Thanksgiving 2023: The Jon & Valerie Stewart Story
“If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough”
Someday, Came.
The particulars don’t matter other than a job was left, doors were closed, people went their own way, which was separate.
Time will heal the feelings, but it won’t pay the mortgage.
And so that’s where this Thanksgiving story begins, at an ending actually, I’m not going to say that “endings are just new beginnings,” I’ll leave that to Hallmark.
Endings, are actually, Endings. Fini.
I think that we sometimes focus to much on what “was” instead of what’s “next.” Ain’t much you can do about “was,” lots you can do about, “next.” And so…
…Next, Came…
This is pretty much how I saw Jon throughout my career at BASS.
If you know him this is pretty much how you saw him as well, a caring man of faith and fellowship with goodwill to all…most of the time. Jon was with BASS for 18 years, all the time I was there he was the BASS Nation boss who I saw treat everyone equally and who I’ve heard sing the National Anthem many, many times.
If you are going to fish tournaments he’s a good one for you to hear say, “3…2…1..GO!”
I sort of stole this off his facebook page…
…that’s Jon and his wife Valerie on their wedding day in Kansas 1987, they are 21 and 20 years old, I forgot which one is which. I can attest though to this fact, that look on Jon’s face then is the same look on his face now when he looks at Valerie.
The Stewart’s Today 58 & 57 (I forgot which is which)
Married now 38 years or so.
Family: Son Brett & his wife Nicole, 2 grandchildren Emelia & Brooks. Brett played football at William Penn on the offensive line who he then coached for awhile.
Brie their daughter, is an Interior Designer now doing that at BassPro.
I’ll tell you a quick inside the park story…for years I worked with that young lady with Jon there, worked with her while I was covering the Women’s Bass Tournament, every morning I always said to her, “Hey Vickie, Good Morning.”
But…seems all along her name actually wasn’t what I had been calling her for the past year or so.
Here’s Jon: “It was classic db, we were at the championship at Hot Springs, I think, and you saw the two of us together and you came over and just kind of looked at us, I told you then we were married, and she told you her name is actually, Valerie.”
Since that touney gig for more than a decade now, and they will attest to this, I have called Jon’s wife, a good friend of mine too, this: “Vicky/Valerie,” and will continue to do so. It makes all three of us smile.
Friends who are now family.
There ya go.
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
So, after 18 years being center stage with the BASS Nation….
…Jon walked out of the spotlight not because of another job offer but because it was just simply time to move on. “Did we have a plan, not really but we did have a dream. Long ago we came real close to buying and building an RV park, at the last moment some funding changes happened and we couldn’t do it but db we never lost that dream…”
Myself, Jon and Vickie/Valerie are using “Facetime” to do this interview, like something out of the Jetsons, they are in Oklahoma, I’m in Connecticut, we could have done what’s called: “A phoner” interview, where you just call the person, put them on speaker phone and write down stuff.
But I want to see them.
See their faces, see their body language, but absolutely I want to see Jon, I want to see him.
I’ve watched him speak hundreds of times, I know him, I know his mannerisms and I know this…watch his eyes.
His soul is in his eyes.
“db, I’m out mowing our front yard at our house…
“…I get this idea that I should put up some sort of “For Sale” sign so I go to Home Depot and buy one and put it up.”
A pause, head straight his eyes move slightly to his left where Vicky/Valerie sits, a slight smile forms as he looks back at “Facetime” db.
“So I’m out front and this man who is driving his baby around to try and get the baby to sleep pulls up and asks me how much I want for the house, I tell him, he says he can’t actually pay that much, we talk so more, agree on a figure and he buys the house.”
Full head turn left, full smile, a quick eye movement up, they are eye to eye, in a second or so Jon turns back my way.
“So we sold it, I’m telling you db that house was for sale quote “fifteen minutes at best,” and it was done.
Vicky/Valerie leans into the frame closer to Jon, they look at each other and then turn towards me, on cue they both smile.
As do I.
Jon, “We sold everything we had, I mean EVERYTHING and then we moved here to do this…”
Here” is Grove, Oklahoma
“This” is The Lake Lodge at Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees.
A dream.
Their dream.
That came true.
I could tell you all about The Lake Lodge at Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees…but…
…and there is always a but. To be honest dreams are fragile, dreams have ownership and pride, so with that in mind I’m going to step away to let Jon SHOW you their dreams, scroll down for a 4 minute walk by the tour guide who built the place, who loves the place, who knows exactly what anglers, tournament or not, need.
Comes now, The Dream
As shown by Jon Stewart
The lodge is based on the design of another former worker at BASS, Eric Nichols, a very nice, and smart dude who has promised me a room at his place anytime I’m in town. His place is called: “The Lake Lodge at Paris Landing,” and you can reach him at 731-571-8304 or through the facebook page for his lodge.
“Nothing happens unless first we dream.”
Came, Thanksgiving.
We need not have dreams to function as humans, but it is exactly those dreams that make us human. When faced with an impossible situation it is our ability to dream that makes the impossible, possible.
Dreams, the miracle ride within us that takes us to the stars, takes us to exploring oceans, tweaks our courage, pushes us, lights the fire of love within us.
We are never to old to dream of success, of adventure, kindness and faith. Your dreams whisper who you are, to you.
Over the years, 71 now for me, I’ve learned through dreams, dreams that never turn it’s back on me, dreams that lead the way for me, that succes in life comes down to one thing. My dreams tell me over and over to get up, to try again and again, and again, they whisper this to me and I will pass it on to you:
“Success is getting up and dusting yourself off one more time than you have fallen down.”
May you have a great Thanksgiving, peace & love to yours. May you chase and catch your dreams. May you help others chase and catch theirs as well. Dream well, Dream big. Came: The End
db
Here’s the link the Lodge’s website check it out
For the record I have no financial ties to the lodge, nor did I receive any money to write this story…I would though expect a few donuts waiting for me at the place if I ever get out that way to see my friends.
db