Graham Hill: Farewell — it's on to the next phase of my life
Before I begin this column, I would first like to start off by sharing with you a quote I once heard from a television show:
When you get sad, you run straight ahead and you keep running forward, no matter what. There are people in your life who are going to try to hold you back, slow you down, but you don't let them. Don't you stop running and don't you ever look behind you. There's nothing for you behind you. All that exists is what's ahead.
Around this time last year, I was still a senior attending North Lenoir High School, eagerly awaiting the date of graduation because I was ready to escape. I had become a very agitated student who had developed a serious case of senior-itis and was at a point where I wasn’t too happy with the person I was.
For many people who know me well, this might seem strange for you to hear me say this because a lot of time I seem like a very outgoing, carefree guy with nothing to worry about. Still, nobody’s perfect and we all go through some stuff.
One thing that always brings me joy and counts as a stress reliever for me is broadcasting. Sports broadcasting has always been one of my life-long dreams and a serious passion of mine. I was looking for something to bring me some joy for the remainder of my senior year and with the help of Jackson Massey, Duane Joyner and the North Lenoir baseball team, I was able to do that by broadcasting the rest of the Hawks playoff run last season.
I remember on May 24, 2018, while I was conducting these amateur broadcasts, I was surprised when I saw a Facebook message from B.J. Murphy asking if we could get together to chat. Of course, we all know what came next.
Believe me when I say how truly grateful I am for the opportunity I was given this past year. To the great people such as B.J., Brandon Potter, Keith Spence, Scott Cole, Bud Hardy, Bryan Hanks, Junious Smith III and the rest of the Neuse News team, thank you all for believing in me.
It truly takes a lot of time and effort to pursue a career like this but the outcome is most certainly worth it. I have learned so much that I hope will benefit me in my next step of this career I’m pursuing.
With that being said, I am announcing my time with Neuse News has come to an end. I will continue to work hard and keep pursuing this dream of mine so I can hopefully represent the town of Kinston in a positive way one day.
To my great friends still in high school who have supported me every step of the way throughout this I want you all to never, ever stop chasing your dreams. Don’t settle for less, don’t get discouraged and always remember you can do anything you set your mind to.
To everyone else in this great community, thank you for supporting me and for allowing me to be a part of your families by listening to the broadcasts Junious and I have done together. It’s been an honor working for you all, and this is only the beginning.
