Jim Morris is such a delight. I was blessed to not only get to know him for his inclusion in Panhandle Portraits, but to spend time with him in recent months on the radio and when he joined me for a special evening at the Jefferson County Museum. Jim is a down-to-earth guy and remains humble about his talents. In addition to teaching his craft, you can also give a listen to Jim's old-time music on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTJEdKfLCdSp9X0IOVYJCLQ, titled "Morbanjo." More banjo indeed—and more good folks like Jim, please.
Want to read about all the other folks in Panhandle Portraits? I profiled 77 wonderful West Virginians. Details about the two-volume set at http://www.katherinecobb.com/panhandle-portraits.html.
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After Jessica graduated from the Akhmedova Ballet Academy in 2017, she signed a contract for a paid apprentice position with the American National Ballet, a new ballet company. Unfortunately, six weeks into their season, they fired over 70 percent of the dancers (including Jessica), after they lost their funding. It was a tough year for the ballerina, as she had turned down other contracts to take the ANB job. She persevered, signing a contract with Ballet Magnificat earlier this year. The company will perform in Texas, Tennessee, Guatemala, Mexico and Cuba within the next seven months. According to her mom, Jessica is excited to be with this company as she gets to share two passions: her faith and love of ballet.
Want to read about all the other folks in Panhandle Portraits? I profiled 77 wonderful West Virginians. Details about the two-volume set at http://www.katherinecobb.com/panhandle-portraits.html I'm going to delve into the personal here for a minute. The recent allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh certainly rankled the nation from various perspectives, and I found my pot stirred aplenty. I couldn't help but revisit my own experiences, which total about ten really hideous abusive scenarios including rapes, sexual harassment on the job, men forcing themselves on me or groping me, and stalking. This does not include the hundreds of men who have catcalled, whistled, made suggestive comments, called me inappropriate names, checked me out top to bottom, made crude gyrations or propositioned me throughout my lifetime, starting at a very tender age—and still going strong. It also does not include the few times I came across a man exposing himself in public. The point is, for many women, this is common, common, common. We don't talk about it in terms of whether it's happened, but how often. What's my number? In the hundreds!
And it shouldn't be. It should be zero. This type of behavior shouldn't be the norm. It shouldn't be so widely accepted or swept under the rug. It shouldn't be explained with the lame phrase, 'boys will be boys.' And it certainly shouldn't be that women who dare to speak their truths be berated, dissected, threatened, disbelieved and made to feel like the lowest form of human being on earth. How many report? Pathetically few. It frequently isn't worth it. I admit, dredging all that up again made me angry. I've worked through plenty of the emotional turmoil over the years. I've written about it in columns and Skyline Higher in an effort to help people understand the realties and be proactive and prepared. But I now recognize I need to do more. Words are a wonderful thing, but words must be found by the reader, and that's not always the best way to reach the people who need the information most. As my wheels turn and I figure out next steps—how to deliver the message directly—my approach is focused on helping younger generations be prepared for these scenarios, because they aren't, and I don't anticipate them going away. Looking at my own experiences, I know exactly what I should have done differently. I know what worked and what didn't. I know clearly how I could have been prepared, for which I wasn't at all. Even today I am not always prepared. So what I ask from you is feedback on the following: 1) If you (or a family member) endured sexual harassment, assault or unacceptable behavior, I'd appreciate hearing about it but with the added commentary about what you wish YOU'D done differently. 2) In hindsight, what would have been most helpful to you in dealing with any of your scenarios? 3) If you could counsel a young woman* now, what would you do to prepare her for handling these scenarios? Your comments will help inform my project as I figure out the what, where and how. And if you've never told a soul about what's happened to you, feel free to start here with me. I've got your back. Thank you, Katherine *I realize men are affected by unwanted sexual advances and situations as well, but the majority of aggressors are men towards women, so I am using this as a baseline. Feel free to share from any viewpoint. Fulton Walker died at the age of 58 in his hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia, a month before I released Panhandle Portraits. I spent a memorable day with Fulton doing an in-depth article for a series on champions in the panhandle for the local newspaper, The Spirit, in addition to this spread in my book. Fulton was kind, humble, funny and generous of spirit. He had significant physical issues as a result of playing football, and part of our discussion had to do with the NFL and concussion protocol, and what had been happening to former players as they aged. I feel blessed to have shared some time with him, learn about his history and achievements, and I'm sure his passing has left a gaping hole in the hearts of his family and friends.
