Perhaps you are a collector of bobbleheads.
You know, those cute figurines you see on someone’s desk or on the dashboard of a passing car.
Often during sports seasons, teams will offer everyone attending a bobblehead of a player as a special treat for attending the game.
This week I experienced the passing of two people who were special to me.
Our friend and co-worker Buford Ervin left this world on Wednesday.
I first met Buford (kind of) during the Sovran Bank (predecessor to Bank of America) Sports Spectacular. This event brought together employees from around Virginia in various competitions including tennis, golf, volleyball and softball (among others).
At that time I worked for Sovran in Tidewater. Our co-ed team won the Eastern Regions Softball Tournament and advanced to the Statewide competition only to be throttled by the team from the Wester Region led by Buford.
Buford was their team captain and leader. They were a machine and beat us badly. I watched from afar as this man motivated his team to excellence. I shook his hand and walked off the field thinking, “We will get you next year.” We never did.
In banking I say either you have worked with someone, you are working with someone or you will work with someone. It is just the nature of our industry. It came true with me and Buford as we both came to work for a wonderful community bank, PVB.
On the same day, I learned of the passing of my uncle, Terry Harding. He was the last of my father’s brothers and sisters.
Terry was a free spirit and a jokester. More importantly to me, he was the quarterback for our backyard football games in the fall for both teams. We played in his backyard as it was one of the few level yards around. Those bright, sunshiny, fun fall days with my cousins are as clear to me today as if they just happened.
As we go through this world we are blessed to have good people enter our lives and show us friendship, care and love.
What if we had bobbleheads of these folks? Who would be your “Bobblehead Heroes”?
Some folks have bobbleheads created for them because of their status in sports.
I will take the bobbleheads of the folks who were real heroes and friends to me.
Stay safe.
– Leton
____________________________________________________________________
“Letters From Leton” is a blog series comprised of the weekly updates that Leton Harding – President, Chairman, and CEO of Powell Valley National Bank, shares with the Bank’s team members. These newsletters are full of uplifting anecdotes and intriguing insights that are applicable beyond the Bank, so we want to share them with you.
