Untold Stories ~ Hidden History
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This
morning, I was bestowed a great honor. I was sworn in as one of the members of
the board of directors of the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Assoc. I am
looking forward to stepping up and doing all I can to promote the history of
the sport of Auto Racing in the coming year, and I will be wide open doing all
I can to get the word out.
But
today as I sat in on the meeting, listening to this awesome group of true
racers, I had the honor of sitting next to Jack Jackson, who holds the Peach
Bowl Reunion each year to honor those racers who raced at the legendary Peach
Bowl Speedway. This coming reunion will be the 29th one. And as we sat there
talking Jack looked at me and said he wants to make it to the 30th one, and
then, he wants to either stop the reunions, or turn it over to someone else, he
is 89 years old and he said it’s tough to keep it going at his age.
This
really got me to thinking, about the daunting task of putting 29 reunions
together… I mean putting one together is tough, but to keep something going for
29 years, all I can say is wow… I mean really WOW!
The
dedication this man has put into this project over the years is unreal; it's the
true definition of passion… passion for a sport you love, passion for a sport
that has consumed the biggest part of your life for so many years.
Then
I got to thinking about some of the legends I have gotten to talk with over the
years, men and women who gave so much of their life to a sport and still do in
many cases. These are the people we need to listen to; these are the ones with whom
we need to sit down, use a video camera, and record all they have to say,
These
men, well, like Rex White, whom I had on my show this past year. I spent two
hours interviewing him, and I was so thrilled how it went, and I was truly
humbled and honored that he would come on my show. To my surprise, the next
day, he called me and thanked me for having him on! I was like, “No sir, THANK YOU for honoring me
by coming on my show” and he made a comment I won’t ever forget. He said “You
know, nowadays no one knows who I am; they can look in the record books and see
my name; they see photos of me at events but no one knows who I am really, and
you took the time to let me tell my story, to share my memories, and that is
special to me.” I honestly sat there with tears running down my face. I
realized how much it really meant to him to come on the show, and I knew then,
that I think I have found my calling, (Well one of them anyway)
Yes,
I host a radio show, and I love taking on the controversial topics others are
scared to touch. I love telling the stories as they happened, not the cleaned
up versions, not the edited ones, but the exact story as it comes out of the mouths
of the legends who made those stories. I want to give them the chance to share
these memories with others. I don’t want to see another racer take these
stories to the grave with him when he passes; stories untold… hidden from the
world because these men (and women), who are true legends of the sport, don’t
think anyone wants to hear them.
Well,
I know I want to hear them. I want to watch each of these men get that sparkle
back in his eye as each of them relives the days gone by… to see that smile,
that sparkle in those eyes, the same eyes that have seen so much in the years
they have been around. And I want to share those stories, to let others feel
how proud these men and women are, and to truly let the legends know we do
want to hear these memories. We want to hear EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM! And I
am going to do my best to make it happen.
Happy
New Year to each and every one; I hope the New Year brings you peace and joy,
and lots of stories from days gone by.
The
dr.
“You
can’t change the whole world, but you can touch just one life.”