Editorial: A person’s connection to another is something special to witness

I had the privilege of being the host for the first annual Charles City High School’s Athletics and Activities Hall of Fame Saturday afternoon. It was very enjoyable to see a modest yet intimate crowd attend, but more importantly, there was something that made me truly understand how strong connections can be between people.

As I sat there, I know about the connection that I had with one of the inductees, John A. Christian Jr. He has been working in Charles City’s School System for 40 years and has been a staple of the school’s track and field program. But what was truly humbling was to see someone who has been impacted more than him than I was.

Justin Hayes, another one of our inductees, is an eight-time state track and field champion. While he was modest about his achievements, he even said that mentioning his accomplishments aloud were a strange thing to him. But the most impactful thing he said was how Christian impacted his life.

Listening to Hayes was amazing as he told his story about how he only ran track so that he could be the next star in the NBA. But then his story transitioned to how Christian pushed him and challenged him. Hayes reflected on stories about “why not Charles City” speeches that Christian gave to them before track meets. From running on rocks outside the Ruthville High School to a track at the current complex, Hayes knew that his coach believed in him.

But then the waterworks began that hit most of the crowd and me internally when Hayes said that Christian was one of the reasons he became the person he was today. Hayes talked about how he was known as the “third JC”, a reference to Christian’s two sons Jarell and Jamion and how he was the adopted one. Hayes went on and talked about Christian’s influence and impact on his life so much that Hayes went into education as a health and physical education teacher.

At that moment, you could see the bond between Christian and Hayes, as the former couldn’t hold his tears back. That connection was probably the most genuine one I have experienced as a spectator, as I felt that impact and the love the two had between each other.

It’s a blessing to know that the connections you have with a person are different than others. My connections with Christian are one thing, but to see another person’s love for the same person is truly the meaning of impact. That doesn’t just go for this situation; it goes for all encounters. It’s something that we as people need more of. Knowing that someone can bond with others in different ways is the true meaning of love and caring, and it’s definitely something that we can learn from