes with millions of white twinkling lights making a winter wonderland! COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE
Robert “Bubba” Martin 478-747-7230
The Counseling Corner
Can A Healthier Attitude Mean A Healthier Child? We all want our children to be as healthy as possible, but we also realize minor infections and illnesses are inevitable. Any child of school age is constantly exposed to lots of viruses and germs. There are, of course, things we can do to help our children avoid some of those cold and flu bugs. Teaching preventative hygiene, like frequent hand washing and not sharing mouth-touched drinks and foods with friends, can certainly help. Preventative medicine, like flu shots, is also important. A healthy diet and plenty of rest will also play big roles. Our bodies are usually great at fighting off the bacteria and viruses we encounter daily, but poor nutrition and lack of rest can rob them of the strength to combat those illness-causing bugs. Another action to lessen the likelihood of illness is to help your child reduce his or her stress. Research has found that stress weakens the immune system, yet even very young children encounter school and friend situations that raise stress levels. Most of the time, parents don’t need to fix the stress-inducing problem for their children, but rather just need to be a sympathetic and understanding audience. Really listening to your child’s concerns can reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.
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If your child does fall ill, helping him or her have a more positive attitude can lead to a quicker return to good health. A parent of a sick child often will look worried and concerned as they talk to that child, which helps convince the child that he or she should also feel worried and concerned. A big smile, instead, helps relieve tension and anxiety, and creates an attitude of wellness rather than sickness. You also want to use positive phrases with your child. The simple acts of touching and hugging can also be great medicine. Studies have found that touching and bonding literally help strengthen the immune system. Holding an ill child while watching TV or reading a book together can mean getting better faster. Viruses and bacteria are always going to be out there. But healthy eating, plenty of rest and loving parents who are there to help a child have a positive, less-stressful attitude can do a great deal to keep those bugs at a distance. “The Counseling Corner” is provided as a public service by the American Counseling Association, the nation’s largest organization of counseling professionals. Learn more about the counseling profession at the ACA web site, www.counseling.org.
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Here’s an impressive way to advertise your business or specialty. Mail us your business card with a check for $120.00 and let our readers become your customers. Mail to: Columns Magazine, P.O. 1577, Forsyth GA. 31029 For other advertising opportunities call 478-992-9300 or 478-960-2474. COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
WINTER 2008 . PAGE 21
BULLRIDER
By Anne Jones “Gus Huff won the Georgia High School Wrangler Division Bullriding Championship the past three years. He is now leading the High School Division. In recent competition in the Texas Youth World Finals, he was ranked 22nd despite a broken spur. He will soon be competing in Oklahoma for the National title.” PAGE 22 . WINTER 2008
Extraordinaire According to Dotty Huff, “bullriding is a totally different world; but, it’s a world I’m so glad to have my kids involved in.” Most people in our area know little about bullriding as a sport. For instance, it is highly organized, operating somewhat similarly to NASCAR, as riders work their way up to local and national championships. The sport has no religious or color barriers, emphasizes responsibility, discipline and courage, and is made up of a community of multi-generational family-oriented participants. “Rodeo is like having a big extended family,” says her husband, Michael. “It’s one of the few sports where, especially on the Junior level, the mothers and fathers are there. You don’t have rodeo parents who take their kids to an event, drop them off and leave. They volunteer.” Dotty and Michael Huff’s son, Gus, fell in love with the sport when he attended a Georgia High School Rodeo event at age ten and talked with a bullrider. From that moment, he has focused on being a rodeo champion. “It’s hard to explain,” says Gus. “It’s what I love more than anything else in this world. At first, I was a little bit nervous, but I wanted to try and I liked it. Bullriding is very challenging and there’s nothing like it. When you win, you feel like you’re ten feet tall.” Despite its excitement, there’s more to the sport than its thrills and it has taught Gus a lot about life. “I’ve learned to thank God for every second he gives me, to give it all I can, and never give up. I’ve learned to never let anybody tell me I can’t do something.” “I call it the greatest individual team sport in America,” interjects his best friend’s father, Robert Skeen.“Josh and Gus don’t compete against each other, they compete against the animal. Yeah, they want to win. Everybody wants the shiny buckle and money, but, if Josh falls off, he cheers for Gus.” “It isn’t a competition where one parent wants another parent’s child to fail,” emphasizes Dotty. “They cheer for each other, clap for each other and pat one another on the back.” As Director for the National Junior Bullriders Association, Robert Skeen believes the sport can be a great opportunity for youth but it doesn’t get the support it deserves. “People throw hundreds of dollars into drug awareness, fighting drugs and preventing gang violence. People give to baseball and football but little to rodeo. They need to throw a little money into some of the other good things going on. There are over 3700 kids who compete in rodeo in our state, but when Georgia goes to the National and World Finals, it’s not usually noticed. People don’t realize how big it’s become and it’s a good way to get kids off the streets. “Georgia’s way behind the times and not where we should be. If you cross the Mississippi, you find them playing football in a rodeo arena. The high schools have football and baseball, and huge rodeo teams. There are rodeo rinks off the interstates.” “Across the Mississippi is a whole different world,” adds Michael Huff, “but its starting to get better. Two years ago, you might find a rodeo in Georgia once a weekend. Now there or three or four at locations throughout the state.
