Georgia Magazine - June 2010 - (Page 5)

GEMC ® M A G A Z I N E www.georgiamagazine.org (800) 544-4362, in Georgia; (770) 270-6950 GEORGIA Magazine, the largest-circulation monthly magazine in the state, is published by Georgia Electric Membership Corp. (GEMC), the trade association for Georgia’s 42 consumer-owned electric utilities. On average, more than 500,000 members welcome the magazine into their homes each month. Georgia’s not-for-profit electric cooperatives provide reliable, safe and affordable electric service to more than 73 percent of the state’s land area serving 4.5 million residents. For more information, visit www.georgiaemc.com. EDITOR Ann Orowski, CCC MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Hewett, CCC ASSOCIATE EDITOR Victoria Scharf DeCastro PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Steve Jacobs ASSISTANT EDITOR Kevin Braun ASSISTANT EDITOR Jim Jess CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Judy Woodward Bates, Evelyn D. Cornelius, Deborah Geering, Kizzy Howell, Jackie Kennedy, Ashley Kramer, Mary Ann Parsons, Randy Southerland, Bill Verner, Andrew Widener CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Advice to graduates and speakers BY PAUL WOOD President/CEO, Georgia Electric Membership Corporation I have never been asked to deliver a commencement speech. For that, I am sure many graduates are grateful. But if I were asked at some time in the future, I would divide the speech into two parts: 1) Advice to graduates and 2) Advice to graduation speakers. 10. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Advice to graduation speakers 1. Keep it brief. Less than 10 minutes is fine. 2. Don’t lecture. Your audience consists of “professionals” who, by this time in their academic careers, are adept at tuning out a lecture. Share with them, converse with them, even commiserate with them, but don’t lecture. 3. Leave them a-Twitter. They will be tweeting their friends during your speech, so give them something to tweet other than, “So lame; can’t believe doofus is still talking.” 4. Don’t try to share the wisdom of the ages with them; they already know it—all of it. 5. A life free of self doubt, pain and fear is not possible; knowing that, I wish you a life of peace and understanding, patience and courage. 6. Money isn’t everything; love is. 7. Keep it brief. Ten minutes? Six minutes is better. Over my lifetime, I have listened to more than a few graduation speeches. Some have been amusing, some serious, and almost all have been too long. The better ones do not incite but excite, do not offend but commend, and best of all, do not cynically denigrate the power of the possible; rather, they leave each listener with a sense of the unlimited possibilities for good that exist within the human spirit. I’ve never been asked, but that’s what I would say. 5 Lee Cathey, Joan Compton, Gary Dexter, Jim Diffly, Kizzy Howell, Patrick McComas, Tracy D. McCutchion, David H. Nash, Danny North, Scott Sawyer, David Stembridge, Cheyenne Stewart, Nichelle Stewart, Phillip Vullo, Steve Williams Advice to graduates 1. Listen. 2. Leave the beach ball at home. Life is not a beach. You will not need a ball; you will need your brains and your ethics. 3. Behave yourself; prove that you are worthy of your parents’ continued love and support. 4. Take the time to say thank you to the teachers who have meant the most to you, and give a special thank you to those who substantially added to your knowledge. 5. Learn to balance your checkbook. Do not accept your diploma unless you know how to do this task. 6. Turn in your credit cards at the door on your way out, and do not ask for another until you have a good job. 7. Focus on the job before you and do it well. No one cares what your parents do or who they know; they only want to see what you know and how well you apply that knowledge. 8. To have a friend, you must be a friend. Learn to give more than you take. 9. The U.S. Constitution does not guarantee happiness, only the pursuit thereof. When you discover the stuff of happiness is already within you, it will not be long before you have it in abundance. www.georgiamagazine.org ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Laurel George, (404) 541-0628; Laine Kirby Wood, (770) 289-5700 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE National Country Market, (800) 626-1181 DESIGNERS Trudie Thibodeaux, Kerstin Weis Mary Wellman, (770) 270-6981 SUBSCRIPTIONS 2010 ADVISORY BOARD Christy Chewning, Jeffrey Ferguson, Tony Griffin, Stacey Fields, Johnnie B. Hall, Pamela Keene, Doyle Medders, Jeff Pierce, Donnie Prince, Steve Rawl, Brandon Reese, Romeo Reyes, Tony Sinclair, Jere Thorne GEORGIA EMC OFFICERS CHAIRMAN Neal Talton, Flint Energies VICE CHAIRMAN Alice Mallory, Coweta-Fayette EMC SEC.-TREASURER Randy Crenshaw, Irwin EMC PRESIDENT/CEO, GEMC A. Paul Wood georgia Magazine (USPS-473120, ISSN 10615822) is published monthly by Georgia Electric Membership Corp., P.O. Box 1707, 2100 East Exchange Place, Tucker, GA 30085. Periodicals postage paid at Thomaston, GA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GEORGIA Magazine, P.O. Box 1707, Tucker, GA 30085. Printed in Georgia by Quad/Graphics. Acceptance of advertising by GEORGIA Magazine does not imply endorsement by the publisher or Georgia’s electric membership corporations of the product or services advertised. GEORGIA Magazine’s LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN, OR OMISSIONS OF, ADVERTISEMENTS, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR IN TORT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES TO THE ADVERTISER’S BUSINESS, SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF CHARGES FOR THE ADVERTISEMENT THAT WAS OMITTED OR IN WHICH THE ERROR OCCURRED. June 2010 http://www.georgiamagazine.org http://www.georgiaemc.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - June 2010

Georgia Magazine - June 2010
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Special Energy Report
Winning Reader Stories
Honorable Mentions: More Vacation Stories
Georgia on a Budget
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Gardening Tips
Georgia Cooks
Cookbook of the Month
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - June 2010