“Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it.” I have thought about that saying a great deal lately, especially since the first Thursday in August. That was the day my first article ran, the day I became an official part of The Meridian Star Outdoors page.

I had set a goal for myself at the beginning of 2019 to be more intentional with my writing. I had written as a guest for the Outdoors page over the years and I was writing on a regular basis for Mississippi Bowhunter Magazine, but I wanted more.

Well, more is just what I got! Not only did I get my first nationally published article this year in the National Wild Turkey Federation’s “Turkey Country” Magazine, I also became a weekly Outdoors columnist for my hometown newspaper. I remember how excited I was leaving Editor Dave Bohrer’s office after we agreed that I would take over the column. Then it hit me – you have to write a weekly column!

You may have picked up on the fact that I place great value on the role of mentors in all aspects of our lives. I’ve mentioned several of those in the brief time I have been writing my column and this week I would like to thank a few.

My start in journalism came in high school with The New Albany Gazette. The editor at the time was Betty Jo Stewart and my first assignment was taking pictures of the winners of the livestock show at the Union County Fair. I was never in any jeopardy of winning a Pulitzer for those Holstein photos, but I treated that assignment like I was.

Fast forward a few years and I have just been handed the reins of my community college newspaper and, although I could write, I would describe my layout skills as “lacking.” I made the trek from Booneville to New Albany and stopped by the Gazette unannounced to tell Mrs. Betty Jo my plight and ask for help. She stopped everything she was doing to give an in-over-his-head “editor” a crash course in newspaper layout. I’ll never forget that!

Mrs. Betty Jo passed away in 2011, but the impact she made on that young man still lives on in these pages today as does the impact of both Otha Barham and Mike Giles. Otha not only let me write for the Outdoors page, he encouraged me. Each time I sent him an article about my outdoor adventures, his feedback fanned the fire inside me to write more. There was no one more excited than Otha when I told him I would be taking over the column when he retired. I’ll never forget that!

Never underestimate the impact you, as a mentor, have on the lives of others. Mike Giles speaks to the importance of mentors throughout his book “Passion of the Wild.” In his story “A Gobbler for Whitney,” he implores, “Lord help me encourage others to find their dream, inspire them to act, and help them achieve that dream with passion.”

I got my copy of the book from Mike one day a few years back. Neither of us knew as he signed my book and inscribed, “Imagine the Possibilities, Living with Passion” that we would one day be writing together. Mike’s encouragement from the beginning has been amazing. I’ll never forget that!

One of the first things he encouraged me to do in my new role was to join the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association. SEOPA is the “nation’s premier regional outdoor communicator’s organization” and holds annual meetings to recognize excellence in craft in the field of outdoor communications.

The group held its 55th Southeastern Press Association Conference last week in Oxford and the awards were announced Oct. 25. According to the SEOPA news release, judges for the competition included “outdoor communicators, mainstream journalists, anglers, hunters and professionals.” Mike claimed first place in the Excellence in Craft Outdoor Entrepreneurial Project Category for his promotion of “The Old Pro Turkey Hunter” Revised Edition.

I believe there are two books that should be required reading for every turkey hunter. One is “Tenth Legion” by Colonel Tom Kelly and the other is “The Old Pro Turkey Hunter” by Gene Nunnery. Mike was instrumental in the promotion of the reissue of “The Old Pro” around the country through television, radio, newspaper, speaking engagements and special appearances. His efforts are helping to bring Mr. Gene’s sage words on turkey hunting to a new generation.

Mike’s passion for the outdoors is clear in all that he does and his mentoring of youth in the outdoors is inspiring (as is his mentoring of budding outdoors writers). I am proud to get this opportunity to give him a well deserved congratulations! I look forward to seeing you out there in our great outdoors.

Email outdoors columnist Brad Dye at braddye@comcast.net.