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
Its popularity is increasing but funds are not keeping up. As in motorsports, costs are high and participants are forced to depend on donations. To be professional, they need money to pay entry fees and travel expenses. Serious contenders compete in three to four weekend events at costs up to five hundred dollars. They spend money at practice pens and have outlays for safety equipment. What the sport needs …are sponsors. “In rodeo,” says Michael, “You don’t get paid unless you’re competitive. There are college teams, but the only thing they get is scholarships.” Sponsors can pay a little or a lot for riders to put their logos on vests, caps, jackets and shirts. Their contributions are considered special and riders “remember” their sponsors. The cost of bullriding is small,” says Robert,” compared with what people get out of it. I don’t think there’s a better community of people in the world.” If you are a champion you can make millions, but you also make the equivalent in life experiences. COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
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Canoeing the Wild Rivers: The Ocmulgee and Towaliga Monroe County has two breathtakingly beautiful rivers -- the Ocmulgee and the Towaliga and many lovely streams. They’re jewels in our growing jungle of asphalt and housing subdivisions. The Ocmulgee andTowaliga are play grounds for canoeing, fishing, swimming, hiking and picnicking. They’re also the treasure-trove that supplies our homes with drinking water. Their beauty not only inspires artist and photographers but is food for the heart and soul. The Ocmulgee River’s name rolls on our tongue like poetry. It’s translation, ‘Up from the bubbling waters’ speaks of joy. A favorite Ocmulgee nine-mile canoe paddle with rapids is from East Juliette to Popes Ferry just east of Hwy 23/87. The wide and inviting Ocmulgee winds through valleys flanked by wooded corridors of giant white and black oak, pine, sweet gum, hickory, willow, red maple, and beech. Lush ferns, vines and shrubs form a thick undergrowth. Large rock outcroppings and wide shoals dot the water and banks. This pristine clear blue water section runs along the western boundary of the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge. The small shoals at half-mile intervals add excitement and beauty. Spectacular Falling Rock Creek and the 4-mile long Hitchiti loop trail are located about a quarter mile north of Hwy 18. Both are worth exploring. PAGE 24 . WINTER 2008
There’s an exciting four-foot waterfall drop into a large pool below Hwy 18. Many kayakers, canoers and tubers use this rapid as a whitewater gymnasium as it’s an excellent place for beginners to play and train. It’s also relatively simple to carry the boat back up and over the rocks to try again. The 1.5 mile river trip from Hwy 18 to Popes Ferry also makes for a good afternoon tube float. A shorter 4.5-mile flat water Ocmulgee River canoe trip starts at Hwy 83 and ends in Juliette. A paddle upstream on the scenic Towaliga River just two miles north of Juliette is a good side trip. There are also a number of islands and beaches to camp on. It’s magical viewing wild life while floating under cloud-swept skies. The wild life includes bald eagles, owls, white tailed deer, raccoons, Canada geese, wood ducks, muskrats, otter, beaver and osprey. You might also see brilliant blue damselflies, turtles, snakes, frogs or salamander if you’re lucky. Another favorite trip is the narrow, intimate 8.5-mile Towaliga River on a whitewater section from High Falls to Highway 42. During the spring the cool weather is perfect for navigating through bouncy waterfalls interspersed with crystal clear rock pools. The shore is lined with pink and white mountain laurel blossoms, wild azaleas, golden rod and fragrant honeysuckle. There is also a magical explosion of new green leaves on the shrubs and trees.
