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I was a facilitator in a local Book Study for “The Noticer” by Andy Andrews, an excellent author. “The Noticer Returns” is the second book in the series, and we will focus on it for our next study. For Father's Day, I requested the third one appropriately titled “Just Jones” since the noticer prefers to be called Jones. Of course, Jones is someone who notices things and often states: “Life is a matter of perspective.”

The books are primarily fiction, but Andy actually did meet Jones when he was in need of finding meaning, purpose, and direction in life. Both of Andy's parents died during his nineteenth year, and he ended up living under a pier in Alabama. One day, Jones approached Andy while he was under the pier and helped him find his way. Jones said things like the following: 

"Reading … listening … being quiet occasionally--quiet enough to deeply consider what you are learning--these are ways one can wring context from what had previously been mere fact. Commit to these activities, and you possess an advantage that will make itself known in every area of your life. … You know, a lot of folks will tell you that little things don't matter. You'd better turn that on its ear son. Little things do matter. Sometimes, little things matter the most. Everybody pays a lot of attention to big things, but nobody seems to understand that big things are almost always made up of little things.”

Due to HSJ Online being one of twenty-four not-for-profit organizations receiving a grant from the Hawcreek-Flat Rock Area Endowment, I attended the 110th Annual Hope/Clifford/Hauser Alumni Banquet. The banquet generated much thinking on my part, how a few people back in 2002 noticed the importance of collaborating with the Heritage Fund and creating the Hawcreek-Flat Rock Area Endowment. On their website, you can find Bud Herron's story explaining how it all developed with the names of a few people, names many readers will recognize: Bill Lentz, John Norman, Merrill Clouse, Don Dillman, Charlie Biggs, Shirley Roberson, Tom Miller, Gordon Elsbury, Julie Glick, Sherry Stark, and Beth Parkhurst. Bud ended his article with these words: 

“Seeds are just seeds. They are necessary blessings. It is the pollen with the watering and the sunshine of many people which launched this Endowment, and which will serve the people of this special place for time to come.”

In 2022, only twenty years later, there was a major Hope Town Square Celebration due to the fund reaching over a million dollars and consequently allowing the committee of volunteers to distribute even more than in previous years to the many good causes in our area, $54,940 to be exact in 2024!

It is a milestone I often speak of when praising Hope. It would not have been possible without a few noticers in 2002 who were capable of thinking outside the box and many other noticers following. It is one of many great stories. You don't have to look far in the Hope area to find noticers, individuals who genuinely care about others and our small towns. The list of individuals, organizations, and businesses would be very extensive.

I also received a children's book for Father's Day, “Noticing” by Kobi Yamada. One of my favorite pages among several states, “The miraculous is everywhere and in everything waiting for us to notice it. Waiting for us to appreciate it. Waiting for us to love it.”