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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nJames E. Webb was my first cousin, neighbor and friend. James was about ten years older than me. At the age of 23, he became my junior high school teacher. I had him for classes in the seventh and eighth grades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Growing up, he taught me chords on the guitar and mandolin. Once, he even put up a basketball goal for me to practice on behind my grandparent\u2019s chicken coop. He also coached our seventh and eighth grade basketball teams. Through my young teenage years, James was a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a neighbor, a dear first cousin and so much more. He made an electric guitar for me. That was the first of many, many hand-crafted instruments he would make for others, which were mostly banjos and mandolins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I was in the eighth grade, James gave me an A+ on a poem I wrote. That was the only \u201cplus\u201d I ever received from him in school. He once gave me a C because I failed at memorizing all of the 23rd<\/sup> Psalm. However, the A+ for the poem was an encouragement to me to keep writing and, for better or worse, I have been writing my entire life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr. Webb, as he was affectionately known by hundreds of endearing students, recently died. His funeral was on February 14th<\/sup>. Loved ones and admiring friends paid their respects through various songs and testimonies. Sadly, I wasn\u2019t able to attend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Years ago, I wrote a book titled Grandpa\u2019s Store, Reflections of my Childhood. The book has been around for a few years and has even been out of print for a while. Recently, it was restored back into print. One week after Mr. Webb\u2019s funeral, on February 21, I was reading over the information about Grandpa\u2019s Store on Amazon.com and to my astonishment there was a very nice review left by Mr. Webb about my book. He was mentioned several times in the book because he was raised by my Grandpa and Mama Hinkle. He was a central character in Grandpa\u2019s Store. He told me once that it was a good book. I was relieved to hear him say so. Yet, somehow I missed his written review on Amazon.com. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The review was an A+, five-star review with lots of info, insight and affirmation. I put my laptop down and wiped tears from my eyes. Mr. Webb was giving me a final parting grade from the grave. Of course, he always got the last word. Because he was ten years older, a coach and a school teacher, all I could do was nod my head and agree with whatever he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The review that Mr. Webb wrote was written several years ago. It was surreal that I didn\u2019t read it until one week after his funeral. I guess God knew that\u2019s when I needed to read it. What he wrote came at the just right time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope that we can all think about what words we might say. What actions we might do that might be a meaningful word to those who left behind. Something we might write or say or do today might be just what they need to hear from us, from the grave. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Dr. Glenn Mollette James E. Webb was my first cousin, neighbor and friend. James was about ten years older than me. 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