Georgia Magazine - October 2012 - 5

BY PAUL WOOD President/CEO, Georgia Electric Membership Corporation

www.georgiamagazine.org (800) 544-4362, in Georgia; (770) 270-6500

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 notfor-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 EDITORIAL INTERN Vanessa Schill CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jane F. Garvey, Bobbi Otis, Bryan Richardson, Tammye Vaughn, Kathleen Walls, Kathy Witt CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Brian Barnett, Phil Bearden, T.C. Broadnax, Julie Burks, Leisa Cole, Jane F. Garvey, Dale Hurren, Harriett Hyde, Tom Raymond, C.P. Satyajit, Patrick Walden, Kathleen Walls ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

Tomorrow–always a great day

Laurel George, (404) 541-0628; Laine Kirby Wood, (770) 289-5700 Country Market, (800) 626-1181 National

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

DESIGNERS

Trudie Thibodeaux, Kerstin Weis Mary Wellman, (770) 270-6981

SUBSCRIPTIONS

2012 ADVISORY BOARD

Matthew Akins, Gale Cutler, Ren Davis, Nicole Dover, Hinson Mosley, Steve Mullice, Amy Orr, Jane Perfect, Rodney Reese, Angela Shipp, Brad Thomas, Louis Tonsmeire, Neal Trice

GEORGIA EMC OFFICERS CHAIRMAN Alice Mallory, Coweta-Fayette EMC VICE CHAIRMAN G. Anthony Norton, Snapping SEC.-TREASURER Randy Crenshaw, Irwin PRESIDENT/CEO, GEMC A. Paul Wood

Shoals EMC

EMC

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.

don’t spend a lot of time looking back nostalgically to relive better times. I’m more interested in looking toward the future, and I do so with great expectations for what it will bring. The Internet’s social networks are full of people sharing photos of the good times they experienced with friends long ago. Many remember days in high school or college as the best of their lives. For me, looking backward is not a productive activity unless the goal is to recall all the mistakes I’ve made in order to avoid repeating them. George Washington, someone wrote, made many mistakes but never repeated any. If looking back could guarantee such discipline, I would be all for it. For most of us, however, tomorrow offers the best opportunity to stimulate the brain to experience even better times than any a fading memory might conjure up with an old photo. Every doctor will tell you that. That stimulation is not going to happen while sitting in front of a TV all day or hurrying to a restaurant for the senior citizen discount before 6 p.m. Great things don’t happen to us by accident. When renowned scientist Louis Pasteur was asked how it felt to stumble upon a new scientiﬁc discovery, his answer was always the same: “Chance favors the prepared mind.” In that spirit, I will tell you, with conviction, great things are in store for those who refuse to stop learning, refuse to stop caring, refuse to stop exploring life’s opportunities. Most who reach my age are aware of their accumulated lifetime of wisdom, and many have the ability to focus anew on any subject that inter(Contined from front

ests them. I applaud them. The late Hugh Downs, who spent a successful career in broadcasting, always wanted to be a doctor. When he arrived in his mid-60s, he went back to school and earned a postgraduate degree in gerontology. Eventually, he wrote a book to help others with their postcareer journey. I’m not suggesting you should ignore the wonderful images in your memory that you will always cherish. One of the great pleasures in life is to pull out those mental images from time to time. Just don’t overlook the pleasures to be derived from each new day, and look forward with anticipation to the moment of discovery awaiting you when tomorrow arrives. If you have time, put photos of your new experiences and discoveries on Facebook or Flickr. Share them with your friends—and send a couple to me. I visited an old friend in the hospital recently. I have known him many years, and it was sad to see him entering the end days of his life. As we talked quietly for a few moments, he began to smile. I asked what he was thinking, and he replied, “I can’t wait until tomorrow. I have so much to do.” Then, it was my turn to smile, and I told him, “Tomorrow will be a great day for you.”
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PAUL WOOD is the president and CEO of Georgia Electric Membership Corp., headquartere d in Tucker. Georgia EMC represents Georgia’s 42 electric membership corporations (EMCs), Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp., providing electricity to more than 4.5 million residents and businesses in Georgia.