Want to read about all the other folks in Panhandle Portraits? I profiled 77 wonderful West Virginians. Details about the two-volume set at http://www.katherinecobb.com/panhandle-portraits.html Pete Pacelli and his wife have created a wonderful oasis in Capon Bridge, W. Va., with the Farmer's Daughter market and butcher. The shop is a whole animal butchery and full-service grocery dedicated to respectful and sustainable sourcing or as they say, "West Virginia's finest finest." They regularly whip up some of the tastiest sandwiches you've ever seen, put on fun pop-up events and have playful, drool-worthy marketing. They've won Good Food Awards in 2017 and 2108 for charcuterie, and that's no small feat. The San Francisco-based Good Food Awards "recognizes American food and drink crafters who demonstrate a commitment to creating tasty, authentic and responsibly made products and in doing so, better the nation’s food system," and in 2018, there were only 199 in the nation. People come from miles to shop at their joint, and people here in the region can catch them at the Shepherdstown Farmer's Market on Sundays while they're still going on. Go get yourself some capicola! Check out the website at https://www.farmersdaughterwv.com and their Facebook and Instagram pages (but get ready to drive to Capon Bridge for a sandwich, then!).
Want to read about all the other folks in Panhandle Portraits? I profiled 77 wonderful West Virginians. Details about the two-volume set at http://www.katherinecobb.com/panhandle-portraits.html. Here’s another young man to watch out for that I profiled in Panhandle Portraits. His name is Blaise Grove. In the two years since my books came out, Blaise has shot up to nearly 6'6" and 230 lbs. and has just begun his freshman year of high school! He was the second baseball commit in the country of the 2022 class, committing to the University of South Carolina, where fans are already following him on social media. The kid is still 14 years old (15 in November) and the accolades just keep rolling in. A left-handed pitcher (very desirable by coaches for those who don’t know), his highest recorded fastball to date is 92mph, which is astounding. The Perfect Game rankings for his class just came out and Blaise was ranked the #1 LHP in the country! Stay tuned, because Blaise Grove is likely going to become a household name. Go Blaise!
Want to read about all the other folks in Panhandle Portraits? I profiled 77 wonderful West Virginians. Details about the two-volume set at http://www.katherinecobb.com/panhandle-portraits.html I profiled Steve Rinker in Panhandle Portraits because his history with Indian motorcycles is fascinating and I appreciate that he participates in the coast-to-coast Cannonball races that feature old bikes like his. He and his sons have just begun the 2018 Cannonball, and if you want to read along with their progress, you can check in with his blog at https://bucksindian.wordpress.com.
Want to read about all the other folks in Panhandle Portraits? I profiled 77 wonderful West Virginians. Details about the two-volume set at http://www.katherinecobb.com/panhandle-portraits.html. Do you need a dose of goodness? With all the angst churning in our current events—and even our own personal interactions that go awry (think road rage, inconsiderate neighbors, kids getting bullied)—I think we all do.
Whether you are a fan of the Diesel Brothers, or have never heard of them, they recently served up a slice of good, old-fashioned American values. Diesel Brothers is the name of the Discovery show that follows a cast of characters from the DieselSellerz team as they build or restore diesel vehicles and either sell them for profit or give them away. The “characters” I mention are the owners, mechanics and other skilled personnel who work at DieselSellerz, and that includes guys with nicknames like Heavy D, Diesel Dave, Red Beard and The Muscle. These guys not only have a good time with their builds and shenanigans (and no boring drama subplots—bonus!), but a very creative way of explaining what they are doing during each segment. Am I big diesel fan, you may wonder? Eh. What do I know? My husband, on the other hand, is a mega-fan. Although he’s owned six or seven trucks since I’ve known him (the last two were diesel), his current ride is a Dodge Cummings he refers to as “the holy grail” for its unusual, but desirable, configuration. He swears it may be his last truck—he loves it that much. I won’t hold my breath on that last statement, but I will admit he professes love for his truck multiple times a year. Not as much as he does for me and maybe his sons, but it ranks right up there. Trucks have been a part of my man’s automotive fabric for decades—in part, by necessity (he used to be a carpenter), but as he’s said many times, once you’ve had a truck, you can never live without one again. And I agree they are tremendously useful. If he were forced to narrow down his fleet to one vehicle, the holy grail Dodge would be the clear winner. Anyway . . . we were watching an episode of the Diesel Brothers this past week and what they did really touched me. And not just me, but a lot of macho guys out there, according to the comments on their Facebook feed, because I went and read through it. Heavy D watched a viral video showing a man and his family, whose truck had broken down at a campsite, being treated poorly by another man who wanted him to move out of his spot. After spewing profanity and insults, and essentially extorting money out of the family, the confrontational man moved the broken trailer. Heavy D felt this was one of the most un-American displays he’d ever witnessed. Is this how we help our fellow man in distress? Absolutely not. As such, he wanted to show this man and his family what the true American spirit looks like, attempt to right this wrong and turn a negative situation into a positive one. After the Diesel Brothers determined they wanted to help the beleaguered family, they threw out the call to their social media supporters for additional aid. The call was generously answered by citizens and companies wanting to help. The combined support enabled the Diesel Brothers to identify and locate Jose Caballero, who agreed they could take his broken truck and turn it into something bigger and better. They also loaned Jose Heavy D’s own truck during