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Randall Haley
There are good people you sometimes never meet. And that is a
shame.
Society has yet to figure out how to address the information
exchange in our rapidly evolving world. Literally overnight, social media has
made "authorities" out of unknown and often unqualified people.
Opinions have now become facts and the public is often swayed by penmanship
and celebrity rather than by knowledge and morality. Often times I am more
dismayed by the gullibility of the masses rather than by the false showmanship
of the "P.T. Barnum-types". People today are so easily swooned by
those trying to sell them something, it makes me wonder if I entered the wrong
profession. Oh how easy it would be.
In the hunting community there are folks starved for
information. And in today's high-tech world of information sharing, there is no
shortage of people willing to impart "information". Unfortunately,
when it comes to wildlife, most people consider themselves an expert and are
not shy to share their "knowledge". Having spent my life studying and
working with wildlife, some of the information I see shared often makes me
cringe. Regardless of the sketchy stuff, I truly believe there are two powerful
forms of information. "Knowledge," or science-based facts if you
will, and "Wisdom," cognitive gains through a lifetime of
experiences. Good teachers impart information from one or the other. Our best
teachers, however, impart from both.
Let me be clear. I do not consider myself to be amongst the
"best" teachers, I still have much to learn. I do however, consider
myself a good teacher. Therefore I am often clearing up bad information that is
so frequently shared. Though I try to set the record straight, I am often seen
as a know-it-all especially by those I contradict. And that's okay, for I am
not trying to educate them, for they are already informed and their opinions
are firm. I am, however, trying to educate the quiet ones. The "lurkers"
so to speak since they represent the majority seeking knowledge.
Now enter Randall.
I had learned to pick out the false prophets from those that
truly had something special to share, usually in the form of wisdom.
Randall is one of those guys.
Though he didn't seek higher education, I consider him to be a
highly-educated man. His lifetime of adventure in the outdoors is something I
could listen to for hours on end and I could always walk away with having
learned something I had not known before. His soft-spoken words and willingness
to share in his life's experiences immediately drew me to him and made him one
of my favorite teachers. Little did he know that I looked forward to reading
his comments whenever they were offered. I found his writings extremely
interesting and believed he held a wealth of information that was waiting to be
tapped. Thus, you can imagine my surprise when he sought "me" for
advice. Apparently he found the teacher in me and it renewed my spirits.
Though we've only known each other for a short time I can
tell you without a doubt, he is one of those guys you easily, and will always, appreciate in life. I know this because
out of the blue, he sent me a small gift, a CD of his, for no one reason at all
other than to simply lift my spirits...and reaffirm that he is "good
people".
And much like his stories, his songs are equally fulfilling.
My youngest son and I already can't stop singing "Gobblers Noggin'."
Randall you're a good one and I thank you for restoring my
faith in the people I try to teach.
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