When I was a boy growing up in Savannah, Ga., my family would take trips to visit some kinfolk who lived on a farm near Norway, S.C.

 

My Mom was from a little South Carolina town called Tarborough, and we had relatives throughout the low country. I knew exactly what it meant when we kids were told we were going to “the country.”

 

I always relished the opportunity to immerse myself in farm life, even though I grew up directly across from a small farm in Georgia.

 

The farm in Carolina was so big that I felt like I was the first explorer to discover some of the “nooks and crannies” of that vast real estate. Even now, it is a place that I retreat to in my mind and find peaceful memories of days gone by.

 

When water was needed, it either came from the hand pump or was drawn from the well. I remember peering over the edge of that well and thinking that it led to the center of the earth.

 

We thrilled at being able to drop the bucket into that well and pull up a bucketful of cool water to quench our thirst.

 

I have often thought about that well and the lessons it taught me about life.

 

In teaching my children, I would use that old well as an object lesson to show that the way a person speaks reveals the content of his or her heart. The tongue is nothing more than a bucket that draws from our inner reservoir and brings it to the surface for all to hear.

 

You won’t draw clear water from a polluted well.

 

I have worked in Youth Detention Centers where I have met kids who were acting out what they had been told. They believed that they were good for nothing and would never accomplish anything worthwhile because someone convinced them it was so.

 

Our words, whether spoken or blogged, are rarely neutral in their impact. They can be constructive or destructive. They can refresh or poison. They can add or subtract.

 

Do you remember the coach or the teacher who had confidence in you and believed you had value? Do you remember how they encouraged you with their words?

 

I hope you had someone like that in your life. Whether we received it or not, we all needed some encouragement along the journey.

 

I will never forget a Little League coach who made me feel like I could conquer the world. He would drop to one knee to be on my level, and he would look me in the eye.

 

He told me that he believed in me, and he made me believe I could get the job done. I love that man to this day.

 

That brings me to my point. We have, right here in our College Football Community, some writers who are younger than most. In fact, they are in High School and are remarkable writers. I am absolutely amazed at the quality of work that they put out.

 

They are asking for no freebies. If you read their articles, they will gain your respect by their knowledge, passion, and ability. They have what it takes.  

 

If you have not already met them, I want to introduce them to you. They are my friends, and I am proud of them and ask you to read their articles, become their fans, and encourage them to keep on writing.

 

If you know someone that has been overlooked, shine the spotlight on them in your comments.

 

I list them in no particular order, except ladies first.

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