It has been suggested more than a few times that I include a picture of myself on Big Green Alert Blog. Here's one I took yesterday on the Connecticut River. If you are trying to find me on the sidelines this football season, look for the flip-flops. (Click photos to seriously supersize them.)
As you know if you live here, have heard if you have someone at the college, or perhaps have read here or in the newspapers, this has been the soggy summer of soggy summers in our corner of the world. Because there was no rain in yesterday's forecast and the rest of the week looked wet, I impulsively closed up the computer, loaded the kayak on the roof of the car and zipped down to the Connecticut River for a three-hour tour. (Sounds like a TV theme song.)
To be sure, there are a lot of uncertainties associated with being a freelance writer. One of the real rewards is the freedom it allows you to coach your kids in Little League, to share special times with your family, and, yes, to paddle down a river when the mood strikes you.
There was a time when I was a young pup fresh out of journalism school when I thought I'd put in my time at a small newspaper and then steadily make my way to the big-time. I got started in that direction but to borrow a quote from Yogi Berra, there was a fork in the road and I'm glad I took it. I took another one when I left the paper to start BGA and work as a freelancer.
A couple of weeks ago when we were in Denver we ate lunch at a Jimmy John's sandwich shop. (If you have a little extra money sitting around and want to open a Jimmy John's franchise in Hanover, I think you'll make a fortune, but I digress.) Anyway, Jimmy John's is famous for having signs and sayings posted all around the shop. In Denver I saw read one I first noticed at the JJ's in State College, Pa., and it made me smile because it hit home. After shutting things down yesterday, it seems this would be a good time to share it:
Of course, the freedom to do things like paddle down the river in the middle of a beautiful Upper Valley day comes at a cost. Like the fisherman in the Mexican village I'll never own a gorgeous estate overlooking the water. But I did snap a picture yesterday of a place that might not be completely out of reach if I save and save and save some more. ;-)
The investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal
Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The investment banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The fisherman replied, only a little while.
The investment banker then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.
The investment banker then asked, but what do you do with the rest of your time?
The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, señor."
The investment banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat.
With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You can leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "But señor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
But what then, señor?
The American laughed and said that's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.
Millions, señor? Then what?
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
Anonymous
Speaking of life in the Upper Valley, Hanover has again been named by Money Magazine as one of the top small towns in the country in which to live. Find a story from WCAX TV here. The Money Magazine capsule on No. 50 Hanover can be found here.
A big one that got away from Dartmouth – in the early 1970s – was a tight end by the name of Joe Smalzer. The Illinois Scout.com website has a story on former Illinois assistant Carl Meyer that includes this:
Another top Meyer recruit was tight end Joe Smalzer out of Chicago Heights Bloom. It was the 6'-6" Smalzer who made the great endzone catch with one foot inbounds that would have defeated Ohio State had there been instant replay.The Daily Pennsylvanian, the rare Ivy paper publishing this summer, continues its look at incoming Quaker freshmen with a analysis of Penn's incoming receivers.
"I was recruiting Joe Smalzer for Dartmouth because Joe had excellent grades. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and became quite the player as a tight end. He was All Big 10 as well."
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