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Prior to his move to Georgia, Wood was executive director of the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives . Today, he has become one of Georgia’s most fervent promoters through his service to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, 4-H Foundation, FDR Warm Springs Memorial Advisory Committee and KidsPeace. In 2004, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue tapped Wood to serve as co-chairman of the Governor’s Conference on Tourism, and, in 2007, Wood to chair the Commission Perdue also asked for a New Georgia Service Delivery Taskforce. Not long after Gov. Nathan Deal was inaugurated in 2011, he appointed Wood to serve on his newly formed Georgia Competitiven ess Initiative. During his nearly half-century of service to electric membership cooperatives, Wood has held many leadership positions, including president of the Rural Electric Statewide Managers’ Association.

Visit www.georgiamag azine.org to order “It’s My View,” a hardbound book featuring 100 of the magazine readers’ favorite columns from past years.
What readers say about “A new decade begins” was just chock-full of wisdom that many on both sides of the of our leaders aisle seem to lack. I’d like to shake your hand tell you how much I think of you.” one day and “Viewpoint,” the monthly column of Paul Wood: —Dave K., Townsend, Ga. inspirational in his common-sense approach to everything!” —Jamie W., Richmond Hill, Ga. “Paul, keep up the good work. I always enjoy your articles.” “Mr. Wood … is so —Larry W., Perry, Ga. “I am thrilled about this book. Paul Wood’s ‘Viewpoint’ is the first the magazine.” thing I read in —Anita J., West Point, Ga. “Thank you very much for the ‘Viewpoint’ article, ‘Growing older? This is a splendid article Who, me?’ on aging. We always enjoy Paul’s articles …” —Jeanette G., Cleveland, Ga. “My GEORGIA Magazine arrived yesterday. … Wood’s. His words My first article is always ring true to me. Please Paul pass along my applause.” —Angela S., Blairsville, Ga. “Paul Wood always gives us something to think about.” —Vickie H., Thomson, Ga.
IT’S MY VIEW 2011
JACKET DESIGN BY TRUDIE THIBODEAUX JACKET PHOTOGRAP HY BY LOUIS TONSMEIRE PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. © 2011 GEMC GEORGIA MAGAZINE

GEORGIA Magazine readers have loved Paul Wood’s monthly most 15 years; response columns for alto the magazine points of every issue. After numerous readers suggestedto this being the most-read page columns in a book, that Wood put his “Viewpoint” he did. This book is the result.

It’s My View

for …

It’s My View

It’s My View
A collection of readers ’ favorite ‘Viewpoint’ columns from GEOR GIA Magazine
President/CEO, Georgia Electric

By Paul Wood

Membership Corp.

hen Paul Wood write in his monthly “View GEORGIA Magazin reflections are often laced lessons he learned while g town of Natchitoches , La. One has only to read gain an appreciation for a faith and education. Small towns in the 195 The character of the town’s shaped by adults who accep in life, putting every child o and successful citizenship. I “Remember who you are” w small-town mother, a cautio on your best behavior when door to meet the world. A te that anyone in the communi report.” In Wood’s column, “Goo remember growing up when born, perhaps with parents w understand it. In “My mother raise,” you’ll discover Paul’s p humor. In “The parade of our it all about,” he waxes philoso meaning of life. In “Good frien times,” you’ll think of someon when the going was rough. He advice for graduates looking fo celebrating the Fourth of July a a more meaningful Christmas f There is also considerable comm officials could make governmen levels. Hardly any subject escap opinion of Paul Wood. This collection of readers’ f is more than a nostalgic look at reminder that many of those learned are just as applicable ear tod in mid-20th-century America. W every person possesses a unique discovered and cultivated, has th change the world. At the very lea is apt to find Wood’s insights a he for understanding the problems th complicated world in early 21st-c

By Paul Wood

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October 2012

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Georgia Magazine - October 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - October 2012