The Back of the Boat

boat instead of the boat with the young ladies from the University of Colorado

By Chris Campbell

As I type this I’m on a flight to Boston Some days it’s harder to leave than others. On those especially difficult days I like to scroll through some pictures I keep on my phone – pictures that remind me people are waiting for me at home

My most favorite picture is from a family vacation two summers ago It’s an action shot of the Campbell’s white water rafting in New Mexico It’s my favorite because it perfectly depicts our family

In the front is our youngest, Jacob. A big smile is plastered on his face He no longer has a paddle in his hand, because having fun is his goal. To his left is Noah…with the oar positioned across his shoulders He’s posing because he knows there’s a camera pointed at him. On the other side is Elijah, the rule follower His smile shows he’s having fun, but his paddle is in the water because he knows he’s supposed to be working, too Mom and Dad are in the back – content to let their kids be at the center of attention

A family of five paddling down the river…a river that metaphorically portrays life’s journey

There’s a sixth person in the boat. That’s Travis – our 24-year old guide Travis was a simple guy – he liked beer and girls (probably in that order) but was not especially fond of kids Travis felt he got the short end of the stick guiding our

Travis began our time teaching us the basics – detailing what we’d need to know for our trip down the Rio Grande. He let us know the dangers and the excitement that lay before us He also made it clear this was WORK…and he was not shy about “encouraging” our children to work harder He even took the opportunity to rearrange our seating to make the most of our strengths

When the water was calm Travis pointed out the beauty around us and shared some things about himself in order for us to know him better. When the water became rough Travis was all business, preparing us for what we were going to encounter. As we entered the rapids he shouted instructions like a Drill Seargent Robin and I would pass these instructions along to the boys. On one occasion our boat got stuck in the rocks, so Travis hopped into the water (into some scary rapids) and pried us free At the end of the day our family had a blast and we owed it all to Travis

Life is full of rapids and rocks illness, death, job-loss, unexpected life circumstances, etc. and without the right Guide it is impossible to navigate the river Sometimes we get stuck in those rocks, and no matter what we do we can’t break free Without the right Guide, there is no one to risk their life to push us down the river again Sometimes we’re not pulling our weight and it’s at those times we need a Guide to both admonish and encourage us. And then there are those times when the river runs slowly and our Guide implores us to look around and see all that there is to behold

Who’s in the back of your family’s boat?

Vintage Glass Serving Bowl Donated by Mr and Mrs Bill French

Quart of Junk Gypsy Chalk Paint and Furniture Painting Class Donated by Salvage Junky.

Tea and Bulldogs T-shirt, plus Retro Bulldog Country T-shirt Donated by Salvage Junky

Basket of North Texas Fair & Rodeo Goodies. Donated by North Texas Fair & Rodeo, Denton

In Kind Donors

Walmart, 20 briskets, Bill Smith, Howe Mini Storage, $300, Metal Masters, $1,000, Great Days of Service, labor and supplies, Keep Howe Beautiful, labor and supplies, The Siding Man, Inc., $2,800, AAA Guardian Foundation Repair, $2,500, Boyd Dunn, services, construction supervisor for Church Restoration, City of Howe, services, Monte Walker, posters and flyers, Howe High School, banner design and creation, GCEC, ladder trucks, Boy Scouts, painting of Mame Roberts gazebo, volunteer services, Matt, Mayo, electrical services, Howe Middle School Student Council, volunteer services, David Wortham, services, Brice Harvey, bbq cook, Dick Smithwick, bbq cook, Janie Finney, banners and signs, Don Anderson, auctioneer, Howe Enterprise, advertising, Van Alstyne Leader, advertising, Herald Democrat, advertising, Donna Wormsbaker, beans for BBQ dinner, Bev Martin, bread for BBQ dinner, Mary Jo Wrenn, bread for BBQ dinner, Georgia Caraway, tea for BBQ dinner, Jean Norman, coleslaw for BBQ dinner, Mama Suzy’s Sweets and Eats, 8 doz. sugar cookies for dinner, Mary Stonebarger, 8 doz. chocolate chip cookies for dinner, Sheri Folkes,, potato salad for BBQ dinner, Sunny Delight, 200 drinks, Dr Pepper, 5 cases Dr Pepper, Grayson County Blood Bank, radio ads, Howe Fire Department, use of building for BBQ dinner, Loretta Anderson, Texas Farm Bureau, 125 iced tea glasses, Darren Foster, Texas Farm Bureau, 125 iced tea glasses, Ronnie Morris, painting benches, Sonic, ice, Linda Wall, barbeque sauce

FINANCIAL DONORS:

Collins Memorial, $24,350

Howe Historical Society, $14,500

Georgia Caraway, $2,880

Oscar Blankemeyer, $1,420

Nortex Field Services, $1,000

Jerry and Patsy Kelsoe, $600

Garage Sales, $357 50

Advantage Business Machines, $200

Anonymous, $200

Scott Frantz, $200

TLD Design Consulting, $200

Norman Farms, $125, Bounce House

Janie Finney, $100, banners

Waldo Funeral Home, $100

Scoggins Funeral Home, $100

M E Curtis, $100

Monty Ulmer, $100

Anonymous, $50

City Drug of Van Alstyne, $50

Carolyn Monroe, $40

Children and citizens of Howe, $75

Ray Selby, $20

Bob Wills was one of the earliest stars of country music in Texas just as radio became popular Wills was one of the pioneers of western swing and inspired generations of country music artists.

James Robert Wills was born in the small community of Kosse, about 45 miles southeast of Waco, in 1905 He was born into a family of cotton farmers and musicians His father, John Tompkins Wills, was a popular local fiddle player and reportedly won several competitions

In 1913, the family moved to Turkey in the panhandle, eventually buying a farm in the area In spite of the musical education he received playing with his siblings, he grew bored as a teenager and left home at the age of 16, spending several years traveling by freight train. He returned home after a few years, but the music was waiting, and Wills began playing with a renewed energy

He moved to Fort Worth in 1929