TUPATALK: Hearts plus hands

Sometimes it’s too easy to take for granted some incredible individuals who call Bartlesville home.

Many of us, including me, too often use a magnifying glass to find the flaws and and mistakes of our athletic culture and our trending culture.

We get so caught up in what’s wrong, we forget to honor the difference makers on the other side.

When I use the word “honor”, I don’t mean sponsor some major contest for volunteer of the year, or something.

I’m talking about respecting them, supporting them morally and in other ways, if appropriate, and, more important, to try to be part of the army making the world a nicer place — if only in our neighborhood.

I know I’ve done columns mentioning some of these people, or ones like them, before. I hope I’ll always be quicker to praise than to condemn.

I want to take Debbie Mueggenborg and Charlie Bowerman for their outstanding efforts in spearheading the successful effort for Bartlesville to host two American Legion World Series tournaments (2003 and 2007). This year is the 20th Anniversary of the first, and I’ll probably look later this year a feature on that.

I’m grateful for Chris Batchelder and his colleagues on the Bartlesville Sports Commission, as well as past officers like Bob Pomeroy, Tim Bart and so many, many others.

Not only does Chris devote time to the BSC, but he also announces at Bruin football and basketball games. That leads me to recognize all those who do, or have, devoted so many hours as scorekeepers, scoreclock operators, spotters and others for Bartlesville games, for Dewey games and for everyone’s games.

These are not easy — or necessarily gleeful tasks.

Dewey’s David Chancellor has been a public announcer for many decades for Dewey sports, beginning when he was still a high school student. Although in his modesty he wouldn’t ever mention it, Don Osborne has been just as dedicated in working with Chancellor and also in contributing in every level to youth sports in Washington County.

John Pannell has been rolled up his sleeves and contributed countless hours for American Legion Baseball and now in spearheading a new approach to running the local youth baseball/softball programs, an approach that hopefully will bring a new energy to this vital area of the Bartlesville sports experience.

I also appreciate the many years Anthoney Towers dedicated a lot of his life in running the American Legion program and helping uplift the character of many young men.

My hat is still off to Mike Jackson for helping to push the Bartlesville Area Amateur Baseball program through many, many years — not an easy task as those who followed found out. I appreciate Mike Merrifield who also took up the BAAB banner and worked mightily to keep it flying high, even though the momentum of change was against it.

I’m grateful for the outstanding school athletic directors and administrators, who put in far more hours than they’re paid for, as well as the coaches. Bartlesville’s Thad Dilbeck has been very kind to me and I appreciate it.

I recognize the incredible amount of volunteers who stepped up to the plate in helping to put on the college postseason tournament we used to host and all the other tournaments. Many of these people weren’t “star players”, so to speak. They were what one might call everyday people just trying unselfishly to answer a need.

I'm grateful to my former newspaper and colleague for many years who has has displayed his friendship through great acts of kindness and sacrifice.

There are, and have been, so many, many others people who have served so many people with incredible selflessness Please forgive me for not mentioning you. But, for what it’s worth, you are etched in my hearts on my wall of heroes.

One example from another place. My great-grandpa was a highly-respected local church leader in his neighborhood. One day, someone commented to him about an alcoholic that lived on a nearby street.

“Do you know,” great-grandpa said, while scolding the gossip, “that every time it snows, this man gets up early in the morning and shovels the sidewalks of every widow on his street?”

Thank goodness for all those with good hearts who reach out in service, whether they brighten the life of one person or hundreds. It all makes our community better.

And, there are the parents. I’m always grateful for a poem written by Edgar A. Guest. Following is part of it:

“Old Man Green from day to day

Put up shelves to earn his pay,

Took the little that he made

… And somehow his wife and he

Managed it most carefully,

And five children, neat and clean,

Answered to the name of Green.”

“This is all there is to tell,

Boys and girls are doing well;

Each with courage and with grace

Fills in life an honored place.

Old Man Green is dead and gone,

But his worth is shining on.

This his praise if praise be needed,

as a father he succeeded.”

(Edgar A. Guest)

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: TupaTalk column