Pops Barnes Receives Distinguished Older Georgian Award

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On February 13th I was honored as The Distinguished Older Georgian by the Georgia Council On Aging. I am so deeply appreciative of this honor as Former President Jimmy Carter, whom I consider a mentor, was a prior recipient of this honor as well.

I was very honored to have the Commissioner of the Georgia Depatment of Human Services, Robyn A. Crittenden, to take time out of her busy schedule to read a part of my Bio and to say some very kind comments. Ms. Melba Paulk-Veazy read my Bio and introduced State Senator Ed Harbison who brought a Resolution from the Georgia Senate, and I also received a Resolution from the Georgia House from Representative from State Rep. Calvin Smyre, with both chambers honoring me.

I want to say a big THANK YOU to Ms. Katie Howard of the River Valley Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging, who has been a huge mentor for me, the staff of the River Valley Regional Commission who came to the Capitol to support me, as well as Carolyn and Hew Lispcomb. My wife, Jannie, and, to my surprise, my sons Clairmont and Mike were also there as well.

In receiving my award, I thanked the Georgia Council On Aging for being, as the Georgia Legislature states, “The leading statewide advocacy group working to improve the quality of life for Older Georgians through public policy”, and I also thanked the members of COAGE, an organization created by GCOA that is a “Coalition of Advocates for Georgia’s Elderly”. These organizations do so much to improve the lives of the Elderly population in Georgia. I thanked my wife Jannie Barnes for ALWAYS supporting me and for being with me through the “thick and thin” of life especially when there was a lot of thin. I hit the Lotto when she said yes.

Finally, I told everyone in attendance about the one person in my life who deposited values in me, and shaped not only me, but my brothers and sisters as well, into the persons we are today; that person was my grandmother Mary J. White, who passed away in 1976. My grandmother, to this very day is the most altruistic, unselfish and giving person I’ve ever known. She was what the people back then called a scrub, cleaning or washerwoman. She cleaned one of the local schools and also cleaned houses and a store. She was one of the older ladies where we lived. Everyone in our area called on Ms. White or Ms. Mamie if they had a problem, were sick or needed advice, and she never turned anyone away. She was always available, even when she was bone tired from the hours she worked or not well herself. We children were poor materially, but extremely rich in the values that our grandmother taught us. I am always told by others “Pops Barnes, you do so much for people”. My reply is always the same: “I’m just trying to be 1/10th of the person my grandmother was.” I’m still chasing my grandmother, but I know that I will never catch her.