May 2020 - Vol. 1, No. 5
The passing of a legend
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Listen, 2020. You can stop at any time. This year is too much to bear.
As if we thought this year couldn't get any worse. COVID-19, abbreviated school year, the cancellation of Spring sports, never-ending telework, and pretty much any other activity you can think of, the Union Pines Vikings family received another stunner in mid-May.
 The sudden passing of Union Pines Athletic Director, Bobby Purvis, sent shock waves through not only the Viking nation but across Moore County and the North Carolina High School (NCHSAA) community.
In the days and weeks since his passing, many have shared their stories of Coach Purvis. Most were funny, and a few more were poignant, but these stories all captured the essence of him as a person, a coach, and an administrator.
Even though I've only covered Union Pines for six years, I have a few funny stories about interactions with Coach Purvis as well. They usually involved those Spring booster ticket sales, senior student-athlete recognitions, or more recently, when he mysteriously appeared in the digital media world with a Facebook profile, much to the wonderment of many of us!
Through it all, he was all was kind and courteous to me as a non-local and as a photojournalist. I believe that once he figured out what I was about and what I hoped to do for Union Pines, I was good to go in his mind.
There is an old saying that "Everyone is replaceable." I don't believe that applies to Coach Purvis. His institutional knowledge, his care and love for Union Pines, and his genuine character and spirit will be unmatched.
Rest easy, Coach Purvis. You were a great and faithful servant to your family, Union Pines, and the community. We all miss you more than you could ever know.
Forward this email to someone who is done with 2020.
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Another month of no sports. Another month of backyard wildlife.
The surprise of the month was the Red-Tailed Hawk. It was on the ground in the lot next to our house that our new dog, Gidget, and I surprised.
It flew to a pine tree and provided overwatch of the neighborhood.
The other images are a photogenic Mockingbird in our Crabapple tree, a Chipping Sparrow caught with its mouth full at the feeder, a Cotton Tail Rabbit eating blueberries (the Mockingbirds were not happy), and a Monarch butterfly on a Butterfly bush.
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It's been a few years since we've had a dog. When I married Natalie in 2001, two dogs and two cats came with the marriage vows. All were previous rescues.
Over the years, Buddy and Phoebe (the dogs) and Moses and Lucky (the cats) have all passed. Buddy, a Sharpei/Chow mix, lived to be 9; Phoebe, a Yorkshire Terrier; and Lucky lived to be 18; and Moses lived up to his name and made it to 20. Or was it 21? He was old when he passed.
Our house has always had furry family members. Over the years, Rocky, Bella, and Emmie, also rescue cats, came into our household. Until about three weeks ago when that all changed.
Now we have a dog named Gidget.
This little 17-pound fur baby is a Corgi/Rat Terrier mix, and yes, she is also a rescue. An elderly couple in Georgia who couldn't care for her anymore surrendered her for adoption. Now, she lives us, another old couple!
As you can see, Gidget has made herself right at home.
Rocky and Emmie, on the other hand, are still trying to figure out who the interloper is in their house. Bella, the middle cat, is like, "Whatever. So long as you feed me."
She does well on a leash and, for the most part, is pretty well-mannered and takes most commands. She's also pretty photogenic, as you can tell. I'm sure there are some memes in her future.
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Closing Thoughts:
The road ahead
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About a week ago, I thought to myself, "If everything continues to trend as it has over the past few weeks, we might be in pretty good shape."
Might, I said.
I get it. Many of us are impatient people. We are used to going where we want, when we want, and how we want to get there.
But that was then, and this is now.
What has given me pause is what I have seen in recent months. Shortages in grocery stores, reduced operating hours, closed small businesses, and lines at those stores that are open. Now racially-charged riots but not because of COVID-19.
Then there is the never-ending stream of propaganda from both the left and the right. It's mind-numbing.
Saturday morning, I was watching and reading news from across the spectrum - left, center, and right - and immediately noticed one glaring item missing from the news cycle. Where was the reporting on COVID-19? It was almost non-existent as if it had never happened.
I do not believe that any of us on this Earth knows what the future will look like going forward.
However, I do believe some individuals or groups are trying to shape it into a future that they desire it to be for themselves and those closest to them and not for the greater good of the people or society.
Regardless, we need to stick together and look out for each other, especially our families.
In the end, our families and each other are all we have.
Be safe out there, and I hope to see you soon in happier and calmer times.
Image source:
(Adobe Stock Images)
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