I love lunches. Last week I got to go to two of them that provided some great column fodder.

First up was the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber’s membership luncheon. Though the president of Brentwood's biggest employer was the main speaker, Police Chief Ricky Watson got the standing ovation.

After Mayor Paul Webb’s very nice introduction, in which he called the chief our own Andy Taylor of Mayberry, Watson took over the podium.

He started by making fun of a chamber tradition – having those raise their hand if they’ve down business with a fellow chamber member in the past month.

“How many chamber members have participated with our business in the past six months?” he asked.

Nary a hand went up.

He talked a little about his impending retirement.

 “My wife is eager for me to get home to bond,” he said. But he confessed he has a few doubts.

“We tried it over Christmas and I’m not sure it’s going to go too well.”

The chief said he’s very proud of his department and always tell his officers to “be as kind as you can for as long as you can be.”

Not only does it disarm the person they are dealing with it’s just the right thing to do, he said.

I’m finishing up my full profile on the chief that will run later this week. But if you happen to see him around town this week, shake his hand and tell him thanks. And maybe invite him out to lunch or an afternoon on a golf course.

He’ll appreciate it, and so will Lisa.

'Best Blind Skier Ever'? Yep

On Friday, it was off to the Brentwood Rotary Club to hear one of my favorite people give the program.

That would be HK Derryberry.

HK, you may recall, is blind and has cerebral palsy. He also left the Rotary meeting in time to get to Nashville Mayor Karl Dean’s office by 2 where he was going to be honorary mayor for the afternoon. He told the Rotarians he planned to raise taxes about 45 percent. I didn’t see any glaring headlines over the weekend so I’m assuming the mayor’s aides squashed that notion quickly.

HK told those gathered about his dream to become an athlete at the Tennessee School for the Blind where he is a senior.

“I tried out for the football team but the coach told me I was too small.

“I tried out for the basketball team but the coach told me I was too short.

“I tried out for the track team but the coach told me I was too slow.

“So I signed up for Driver’s Ed but the teacher told me I didn’t have my driver’s license. I told her I’d be back when I get it.”

His message was to never give up. And his dream to become an athlete was recently realized, not on the Donelson campus of his school but on the ski slopes in Aspen, Colo.

He went with his classmates to a Colorado ski resort for their senior trip. There he was voted by the instructors as the “Best Blind Skier Ever.”

Knowing HK, I thought he might have embellished that a little bit, but he and his good friend and mentor Jim Bradford made sure they brought the certificate to the meeting for me to see.

Why I doubted him, I’ll never know. By now I should know that HK can do just about anything he puts his mind to.

If only the rest of us had that optimism and can-do spirit. HK wants to be an inspirational speaker when he graduates. I want to be his manager.

If you want to know more about HK, click here.

Susan Leathers is editor of Brentwood Home Page. Click here to read previous columns. Email her at susan@brentwoodhomepage.com.