Page 168 - my-people-abbie-harris-beck

That's What Life is All About

by: W arren Harris Beck

Both my brothers liked to hunt and fish. I tried both for about an hour each; I
figured that was enough time spent, for me, for my lifetime. I would rather draw up
football plays. I'd distribute them during the day, and after school we would play the
game. If I wasn't playing the game, I was doing something that had to do with the game.
Today, I'm still running a pick-um sheet for the Quarterback Club. Sports was a big part
of our lives; although homework and studying came first with our parents.

I consider myself very lucky to have grown up with a beauty queen for a sister, to
watch my older brother play football, and to be able to teach my younger brother how to
play the game. However, I never taught my younger brother a single lesson in golf, and
that's what he became an All-American in. So much for my teaching skills. (And I later
became a teacher).

My parents taught me early in life to work hard on things you had a weakness in.
In the second grade, I could still only print. My Mother taught me how to write in cursive
after the school term ended, so I practiced all summer, and now people are amazed at my
penmanship. I couldn't talk plain, and I was terrible shy, so my Father always put me in
public speaking classes and encouraged me. Today, I sell insurance, I'm a broadcaster—
ME— and speak to groups throughout Alabama.

Growing up shy can create a lot of problems. Because of being shy, I was afraid
of my Sunday School teacher. I was four years old at the time. I would be all dressed for
Sunday School, and since our house was next door to the church, I would just walk to
class....or so my parents thought. I would walk that way, then go wait under our house,
which was built up off the ground for a garage. When I saw people leaving Sunday
School, I would walk back home and be ready to go on to Church. We all met back at
home after Sunday School and would go back together for Church. I was doing a great
job! However, one Sunday when all our family was walking up the steps to Church, my
Sunday School teacher happened to be walking up the steps at the same time. She turned
around and said, "We sure have been 'missin' Warren Harris at Sunday School." My Dad
took me back home and beat a lot of that shyness out of me.

Family and friends were a big part of my life. Life was work, study and play. I
have lived my dream. That's what life is all about.