Our Readers Fall 2021
With each issue of Progress, we sit down with a handful of readers to learn a bit about them. These aren’t always news-makers, but each has their own stories to share.
The questions are the same in each issue and are designed to gain insight into a handful of your neighbors. Some are at the beginning of their career and others already have a lifetime of colorful experiences. For the first time, we feature an Active Duty military couple, with the wife serving in the Army and the husband in the Air Force.
These five readers joined us in The Studio, a meeting space upstairs in The Commercial Dispatch building, in February right before a winter storm hit Mississippi.
We’d love to hear your story as well. If you’re open to answering our five questions, let us know by emailing progress@cdispatch.com.
Clinton McFarland
Photographer & entrepreneur, Starkville
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
No, [laughs], at first I wanted to be a chef. I pursued that. I worked at a couple of restaurants, but it just didn’t fit me. I wanted to do the Le Cordon Bleu, the whole nine yards. I just always had an opinion, a voice that I wanted to use to write about. Eventually that led to me picking up a camera. That was just really, “Okay, so what can I do with this camera? What can I do with this drone in order to paint what I want the person to see from me.”
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t rush things. Try to appreciate the moment, to look at the positive things as much as possible. I’m more of the “I’ve got to do it now” type person. For example, I want to be a reporter. I might be thinking, “How can I take a shortcut to get to a full time reporting position?” So I just have to be patient and learn to appreciate the moment.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
The biggest thing that people misunderstand is how passionate I am about a lot of things. If someone is really in my inner circle, then they understand like how passionate I am about the things that I do. Even if I just started, I want to learn everything about that subject. It becomes an obsession. I think that’s the artist or the technical side of me.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
Me being confident about my abilities, even if I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m confident in myself, even when maybe I shouldn’t be. Someone will tell me I’ll do great at something, and I agree in public but then when I’m by myself, I’m like, “How am I going to do this?”
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
The one skill I would like to master the most is presentation. It’s a very underrated skill, but I see the role it can play in a lot of things. For example, a chef has to present food. The food might be good but if it’s just a mess, like it’s sloppy, no one is going to want it. Presentation is everything. It’s the same with my photography and editing. So I want to be able to master the art of presentation. I want my presentations to be eloquent enough to where it flows like butter.
Lee Roy Lollar, Jr.
Retired from sales, Columbus
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be a mechanic! I was too dumb and too slow though. I even did that when I got out of active duty for a time at Fitzner Pontiac. Then I got a real job. I’ve been in real estate, I’ve built houses… for the last 30 years before I retired, I was in sales.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
The only thing that I have learned is that when you change jobs, if you don’t make more money, don’t make the change. I went from a union job to a non-union job and it took me forever to make it up. So if you’re not bettering yourself, don’t change.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
I guess, based on my opinions, people think I’m pretty opinionated. You know, everyone has an opinion. I’m not extreme on either (side of politics), but I’m not a middle of the fence guy either.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
I’ll tell ya, a man can’t have too many tools. I have tools that I haven’t used. My boys said, “What are you going to do with all that stuff in the shop, daddy?” And I said, “I ain’t doing a thing with them.” But I love tools. It used to be clothes when I was younger. What I’ve always wanted, though, is a 1958 Corvette.
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
Public speaking. I’m to the point in life where my wheels don’t turn quite as fast. That’s why I write. I have a hard time expressing myself. If I say something, sometimes I think of something different later. I also would have studied more in school.
Irma Dickerson
Retired banker, Columbus
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
Well I always wanted to work at a department store. And I got a chance to work at Sears. I was the manager of the children’s department, and we would take Winnie the Pooh to all the schools to talk to the children. I love selling. During a period of high inflation, Sears had a lay-off, and I went to work at First Columbus National Bank. And I enjoyed working there, opening new accounts and stuff like that.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Take one day at a time. Don’t try to do everything in one day.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
I like to give, and people wonder why I give. I found it more pleasing for me to give than receive. During the pandemic, we’ve had people who have needed paper towels, toilet tissue, that kind of stuff, and if I had some, I would give it to them.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
I think being able to love everybody — family and friends — and treat them the best I know how.
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
I guess to not take things that people say to me personally.
Danny Avery
Semi-retired minister, Columbus
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
Well, I went to Franklin Academy, and I was a crossing guard. At that time the police station was still there on Sixth Street. So like many children, I wanted to be a police officer. But I grew up here in Columbus in a family owned business. My parents had a business on what’s now the Island, and it was a predecessor to what is now the convenience store. I always thought I would have my own business, and I did as an HR consultant. I did think I would be in the military, and I was.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
The advice that my father gave me very often: Pay attention to what you’re doing and listen.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
That I am a very, very, very serious person.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
I don’t really consider myself to be extravagant about anything, but I like chocolate a lot. I am a choc-o-holic. When my wife asks me what kind of cake I want for my birthday, I usually say a decadent fudge cake with five types of chocolate in it.
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
One of my virtual mentors has been Jim Rohn, and he always said he would always be a student of his profession. So I would one day like to master the art of speaking. I don’t think I’m bad at it not. I would encourage anyone who has any type of speaking to join Toastmasters.
Erle Chenney
Research associate, College of Veterinary Medicine, MSU, Starkville
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
It really has nothing to do with what I happened to get a degree in. I have a degree in educational psychology, and I was working for … well I was an EMT, and then I worked for a surgeon in Starkville but he retired. I needed a job so I just applied for a position and got the job. That was 31 years ago. I wanted to be a doctor when I was a child though.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Save your money.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
They think I’m quiet and laid back, but I can be outspoken if I need to be. The older I get, the more opinionated I am.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
I probably have a problem with Amazon, especially after being cooped up the past few months. And I probably eat too much. Also, I have a daughter who is 31 years old and I’m still spoiling her.
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
When I was growing up, for some reason I found myself being in the position to stop conflicts between friends and try to get everybody to get along and forget it. We never could remember what we were arguing about in the first place. I guess you could call me The Mediator. Don’t ask me why, I’ve just never liked conflict. As I’ve grown older it seems like I have forgotten this, and I find myself having less and less patience with people and things going on in this country right now. I seem to get drawn to conflict because I feel so passionate about what this country is going through. If I had the skill, I think I would go back and instead of arguing, I would try to just let things go. We have very little time being here, so I don’t waste it. Try to talk to people and see what they think about things because at the end of the day we are all in the same leaky boat. Also, if I had the power, I would fix it to where all our pets lived as long as people do. There’s so little time, make it count. This goes for our lives in general.