the upgrade, not a bad loaner vehicle. The resulting reveal was pretty spectacular. Jose was overcome with emotion, and when he voiced being undeserving of such a gift, the gang quickly reassured him he was. After Jose inspected and then drove the improved truck, Heavy D steered him around a bend, where a new camper and other products were displayed, all gifts for the Caballero family to enjoy camping in the future. It really was quite a sight, and about as American as it gets. Even the Diesel Brothers guys were shedding a few tears. I love it when people pull together for good works, and this was that in spades. As for the man (ironically, a diesel mechanic) who treated Caballero badly, since the video aired, he’s been fired from his government job for violating county policies of not acting in a professional and courteous manner and refraining from using offensive language. Reports said five people from the event were charged with various third-degree felonies and misdemeanors. The episode, “Yes Way, Jose,” aired recently on the Discovery Channel, to lots of warm and fuzzy viewer feelings. Check it out if you need a dose of humanity. Watch the episode at https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/diesel-brothers/ (or click on the photo above). @the_diesel_dave @heavydsparks #dieselbrothers After a satisfying 15-year run, this is my last column for The Journal as I’m departing West Virginia soon and heading to southern Virginia. This wasn’t completely expected but I’ve learned to take life’s twists and turns in stride, and I’m ready for a new adventure. That said, my feelings about leaving are bittersweet.
I have lived in West Virginia for 25 years, and my heart eventually deepened its roots after destiny planted me here. I got married, moved into my husband’s 1870s fixer-upper home in Charles Town and together, we tackled restoring—and improving—it to the handsome folk Victorian it should be. We raised three sons in it, along with dogs and other pets, throughout the years. We hosted countless birthday celebrations, dinner parties, Christmases and extended family gatherings. Nearly every Halloween, we scared the heck out of those brave enough to come through our makeshift haunted houses and scary scenarios. We watched our sons mature into young men as they explored activities they enjoyed, fell in love, worked different jobs and embraced traditions important to our family. One by one, they left the nest to begin their adult lives with our youngest finishing up college this coming year. In the past two and a half decades, my husband and I also changed or broadened careers, pursued hobbies and forged a stronger union. We learned life is fleeting, so we better be grateful for the moments we are together. Here recently, we finally started focusing more on our dreams and being mindful about how we spend our time. I’ve forged some significant relationships during my stay in West-by-God. From work colleagues to neighbors to the volume of folks you meet through your kids’ activities, I’ve made many friends. Fitness endeavors alone have provided an army of pals from my CrossFit tribes to the Mud Dogs to the Bros & Bras. I began my writing career here, a dream that budded in my teen years and continues to unfold. It has included not only 15 years of columns for The Journal, but hundreds of articles and columns for regional publications, a published short story and my official launch into the world of author. I first wrote Skyline Higher, a novel exploring the tumultuous world of a young girl entering high school, and I share my own intense experiences from those years at the end of the book. Skyline Higher received strong reviews, and feedback from women of all ages has been especially fulfilling. I next spent several months traversing the eight counties of the Eastern Panhandle photographing and interviewing everyday folks for my two-volume set of Panhandle Portraits. After all my years of publication work where I featured mostly everyday heroes, it was gratifying to showcase a fine sample of West Virginians, a group so often negatively stereotyped. I next released a compilation of my favorite columns titled It Is What It Is. Coming out soon is my second novel, Fifty, Four Ways, an entertaining read about four baseball moms who read Fifty Shades of Grey, set in our very own Eastern Panhandle. Aside from all the traveling I did for Panhandle Portraits, I feel lucky to have visited or driven through most of West Virginia. My middle son introduced me to the gorgeous Fayette County, where he took me whitewater rafting and gave me a birds-eye view of Bridge Day. Hiking around the New River Gorge is a must if you haven’t been there. He also married the love of his life along the banks of the Gauley River a couple of years ago, providing me with an unforgettable day. My youngest child, through an active baseball career from age six to playing at the collegiate level, has led us throughout the state to small towns, bigger venues and the state capitol, where his image was displayed on a Jumbotron during the state tournament. Plenty of other activities had us in many of West Virginia’s nooks and crannies—and of course, the area we live is chock full of history, recreation and charm. I can say West Virginia is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth from its rivers to its mountains to its forests to its hollows. The history is a treasure. The people are diverse and mostly, dang friendly. We’ve made a lot of memories, suffered our losses and disappointments, buried our beloved pets, celebrated life and successes, all right here. And for my loyal readers—thank you for your kind comments, recognition when we’ve met by chance and support across the years. Please stay in touch through my website and come to my final author appearance at the Jefferson County Museum on Thursday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. I’ll miss you, West Virginia. Your country roads will be forever in my heart. This column was published in The Journal on Sunday, July 8, 2018. Photos: I have thousands of photos of my years in West Virginia; this is just a small sampling touching on some of my topics. Someone accused me of sounding like one of those older folks who lament how the young whippersnappers just don’t understand anything or appreciate what they’ve got nowadays.
