Letter from the Publisher

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JOI N OUR TEAM THE TRUE GENTLEMAN Dear Readers,

When my wife asked me to write this letter for our annual gentleman’s issue, I pondered the question: What does being a gentleman mean to me? During the lost year of 2020 and all the COVID craziness, my motto was to be smart, safe and respectful. I believe they were teaching me that in kindergarten, though not everything I learned, I learned in kindergarten, many of those things I was taught then, do apply to being a gentleman every day, even today. Please, thank you, yes sir, no ma’am – these simple things you never outgrow and never go out of style. As a young man raised in the south, I was raised to be a gentleman. My mother taught me from an early age, the importance of honesty, sincerity and empathy. To see the best in everyone and mind your manners. It was important to her, for me to know my table manners, take care of myself, dress nice and be respectful. My father, who came from very humble beginnings, always dressed nice and worked hard. I never heard him use curse words or raise his voice. He taught me that ” if you want to soar with eagles in life, you can’t be flocking with the turkeys.” I watched him live by the saying: “Do the next right thing;” even though, I know, at times, it was not easy or even what he wanted to do. He was always respectful, caring, helpful and considerate to his elders and those who may be down on their luck. I never heard him brag or boast. He taught me that you are only as good as your word; be on time; the importance of a hearty handshake and to always look someone in the eyes. When I went to college, equipped with my gentleman “training” up to that point, I joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Little did I know the rewards fraternity would teach me for life as a true gentleman. My oldest son is now finishing his first year in college, and has joined the SAE brotherhood. I hope I passed along some of the lessons on being a gentleman in his early life and that he applies these as he travels his path and experiences the many chapters to come in his life. When I think of gentlemen, I picture Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Roger Moore and Paul Newman and some of the more modern guys like George Clooney and Matthew McConaughey in the roles they played on screen. But the reality is not as a handsome star of a movie but rather: To show compassion; don’t be afraid to ask for help; finish what you start; keep fit; Always remain calm; Dress to impress; Be confident; take time out; always have a backup plan; admit when you are wrong; accept a compliment and think before speaking. If I can do these things in my daily life, then I guess, I have achieved being a gentleman! And of course, all of this means nothing if we aren’t truly living it day to day. As a husband and a father, I want to be a living example of a gentleman. For my wife, who I love and adore, I have learned I would rather be happy than right; to listen with attention; think of her first; know when to take charge and to always let her know there is nothing in the world more important to me than her. For my daughter, I want to be the man, the gentleman, that I would want her to be with. So, for you young gentlemen, when she is of dating age, you better bring your “A” game as I intend to set the bar extremely high. For my sons, my ultimate hope is to instill integrity, confidence and humility. Integrity, I believe is the ULTIMATE characteristic of a gentleman. It’s what you do when no one is watching and you can never be looking for acknowledgment from others for doing it. Confidence is that feeling and belief in yourself that you can do and succeed in anything. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. I guess being charged with writing the Publisher’s letter this issue, did make me think, assess and reflect on these things.

I know the many examples of gentlemen we feature in this issue are above reproach and serve as examples to us all – giving me and the gentlemen I am raising something to aspire to as well!

Happy summer Williamson County!

Johnny Birdsong Owner, Publisher