It is not my age. If I break out one of the two tee shirts given me last year you will know. The shirts on the front read "Homer Hirt, Citizen of the Year" and on the back "Expiration Date 12-31-2011". These came to me because of an article I wrote bemoaning my lessening image with the Chamber. The incoming chairman of the Chamber, Mickey Gilmore, insisted that I should retain the designation until the new Citizen of the Year has been chosen, but a deal is a deal.

I do think, however, I have done a prime job. I made it to as many Grand Openings and Ribbon Cuttings and Road Kill Barbeques as my calendar would allow. Art Kimbrough quit introducing me at these events, but that is because I have challenged him lately but not at 5K races. I have been beating him to the guest speaker at the First Friday Power Breakfasts That are Often Held on the Third Friday. My greatest moment of glory was when our Lieutenant Governor came over. She is a Lieutenant Commander, U. S. Navy, Retired, as am I. When I casually mentioned this to her, she immediately ignored Art and she and I told sea stories well past my regularly allowed three minutes limit. She is also the prettiest lieutenant commander that I have ever seen.

So now a new Citizen of the Year must be selected. He or she cannot be on the Board and must not have had the honor before. If not for that, I would graciously accept the award again if I could have a larger plaque without my name on it. If your name is on an award it becomes almost impossible to pawn.

When I was called to the front at the Annual Meet last year, I modestly mentioned that it was about time that I got the award. I have been eligible for it since 1988. They almost waited too long. The Bible gives each person three score years and ten if he has lived a righteous life, and ten more if he can inveigle some time from an unsuspecting person. I am past that, and can't expect to be around much longer.

Let's look at who would be good candidates.

Sydney Stone, a young lady from Sneads, is an officer in the state Future Farmers of America and has done well. She has done so well that she will be going to China soon with some other outstanding young folk. Sydney can often be found running a checkout line at McDaniels Grocery in Sneads in her spare time. She usually smiles at me.

Last Halloween Sneads High School's Project Graduation set up a haunted house at the Log Cabin and asked for volunteers to operate it. A whole wad of students showed up to install the apparatus and to scare the bejeebers out of everyone. At the planning session a student, Caleb Howell by name, said: "Hey, Teach, we have been studying Edgar Allen Poe. Let's do a theme based on his writings". So Sneads' haunted house featured "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Telltale Heart" and "The Raven"; a good idea from a youngster who has listened and learned.

The Chamber's annual Farm/City Day Power Breakfast drew a huge crowd. Among all of the worthy farmers present was a leavening of FFA-emblazoned blue jackets. There were six or seven chapters represented and the awards that these young folk hold are many and varied. They orate and do Roberts' Rules and judge livestock, forests and lands and they are at the top in these skills.

On December Seventh the Marianna unit of the Civil Air Patrol held its annual "Wreaths Across America" ceremony at Pinecrest. They recognized the military veterans and, in conjunction with ceremonies across our country, decorated the resting places of those who served. The CAP members are those young folk in uniform who direct traffic at events across our county. On Saturdays they do physical fitness and salutes and learn about the Air Force and not to talk back to authority figures, like grandfathers.

So I hereby nominate the Youth of our county...the CAP, the FFA, the students that are paying attention to their teachers, and others, as Jackson County's Citizens of the Year, not as individuals but as a worthy group.

That part was easy. If they receive the honor, I will leave it up to Mickey Gilmore to find the money for their plaques.

Just don't put their names on them. Remember what I said about that!