What's the hurry?

My column in last week's Madison County Journal. To subscribe to the Journal visit www.mainstreetnews.com

By Dallas Bordon

The other day I was watching one of my favorite re-runs of Andy Griffeth, one of the best shows ever. In the episode, a guest speaker visiting the Mayberry church was preaching a message titled “What’s the hurry.” The preacher’s message targeted those who spend their lives in a rush with hardly any time to sit and relax. During that church scene you could see shots of Barney Fife and Gomer Pile dosing off in the congregation perhaps tired from spending their days in that rushed pace of what the speaker was talking about.

Despite it being just a television show and the fact that I might watch too much of it at times, this man was right. And this show was based back in the 60’s when there were fewer activities compared to what we have today that keep us busy. We can all admit it to a certain point and we, especially with kids, have all experienced life in a rush.

If your normal eight hour work day actually becomes a 14 hour day of rush then you are one of those people and the evidence is there. The evidence of a back seat full of clothes for the difference occasions of the day occupies your car. Not to mention a trunk full of chairs that you use at games buried under your kids sports equipment.  The signs are there of a busy on the go lifestyle of a normal parent. We are frequent visitors of fast food joints and gas stations either filling our tanks or inhaling a quick meal between one rush to another and for the most part we all love it. We talk about our busy schedules almost to a boasting extent. As an Anonymous writer once asked; "Ever notice that even the busiest people are never too busy to tell you just how busy they are?" It’s our mark on life and for some it’s a purpose of life because there are those of us who think if we don’t stay on the go we’ll die from being bored. I can think of two people who live or lived the “on the go” lifestyle. My dad for one who is in his 70’s and still operates a sign business in Augusta and also continues his involvement in either music or preaching at times in the church he attends. Another man is the late Jere Ayers who owned and operated the Comer News/Danielsville Monitor well into his 90’s and was still active in the business until his death. It’s the rush that either keeps or kept some people going like these two men.  Take away their hobby/jobs and you take away their life. Retirement is not an option. That’s the case with some people that enjoy life’s rush. I guess I’m the same way to a certain extent. A busy week forces me to make up a list of things that need to be accomplished on the weekends like yard work etc. Only problem is by the time an available weekend comes I’m too tired to jump into the list of “to do’s” that I made during the week. It all reminds me of a quote by Kathleen Winsor “Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to what they want to do." We’ve all been there.

As the spring sports season and Little League baseball and softball approaches most parents will make their second home at the Recreation Department or on the practice fields around the county. School sports and activities blend into early spring and summer and leave little time for a break. Most families have several kids in the household that participate in some kind of sport either in school or recreation. Parents often find themselves dividing into groups to ship their kids to different locations only seeing each other in passing. It’s all part of the busyness of life that we enjoy so much and in the long run, we wouldn’t have it any other way.