Staying Power

Last night Greene Central hosted our annual athletic awards. It's a fun night where coaches reward students that participate and excel in team sports. In almost every speech you hear phrases and words like, "hard worker," "sportsmanship," and "dedicated." While student awards were the spotlight, our student athletes were not the stars of the evening. Not a single person that spoke forgot to mention thanks and admiration to Coach Bass and Coach Brann for their service and leadership to Greene County athletics. Last night was really a celebration of them.

I recently read an article that spoke about millennials and their inability to find careers for a long term. Today's younger workers tend to lose interest in careers around 5 years, and look for a change. The article spoke of the growing elimination of workers that have held one job for their career. That came to mind yesterday evening as I thought about our two future retirees. Here are two people that have dedicated the past three decades of their lives to one profession. To me, that moves beyond a career and into a passion.  The work that they have accomplished and the countless hours that they have contributed to this profession also personify passion. I can only imagine the countless number of times they must have questioned their own sanity for staying in education. I have no doubt that each of them have had several opportunities to go somewhere else, or to do something else along the way. Despite that, these two have staying power. They show determination. They don't believe in quitting. But these traits didn't happen all at once. Staying power happens every day. One day at a time.

So here's to Coach Bass and Coach Brann and everyone else that makes the decision to wake up, show up and do their best every day. The staying power to make it 30 years can come to us all.