A Look Back in Time: Don Howard

 

     It's funny how life brings us down different paths, and we sometimes forget the steps that bring us to where we end up. Although I can relate to it, I can also say that I remember clearly the ones who always went above and beyond to acknowledge me, offer good conversation, and even throw in some solid advice that would help me on my journey. 

  A few weeks ago, there was a meeting at Guan Ho Ha to sort out the dates for different clubs for the Capitaland Bowhunters 3D schedule, and I had to attend to represent Hudson Falls Fish and Game. When I got to the club, I walked inside and saw the meeting had already started. While taking a seat and glancing through the window behind my seat and looking at the shooters practicing on the indoor range, I quickly recognized one guy but didn't take any time to determine if I knew the others. 

  After our meeting ended, I began talking with representatives from the other clubs and began answering some questions about holding an IBO qualifier. As I was talking, I saw an older man come up the stairs from the range and approach me. Although I knew him, I was unable to place him. Then he started talking to me. 

  Instantly, I knew it was Don Howard, who is a year younger than my father. He reached out and pulled me in, giving me a hug. He began asking me how I had been doing and if I was still shooting as much as I used to. It had been years since I had last seen him, and he was almost unrecognizable to me. 

  Don was extremely thin, and he was having a hard time speaking. Cancer had beaten him up badly the last few years, but he was holding his own and battling. The conversation went in many directions, but it focused on archery. We shared some incredible memories and talked about the things we had learned from some of our devastating losses. He told me that he could still execute good shots but holding the bow was extremely difficult now, then he asked me if I could still hold the bow as steady as I used to be able to hold it. I had to remind him that I had also moved up in years and the holding part had become a little more difficult than it used to be. That gave us both a good laugh. When Joe Stockbridge joined the conversation, Don made sure to tell him a few things about me, including the steadiness of my bow when I used to shoot. I laughed a little and wished I could still do the same thing. However, Father Time is undefeated and none of us escape the things that come with aging, especially in archery. Father Time can never take the memories I have of Don Howard, though. When I saw him that night, I was thankful for all the support he offered over the years and to see that nothing had changed. He set an example for me to follow, and I learned how important it is to root for others, especially shooters who come from the same area. I've always wanted people to know that  I'm proud to be from an area where a lot of great archers have lived and still live. When you root for others and cheer for their success, it can only help you. One of my favorite quotes follows. It's too bad more people don't think this way. Envy has a way of clouding a lot of people's judgment. 

“You should always be rooting for the people you know. Not only because you may need their support tomorrow, but also because it feels good to celebrate something. Celebration can rescue your day—even if it is someone else's victory. Envy will ruin your day—even if you're actually winning.”

 I always liked talking to Don because I could always gain something from his stories, and this night was no different. He was always the first person to give others credit, too. Although his resume is impressive, he always talked about the accomplishments of others and how impressed he was by watching them. 

  Although Don and I didn't attend many of the same tournaments, because he was primarily a target archer and I was primarily a 3D shooter, whenever he saw me he went out of his way to see how I was doing. I always appreciated it, and I didn't find it surprising that he wanted to catch up on everything in my archery world when I saw him at Guan Ho Ha. 

  As time passed and the conversation wound toward the end, he began telling me how impressed he was when watching Jacob shoot and to cherish the experience of seeing it up close. Then, he told me he remembered Jacob as a kid and said Jacob's dad gave him a hunting blind or something of that sort one time, and he was really thankful for the kindness he received. He said Jacob's dad, John, didn't have to do anything like that for him, but since he did, he would forever be a fan of John's and his family. He said he still loves rooting for Jacob and John now. 

  After getting in the truck and heading home, the flurries pelted the windshield. Instantly, I found myself sitting in my truck and driving home from the annual Guan Ho Ha Vegas Tournament in the mid-1990s, one of the biggest indoor tournaments in New York at the time. I had just met a man named Donny Howard, and he had flooded me with compliments about my execution and hold. He went on to tell me he had watched my target and how I shot. From that day forward, he has always gone out of his way to root for me and build my confidence if I struggled through a bad day. I've always been thankful I met him that day at Guan Ho Ha almost 30 years ago. 

  Thank you, Donny, for always having my back and cheering for me. I appreciate every bit of it, and it was a pleasure to share a few stories with you a few weeks ago. You've always been the guy who accomplished so much with a bow, but I believe you were often overlooked. I never missed any of it, and I'm glad I learned a few things from you. I'm also glad I made some type of small impression on you over the years. The respect gained from your peers, whether they're older, younger or the same age, is something that can never be taken away. I appreciate you and your place in archery around Albany, N.Y. Thank you