I have often heard it said when we are taken to the grave we won’t have a U-Haul behind our coffin carrying our stuff. So how then do we measure a life? I think it is with the impact we leave on those left behind, and how they are then moved to impact the world. How our lives make a difference can only be judged by our kids, grandkids, our friends and those we are involved with. Our lives cannot be summed up by the crowd at our funeral or the number of flowers sent. 

Our lives cannot be judged by the amount of ammo we collected, the rods we stashed away. No. Our lives will be measured by the impact on people we may never actually meet in this life. 

There is no greater example than that of Brandon Key. 

Brandon passed away a few years back in a tragic and freak accident. At 15 he was a smart, loving and enthusiastic young man who could out-work most grown men and loved to hunt and fish. He especially loved to fish for cats. At least that’s what his friend Jonathan West told me the other day while describing Brandon. Jonathan said he had a passion for two things above all else — 30-30 ministries and catfish. The boy loved catfish. 

Now, I never knew Brandon, but I remember his death rocking the community. I have watched the Brandon Key Catfish Tournament grow from a small tournament that never entered my radar to a 100-boat affair that donates $50,000 to 30-30 Ministries and gives out $20,000 in prize money every year. This 100-boat limit is filled more than a month before the tournament these days! 

Now that, my friends, is something else. 

The driving force behind all of this is Jonathan West. Jonathan and I had never met until this story crossed my path. However, his wife (don’t worry Kelly I will make sure they print the fact you are several years younger than me) and I went to school together over in Social Circle, and Jonathan was a year behind me over there. The world is a small place, folks, and when I started writing for the paper it seemed to shrink even more. Jonathan and I met up one day, and I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. I am not a catfish guy. I mean, I have nothing against them other than they sure screw up my lines and get slime everywhere. They can also ruin a Capt. Mack’s Mini Mack quicker than even I get mad. But, they do eat good. So while they’ve got that going for them, I am decidedly just not on the catfish bandwagon. The bandwagon I have joined is the Jonathan West bandwagon. I’ve never met anyone with a passion for giving children the opportunity to experience the outdoors, to experience love, and a Christian message more than Jonathan. 

A more humble man you will never meet, yet when he talks about Brandon, the tournament, and 30-30 Ministries, you will soon find yourself signing up for something I guarantee it! 

The best part of all this is you can experience all this event. 

Come out to Crooked Creek Marina on June 10-11. By the time you read this, I am positive the slots will be filled for the tournament, but you can participate still with raffles and singing. You can see some big cats get weighed in and more importantly every dollar you spend will go to honor the memory of a fine young man. You see, that is how a life is measured. Brandon lives on through this effort and the love of his friends and family. 

You can still see him in the smile his memory brings to Jonathan’s face.

—Outdoors columnist James Pressley can be reached at pressleyoutdoors@gmail.com .