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
A 17-mile Towaliga lazy flat water float starts at Highway 42 and ends in Juliette. The river bank’s tall overhanging oak, sweet gum, pine, maple, hickory, sycamore and beech trees form a series of shady tunnels. The pink sandy riverbed and beaches make this section an excellent twoday overnight canoe-camping trip. There’s nothing like being serenaded by a symphony of chirping, peeping, and bellowing frogs under star-studded skies or listening to cicadas or owls while sipping tea in the honey-dipped morning sun. Slipping the canoe into the river current and surrendering to its pace brings peace. Sometimes it takes awhile to adjust your internal clock to the river’s rhythm; but ‘river time’ does come. River hazards to consider include water temperature, current speed, flooding, low water levels, low hanging trees, deadfalls, skill level and river difficulty. Fortunately the rapids on the Towaliga and Monroe County’s section of the Ocmulgee are Class I and II. A Class I rapid has moving water with a few rapids and small waves. Class II rapids are easy wide clear channels with waves up to 3 feet. Although some maneuvering is required the rapids can be done without scouting. The Ocmulgee River does have a Class III rapid about 8 miles north of Hwy 83 in Butts County. Class III rapids have high, irregular waves often capable of swamping an open canoe. The narrow passages require complex maneuvering and require scouting off shore.
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS
WINTER 2008 . PAGE 25
All canoers should wear life jackets and carry extra paddles, a first aid kit, rain wear, food, clothes and personal items in a dry bag or two large garbage bags. A car needs to be left at the river take out point to run the shuttle for the trip. You can also sign up as a guest with The Georgia Wilderness Society, a non-profit recreational organization located in Macon. To learn more go to www.georgiawildernesssociety.org or call 478-992-9063. Monroe County’s rivers have everything -- diversity, majesty, serenity, fishing and good paddling. Fishermen love casting their lines for Coosa and Shoal Bass in the river’s rocky shoals. There are life lessons to learn from the Ocmulgee and the Towaliga. Lessons to pass on to those who will follow in our footsteps. We don’t need to take our children to exotic destinations to instill a love of nature. Everyday places are unforgettable landmarks in a child’s mind. To develop a sense of place we need to look around, to notice, to walk and play in the natural world, and to realize that nature is not just a backdrop but is the world that has made us what we are. Monroe County has natural treasures belonging to all its citizens. It would be great if a group of visionary individuals could come together to safe-guard our precious, one-of-a-kind land for future generations. The opportunities to recreate, enjoy life and receive inspiration from the natural world are innumerable and unparalleled. Respecting the power of place is realizing that our economy, community and environment are interrelated and make Monroe County special. What harms one will affect the other two. For our long term health is woven together with our economy, community and environment. To know the rivers and streams of Monroe County is to love them for their pristine beauty, exotic uniqueness, and tranquil remoteness. They are still cradled in a forested wilderness corridor only occasionally interrupted by the encroachment of civilization. Monroe County residents are blessed to have these rivers. For many of us, being on or near the rivers allow flashes of forgetfulness -- holy moments that seem to purify our souls. Niki Collins-Queen is a retired Licensed Professional Counselor and the author of ”Earth, The Forgotten Temple: A Spirit Quest in the Wilderness.” She can be reached at earth31029@yahoo.com or www.authorsden.com/nikicollinsqueen PAGE 26 . WINTER 2008
Niki Collins-Queen
Drew Queen, grandson of Niki & Bud surfing on Towaliga River
COLUMNS MAGAZINE FOR MIDDLE GEORGIANS