It might be true. I’m only 54, but when I think of all the changes that have transpired since my youth to now, it’s hard not to shake my head and feel these newer generations have really missed out. The truth is, I love how I was raised in the 70s. Most of the kids I knew had a pretty ideal childhood. We played hard, were given a long leash to roam and aside from a few chores and going to school, had a lot of time to ourselves. In my neighborhoods, we’d gather in packs and generally stay out all day playing in streets and backyards, on school playgrounds, in nearby parks and at each other’s houses. We’d make it back before dinner and sometimes head outside for a nighttime game of kick the can or hide and seek. Even though we had one TV, there wasn’t much on except for cartoons on Saturday mornings and some cool shows like “Star Trek” and “Happy Days” and the Sunday night lineup of “Wild Kingdom” followed by “The Wonderful World of Disney.” Even after the first video game came out—Pong—we weren’t glued to the screen maneuvering it. No one played sports year round; we did it for fun. Some kids participated in organized sports, but it was balanced, not the crazy schedules and leagues happening nowadays where it’s hard for any sport to be strictly recreational. And let’s just chat about the phone for a minute. There was one, and it was plugged firmly into the wall. I loved getting phone calls, and I remember my excitement the Christmas I received a phone to place in my room, but it was used fairly sparingly because my friends and I were together often. Crushes and break-ups are still a thing of glory and angst today, but even that was better years ago, because you couldn’t text, sext, friend, unfriend, like or block anyone at your whim. There was no incessant communication or social media. There was just agonizing alone time, wondering how the other person was getting along without you and after a break-up, the hope you wouldn’t have to see your ex with someone else at school. Going to a movie was a pretty big deal, too. There were no VCRs or DVD players, no computers, no Internet. You could catch an old movie on television but the only place to see a new release was at the theater or drive-in. Lines would stretch around the theatre for big films like Star Wars and ET, and they’d play for long stretches. Many theaters were grand, set-up to show one movie at a time to a large audience vs. the small, multiplexes of today that air a new release for one week. Other things we did for fun (for ten bucks or less) was see a rock concert, ski at a major resort all day or snag a bleacher seat at a Major League Baseball game. Things are different now, both better and worse. My first concern is how do people appreciate what they have if they have no idea what life was like before it was invented? I’m not sure they can. My second is what happened to intention? I’ve watched kids and adults glom on to technology and lifestyle changes as soon as they’re mainstream. There’s no deliberate thought or questions. Should I use this gizmo? How should I spend my time? How does my behavior or choices affect my relationships with others? What are my values and goals, and does this fill-in-the-blank thing fit in with them or erode them? I also see fewer people being thoughtful about opinions or making an effort to hunt down their own facts (reading something online, source unknown, does not make it a fact) or believe whatever their mother/ significant other/ candidate/ relative believes. It’s all a tad unnerving, especially when some inventions and practices dumb us down. I want our younger generations (actually, all generations) to wake up, think for themselves, be gutsy, question convention, live purposefully and not head down the path of doing what everyone else is because it seems easy or the least resistant. And I would love people to incorporate the best of yesterday and today because they find value and fulfillment in it. If we can do that, I’ll be spared the path of self-righteous “when I was a kid” storyteller and the world will be a better place. Or maybe I’ll just keep my mouth shut and revel in smelling the sweet honeysuckles in bloom and wearing my cutoffs like the 70s kid I am. This column was printed in The Journal on Sunday, June 10, 2018. |
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