By Jack Houvouras
HQ 107 | AUTUMN 2019
This edition of Huntington Quarterly marks our 30th anniversary. It’s been a wild ride that’s taken me to every corner of our region, across the country and even overseas. But when I reflect on the last three decades, it’s not the exciting adventures, glamorous photo shoots or glossy editions we’ve published that immediately spring to mind. Instead, it’s the remarkable people I’ve met along the way and how much I’ve learned from each of them.
To mark our anniversary, I’ve decided to share with you some of the more memorable words of wisdom I’ve collected over the years. And while some of these may be common sayings, I hope they will still resonate with you. Finally, you’ll note there are several quotes sprinkled throughout that are attributed to my father.
That’s because he was the single biggest influence in my life.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” – Andrew J. Houvouras
“All it takes to succeed in business is a little intelligence, a little creativity and a little determination.” – Marshall Reynolds
“Learn from the past, appreciate today and dream for the future.” – Mike Perry
“Never mistake kindness for weakness.” – Brad Smith
“If you speak up you’re going to make enemies. But a man with no enemies is a man with no character.” – Paul Newman
“Rules are made for people who aren’t willing to make up their own.” – Gen. Chuck Yeager
“Always leave something better than you found it.” – J. Thomas Jones
“If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” – Andrew J. Houvouras
“Intelligence alone is not what gets you ahead in life. Doing the right thing and the hard thing again and again is what gets you ahead.” – Judge Dan O’Hanlon
“God is merciful. I don’t care what you’ve done; I don’t care how bad it was; He will forgive you.” – Sister Celeste Lynch
“I hope young girls realize that no matter your size or your sex, you can do whatever you choose to do. If there’s a barrier, there’s always a way around it or over it or under it.” – Jan Rader
“Learn to read the room. Figure out what people want and, more importantly, how much they’ll put up with.” – Clint McElroy
“A fool and his money are soon parted.” – Andrew J. Houvouras
“The most wonderful part of your life is when you don’t have a damn thing. What do you have to lose?” – John Drinko
“Bad bounces and bad breaks occur in golf and in life. You don’t always get what you deserve. But we always hold out the hope that from a bad place, we might make a great recovery.” – Bill Campbell
“Be honest, fair and consistent. If you have a hard decision to make, the answer is probably in one of those three little words.” – Bill Noe
“It doesn’t make any difference where I am or what I’m doing; when I think of home, I think of Huntington. It’s where I spent the happiest years of my life.” – Soupy Sales
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” – Patricia Houvouras
“A man’s word is his bond.” – Andrew J. Houvouras
“God gives each of us a unique set of gifts, and it’s our job to discover those gifts and use them to the best of our ability.” – Mark McVey
I hope you will glean something of value from these pearls of wisdom. If so, please pass them on to the next generation. Thank you all for 30 wonderful years. It has truly been an honor.
