I am proud to have received a number of awards and honors through the years for various educational achievements and newspaper journalistic work.
   Some that come to mind include a 12th place national finish in the William Randolph Hearst Photojournalism competition for a photo story I did on a small-town gas station and local hangout in Ashland, Mo. while attending the University of Missouri-Columbia. I have also received numerous awards since moving to Iowa through the Iowa Newspaper Association for photography, writing and community service. In addition, I have been honored with the FFA Blue and Gold honor, the Friend of 4-H honor and my most recent, the News Media Award from the Iowa High School Athletic Association. I’m proud to have been recognized with all these honors and more.
      But the most important honors are the personal ones that come along life’s way. That is what happened to me earlier this month.
      I was at the Montezuma High School graduation on Saturday, May 14 to take photos for the CR paper and to watch our middle nephew graduate. At Montezuma, the top five seniors deliver speeches as part of the commencement program.
      One of the seniors, Katie Reynolds, thanked me in her speech for covering events at the school. Hearing my name almost brought tears to my eyes. I was touched that this young lady, who could have mentioned anybody in her life, took the time to include me in her speech.
       I have people thank me for going the extra mile on my day job and others who have thanked me for this or that through the years. It means a lot to me to have someone do that.
      It also reminds me of the importance of thanking others and being appreciative of those who make life easier and more pleasant for all.
    There are a lot of good people doing good things in this world. It is easy to let what others do be overshadowed with the negative going on in our world. That makes it even more important to be appreciative of others and take time to thank them for helping.
      A couple months ago, Debbie and I and our oldest nephew visited Sam’s Club in Ankeny. I like the Gold Leaf unsweet tea and where it usually is in the store was empty. I looked around and found a large pallet of the tea on one of the upper shelves.
       “I’m not leaving this store without a couple cases of unsweet tea,” I told myself.
       I found an employee and asked for help. He got on his walkie talkie asking for help with no luck.
     “This is my third day on the job and I’m going get someone to help,” he told me as he headed to the warehouse.
        And he did.
       It wasn’t too long and a forklift showed up and set the pallet down and I had two cases in my shopping cart. After we checked out, I asked to speak with a manager. There was about a 10-minute wait for her. I shared about how this young man went over and above to help me. The manager said she appreciated me telling her that.
        I hope he got a raise or a maybe a promotion.
        Often times when you ask about a product, the clerk will say, “If it isn’t on the shelf, we are out.”
        That is not always the case. Sometimes, not always, the store will have a pallet or a couple of boxes in the back stockroom. The problem is laziness and unwillingness to help. To me, that is what they are paid for. It only takes a few minutes to check.
        I guess I was raised in a different time zone.
        Life is so much easier when you spend more time being appreciative and staying away from the negative. It’s easy to be negative and find fault. Everyone makes mistakes. Take the high road in life. Say thank you, hold the door open for others, do good deeds and take pride in all you do every day, every hour and every minute.
        That’s the best reward you will ever receive.
       Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

        This coming weekend, seniors at Montezuma and BGM will graduate. Grinnell High School graduation will follow on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.
         I direct this column to all the graduating seniors.
         Congrats on reaching this milestone, one of many that you will encounter in life.
        Some graduates will enter the workforce. Others will spend their summers working, saving money and preparing to enter a two- or four-year college in the fall. Others will serve our country in the military. Some may opt to enter a trades program such as welding, pipefitting, diesel mechanic or becoming an electrician.
        Growing up, I had no desire to attend college after high school. I was in a vocational program in high school where I learned the printing trade. The last half of my senior year, I attended English in the morning and then spent the rest of the day at work.
          I worked for a short time my senior year for a company in Tulsa that made wire line used in the printing industry to cut perforations in paper like checks or bills. My second job was at a check printing business where I ran a press that used lead type and printed three-to-a-page business checks.
            I then went on to work as a custodian at a 24-7 large grocery/drug store. I worked at a factory for a short period of time and then in the circulation department at the Tulsa newspapers in the 1980s. I sold furniture for a couple years and ran a lawn mowing service.
Thanks to a weight loss bet with a co-worker at my newspaper job, I not only lost weight, I won a camera in the bet.
            That led me to return to a community college at age 27 to study photography. I went on to earn an AAS degree and then a BS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia at age 38. At MU, I started as a part-time student then switched to full-time two years later. I worked at the U.S. Post Office as a casual temp for a short time then at the MU campus as a custodian for several years while attending classes.
       Leaving my hometown of Tulsa and going back to school was a great experience. I wouldn’t change a thing.
           I got through the challenges of school and work by listening to Bible tapes at night while I cleaned toilets and mopped floors. I always said I swept and mopped my way through journalism school.
          Following graduation, I moved to Iowa where I continue working part-time in community journalism. I met my wife, bought a house, published books here in Iowa and life is good. 
          This is my advice for all graduating seniors.
