In Honor Of A Journalism Icon It Is A Great Time To Be Thankful

Furman Bisher would have turned 100 on Sunday if he were still with us

The legendary Atlanta sports writer was, in my opinion, the best at his craft. It was Bisher who inspired me to go into journalism following his address to my graduating high school class back in 1989. He covered every big-time sporting event possible from Super Bowls to World Series to college football championship games to The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and Kentucky Derby.

I certainly patterned my writing style after him although one of his columns was certainly worth a dozen or so of my feeble attempts and that is probably an understatement.

His annual Thanksgiving column about what he valued in life, both serious and not-so-serious, were must reading for decades. Through the years I have written numerous “thankful” columns myself and while I have received a good deal of positive feedback about them, none have measured up to the columns written by the legendary Bisher.

At one point the Hall of Fame writer even compiled some of his favorite “thankful” items for a book. I felt fortunate when he signed it for me during a Georgia Sports Writers Association awards banquet a few years before his passing.

So on this November day I honor a journalism great and offer thanks for:

•The first areas of blue sky which return after an extended rain.

•A warm afternoon at the local high school baseball field with no rain, no clouds, no wind and no chill in the air.

•For the high school parent who doesn’t think their son or daughter is the greatest athlete of all time and doesn’t feel the need to try to convince me that they are.

•For the start of another political season but also when it comes to an end for another campaign.

•When I leave the dentist knowing I won’t have to return in a couple of weeks to have more work performed.

•The time when the phone rings and it is not a telemarketer or scam of some kind. “I am calling to let you know your computer needs fixing…..” at 7 in the morning is beyond maddening.

•The days during the winter when it is warm.

•A text from a friend.

•A movie made in 2018 that is not a remake of an old one.

•The old VH1 “Behind the Music” series.

•When the power doesn’t go out during a violent thunderstorm and the times it is quickly restored if it does go out.

•For the political candidate who remembers at least some of his or her campaign promises once in office. We’ll see how those who won earlier this week do in this area.

•That a few of us still enjoy reading a newspaper the way it should be read: by turning the actual pages.

•The dawn of a new day and the potential that things could be better than the day or days before.

•The pothole in the road that I avoid driving through.

•The nail that doesn’t find its way into my tire.

•A recent pleasant fall Saturday afternoon with the sun bright overhead sitting outside with a special person just talking. I didn’t even miss the college football games that were airing at the time.

•A parent who takes the time to stop you and thank you for a kind word written about their child in the paper. Many times simply mentioning their name means a lot.

•Childhood friends who remain a friend today although we have long ago left our childhood years behind. For a variety of reasons true friendship is rare.

•The positive influence of having all four grandparents while growing up. Everyone should be as fortunate.

•A good movie that actually provides suspense and a good scare or two. I remember years ago watching Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” with a friend who had never seen it. My friend didn’t know the story line and actually screamed out loud at the end. Now that’s good film making.

•And finally for growing up in small town America and for the lessons learned from doing so.

Monticello native Chris Bridges is a long-time newspaper columnist. He has earned awards from the Georgia Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and the Georgia Sports Writers Association. He welcomes feedback about this column from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.