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Heroes
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Ed was born
June 19, 1956, to Ed and Barbra Williams in
Forsyth, Georgia. He was raised in Juliette
and is a proud product of the Monroe County
public school system.
Ed’s life
took a decided turn in 1995 when he bought a
home computer and began writing down wild
old stories about his upbringing in Juliette.
These stories, through an unusual series of
events, were published in 1998 in hardback
under the title, "Sex,
Dead Dogs, and Me: The Juliette
Journals."
Ed’s book
started out in four bookstores in Macon,
Georgia - through word of mouth and the
internet eight months later he was being
stocked nationally in the Books A Million
chain. In December of 2000, Southern Charm
Press out of Atlanta purchased the rights,
and published it in paperback. Since
then, Ed's second book, entitled "Rough
As A Cob: More From the Juliette
Journals," has been released (March
2003) in both hardback and trade paperback formats
by River City Publishing. His third book,
tentatively titled, "Honin' The
Tulip: Yet More Juliette Journals," is
currently being considered for future
publication.
Recently, Ed
appeared on the Georgia Public Radio
program, "Cover to Cover", and has
begun writing a weekly nationally syndicated
newspaper column called "Free
Wheelin'." He is in demand as a
speaker, and is already being compared to
some of Georgia’s most noted humorists.
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Heroes aren’t always what we think they’re supposed to be. Most of us think about heroes when we think of people like firefighters or policemen, or people who work hard to help underprivileged folks. Those are all obvious hero types. There’s also another kind of hero, though, one that’s just as meaningful, and I’ve just discovered him. Funny thing is, I’ve known him all along.
Doesn’t make much sense, does it? Don’t worry, give me time. Sometimes a guy comes along, a guy who’ll probably never grace the front pages of the New York Times, but a guy who has special character, a depth of heart that sets him apart from others. A guy who has more gentleness, grace, and dignity than most of us will ever know. And a guy who I admire more than I can tell you.
“Ed, just who is this guy?” I can almost feel your questions coming through my computer screen. I won’t dally, I’ll go ahead and tell you. He has no idea that I’m writing this, but I’m pretty sure he’ll find out either as he reads his paper or from someone telling him about this article. The guy I’m talking about is a good friend of mine, his name is Keith Jones, and he lives over in Milledgeville.
What’s so special about Keith? I’m glad y’all asked me. I first met him years ago when he married Deb’s first cousin Janet. They had a very nice wedding, I was amongst those in attendance, and I initially met him there. For some reason he seemed a little preoccupied that day, but I’ve since forgiven him for that. Janet had a five year old daughter by her first marriage when they got married, a pretty little girl named Jessica, so I remember thinking even back then that Keith must be a pretty special guy. It was quite obvious that he loved Janet, and I figured he loved her enough that he was willing to take on not just a new wife, but a new daughter as well. Little did I know just how seriously and to heart Keith would take that responsibility over the coming years.
We started seeing each other at various and sundry family gatherings, and we started talking to each other, a little at first, and then more as time passed. At first, we seemed an ill-matched twosome - a wild, Juliette country boy paired up with this serious Milledgeville engineer. But then the pieces started fitting together - I learned that Keith was a graduate of Georgia Tech, which meant that he had my instant respect. I also found that he was very conversant in politics, sports, and almost anything else that’s worth discussing. We began growing a tad closer as the years passed. During those years I also noticed something else that was very special about Keith. He was very deferential towards Janet, he constantly helped her and was quite attentive whenever he was around her. He also extended that same respect towards Jessica, treating her like she was his very own. And in time, that’s exactly what happened, Jessica became Keith’s very own. He’d never tell anyone this, because it’s not his style, but he basically raised Jessica. He took her to school functions and activities of various sorts, helped her with her homework, and wrote all the checks in the process. Bottom line, he provided her with both the emotional and financial support that a good father should. Best of all is, he didn’t have to do it, he simply chose to. Heroes are like that.
Why do I write about him now? Well, I just spent yesterday evening watching a lovely young woman named Jessica get married to a fine young man. The ceremony was marked with several tender moments, but none as much so as when I saw Keith walking her up the aisle. I looked and smiled, thinking back to the time that Keith and I went to both a Georgia Tech football game and an Atlanta Braves game played during pouring rainstorms all in the same day. My thoughts then jumped to all the times I’d watched him interact with Jessica and Janet over the years, and then I realized something. I realized that Keith really symbolizes what a hero is all about, someone who does something good and noble simply because it’s the right and decent thing to do, and someone who makes you feel proud inside to count them among your friends. And I‘m very proud to be Keith‘s friend, and this is my way of acknowledging that.
Please forgive me if I surprised you, Mr. Jones, but it needed to be said...
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Ed’s latest book, “Rough As A Cob,“ can be ordered by calling River City Publishing toll-free at: 877-408-7078. He’s also a popular after dinner speaker, and his column runs in a number of Southeastern publications. You can contact him via email at: [email protected], or through his web site address at: www.ed-williams.com.
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