         If you want to be a success, spend time around people who believe in you and will help you obtain success. They are around. You are probably not going to find them on social media. 
           While at MU, I met a man who was referred to as Mr. C. His last name was Campbell, but the nickname fit him better.
          I was sitting in his office one day in the registrar’s office at the university talking about my struggles with algebra. I had dropped the course twice and was trying again and wasn’t doing so good
            I told Mr. C that I seemed to be scoring just under average on my assignments.
Mr. C, who was originally from Tennessee, wrote 26 on a piece of paper. Do you know what this number means, he asked? I said, no. He said the average ACT score at MU was 26. He said, if you are scoring just under average, then you are in some pretty tall corn.
            Those words of encouragement, my stubborn persistence, lots of tutoring and a touch of favor helped me pass the course with a C.
            Life is full of well-meaning rocks and trees. You will run into them every day in the form of people who have opinions and advice about who you are and what they think you should be doing with your life.
          Don’t be distracted or let what others say keep you from reaching your goals in life. They are not in charge.
          When faced with a rock or tree, listen then go around like water does when it hits a rock in a stream. Keep walking and keep believing. Your future is bright and your goals are obtainable.
          Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Asking for help is not a weakness, but a strength.
         Whatever you do in life, give it your best. Show up at work on time. If you are going to be late, call or text and let the boss know. Stay busy, find jobs do, get involved in work committees and take part in volunteer opportunities.
         Give to others and support causes that build communities and people’s lives. That works in small towns and big cities.
         You’re not the low man (woman) on the totem pole. You have purpose on this earth. Be a difference maker in all you do.
       And most importantly, enjoy life, find a hobby, take time for yourself and your family, when that comes along.
          Again, congrats on all your success. The doors of opportunity await you.
        Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

        I watched a 35-minute video on sleep last week at work. It was interesting learning about the different stages of sleep and how one’s heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature cool down, then rise again just before the REM stage or dream sleep stage.
        The video mentioned the importance of not drinking alcohol or caffeine at least two hours before going to bed. It also spoke of taking a hot shower before bed and getting up when the alarm clock first goes off. It recommended that folks age 19 – 65 sleep from 7 – 9 hours a night.
        It was very informational. What it didn’t talk about was the need for a good mattress.
        If you want to dream good dreams, get a good mattress.
      Debbie and I bought a well-known brand pillow top mattress in 2014. We paid a lot of money for it. What a disappointment. I’d like to throw it out the door and set it on fire.
         My side of the bed is squished and I about roll on to the floor when I get too close to the edge of the bed. Debbie’s side of the mattress has a hole big enough to fill with water and wash the dishes. 
         I spoke with the company we bought the mattress from a few times. They sent a fellow out to look at the mattress, but it was determined not to be bad enough for replacement.
          They don’t have to sleep on it.
          To me, I would think a good mattress would last at least a dozen or so years, not four or five.
         Last year we went to look at new mattress. We looked at every kind of mattress in the book from the firm as a stack of plywood kind to the cooling mattresses, memory foam ones and pillow tops. I don’t know if there is a company that makes a mattress, a plain mattress with springs, foam and soft pad. And I don’t know what’s was more expensive, a new mattress or the down payment on a new pickup truck.
           There are all kinds of brands of mattresses out there. Everyone promises the best nights of sleep. Now they have mattresses in a box that are advertised on social media. I have yet to figure how they work.
          It scares me a bit to spend a thousand dollars on a mattress that is rolled up in a box and shipped to your door by Fed Ex or UPS.
            As one fellow I know said, “You just open the box and blow it up.”
            I like to sleep and do so every chance I get. I’ve been known to sleep half a day. I like to take naps as well. 
          When I come home from work, I usually pour a glass of iced cold tea and take a nap in my red La-Z-Boy chair. Naps last anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. It all depends on how many hours of sleep I got the night before and how work went that day.
           Back in the day, my dad would come home from the factory and take a cat nap on the living room floor. He’d just lay there with no pillow or blanket for 20-minutes. He’d then get up and off he’d go outside to work in the yard or mow one of the many neighbor’s yards he cared for.
            We didn’t have an air conditioner until I turned age 10. 
            After getting our Frigidaire window air conditioner, my mom had a rule that it had to be at least 92 degrees before she’d turn it on. It might have been 95 degrees, I don’t remember.
            It ran most days as it was typically 95 degrees on a summer day in Oklahoma. At night, we’d turn the air conditioner off and turn on the attic fan. Attic fans were a common fixture in southern homes. Open all the windows and by morning, I’d be wrapped up in a blanket.
            I’m kind of spoiled these days. When it gets hot, the air conditioner comes on.
            I’m also a little spoiled about having a good mattress. 
We just want a plain mid-range firm mattress that is both comfortable, practical and that we don’t have to take out a second mortgage to pay for it.
          I can’t wait until we get a new one. The old one’s going out the door and on to the burn pile. 
         Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.