I went to Jaryd...

There's an old saying about carrying a big stick... and walking softly... And I think that fits with this senior.

I haven't known Jaryd Young for a long time, but that's my read on things.

While I'm sure the opinion on his relative "loudness" my be disputed by the folks that inhabit the Young home in Ferguson, East Marshall's gentle giant paid a visit to my studio a few weeks back.

Never one to make a big fuss about much, I knew Mr. Young wasn't exactly looking forward to the production that is senior pictures around here, but I also knew that the upstanding young man that he is would make him agreeable to the task at hand... for a FEW hours anyway.  :)

Being a life-long resident of the East Marshall community, it's often the case that I've known Mustang seniors since before THEY even have recollections of any kind.  I probably know their parents, grandparents, cousins.. and THEIR cousin's cousins.

But that isn't the case here.   Pastor Darren Young and his wife Dawn and their wonderful family play a special role in my life... and many others around these parts.   For two long years the church my wife and kids attend in Ferguson was pastor-less.   A long and exhaustive search finally brought the Young's to our community, and we couldn't be more blessed with their commitment to us and our little-church-that-could in Ferguson.

It's been almost two years since Darren started filling our pulpit, if memory serves me.   And while we couldn't have been more blessed with the addition of our pastor and his wife, the auxiliary benefit is our schools received three wonderful additions as well.

At the time that the Youngs made the leap of faith to pull up stakes and come our way, their oldest, Hannah, was about to graduate from her high school in Minnesota.   She finished up in The Land of 10,000 Lakes, but the other three kids were welcomed into the East Marshall family.

The oldest of those three Mustang additions is Jaryd.   And at a school where we seem to be vertically challenged in the physical specimen department, the Young's oldest son stood out like a cellular tower in an open horizon.

A fixture on the football offensive and defensive lines for Coach Pat Farley and in the upper weights for Coach Troy Underhill's wrestlers, Jaryd has been a welcome addition to the Mustang athletic squads.  

A member of the National Guard and an avid outdoorsman, Jaryd is a man of few words... but when he does speak... you know it means something... and it's usually humble in nature.

Number 72 (along with the rest of his family) had to make tremendous sacrifices to come our way.  Unlike his older sister, Jaryd didn't get to "finish up" at the high school he called home at that point.   I could not imagine being told as a sophomore that my folks were moving me away from everything I knew... to some place far away, where I knew no one.

Add in the fact that he had (and still does) a gal that he was particularly sweet on, moving several hours away could not have been easy.   As a side note, Miss Girlfriend Kimmy... it was sometimes difficult to get Jaryd to REALLY smile... but once I was armed with your name as ammo?   No problem.  ;)

Bottom line?   If you haven't figured it out yet... I'm a big fan of Team Young.   Not just for who they are... but their commitment to a place that I think is pretty special, even if at first glance, it may have looked kinda regular to an outsider.   Evidently they must have seen the same merit in the place I've called home for 42 years, and for that (not too mention their choice of senior photographer!) I'm grateful.

Thanks Young Family... for your faith in us... in so many ways.