By Alan Bittman
Not to sound melancholy, but someday all of us will be gone, leaving behind memories and a legacy. No, I am not depressed but, rather, proud that I have already made my bequest.
I was wise enough to share my love of the outdoors with my sons and daughter. I started taking them with me when they were quite young, haunting Greene County’s South River in the spring and chasing grouse and woodcock in the foothills of the Blue Ridge in the fall. To this day my children are some of my favorite outdoor buddies.
Summers we often camped on the Outer Banks. Surf fishing and body surfing by day, watching the sun disappeared into Pamlico Sound in the evening. After a supper of freshly caught fish we would hang out around the campfire, share stories and brag about the fish we caught. Now that I think about it the campfires were the best part of each day. No television, just songs and s’mores.
Though my children no longer live close by we still fish, hunt and camp together often. Night times around the campfire we still share stories, memories and John Barley Corn toasts to the day and the old days too.
I am glad to say that I have gotten something extra from my legacy. My children have shared their love of the outdoors with their children. Now I am fortunate enough to fish, hunt and camp with my grandchildren.
Outstanding!!
