Go-Martin

Many years ago when I was vibrant and full of energy, my daddy nicknamed me Asa Faith Go-Bobo. Now that I travel at a snail’s pace, I am giving my cherished description to someone who deserves it. Yes, good friend, you now will be called James Ann Go-Martin.When JAG-M became a part of our faculty at Walker High School, in 1973, her “spunk” was evident to each one of us in the English department. She put everything she had into her teaching—her heart, her soul, her physical and mental abilities, her love for literature, speaking well, and writing, and her love for her students.I am sure that principals over the years appreciated James Ann’s dependability. Being late was not her thing, nor was leaving early. And being absent? No way. When she was expecting her second daughter, she was right where she wanted to be each day—at WHS, teaching like she was possessed. Jamie was born on Halloween and Go-Martin was back at school a week later.James Ann’s untiring spirit was not confined to her English classes. For years, she and James Davidson were dedicated yearbook sponsors. James, I’m sure, would speak of her as a “go-getter.” That same spirit prompted her and Callie Sue Brakefield—another unforgettable teacher—to begin sponsoring trips abroad for WHS students. Those kids received a taste of the culture of other countries because of those two women.James Ann and Callie Sue were loaded with ideas related to the benefit of WHS. They decided to host a class reunion. It sounded like something fun, so I agreed to join them in the adventure. (Make that adventure). We spent hours cooking a feast in the cafeteria. One of our mistakes was having steaks on the menu. As the 100 or so alumni guests came through the serving line, we were reminded of Baby Bear. Instead of “too hard, too soft, too hot, too cold”, we hear “I want mine rare, I’ll have medium rare, I need well-done.” Then back to the serving line they would come.“My steak needs more cooking, mine is burned, this steak is tough.” We got them fed and then the adventure really began—cleanup time! We were finished (in more ways than one) by 3 a.m. on Sunday morning. I am sure that I called in sick on Monday.The Go-Getters were not absent from school. And Go-Martin was saying, “We should do this again next year.”Mrs. Martin retired from WHS in 1990, but she did not retire from life. She continued teaching classes at Walker College for several years and in 1999, she helped lay the foundation for All Four Real Estate. It could easily be referred to as All For Real Estate because Go-Martin is “all for” working her butt off for the buyers and sellers.The next time you see or talk to James Ann Go-Martin—whether you are on the phone looking for a perfect home, or whether you see her out putting up a “For Sale” sign, or see her at an open house, ask her, “How goes it?”Her reply will never be “I’m bored.”