- The Advocate-Messenger
By Robin Hart
Cameron Mills, former University of Kentucky
basketball star, spoke to the Danville-Boyle
County Chamber of Commerce
luncheon on 01/18/18.
Former University of Kentucky
basketball star Cameron Mills has a Danville
connection many
might not know about. While speaking at the Danville-Boyle
County Chamber of Commerce
luncheon Tuesday, Mills revealed that John Drake,
executive director of the Danville-Boyle
County Parks
and Recreation Department, gave him his first job one summer when they were
both living in Somerset,
years ago.
“He’s been in and out of my life for 30 years,”
Mills said of Drake, who also had a strong
impact in his life.
Despite snowy weather and icy roads, nearly 100
people attended the Danville-Boyle County
Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday
afternoon to hear Mills give an inspirational talk
about the old adage,
“actions speak louder than words.”
Cameron said he is weakest when he’s speaking in
front of an audience,
“But I’m strongest when I walk out that door and live.”
Children are influenced the most by watching adults’
actions, he said.
He described an old, typewritten poem that hung over
a door leading into the old UK
men’s
basketball locker room, along with other inspirational posters tacked to
the walls.
The page was in an old frame, “It was nothing
impressive,” Mills said, except for the words
themselves; no author was given.
Part of it read:
“There are little eyes upon you
And they’re watching night and day
There are little ears that quickly
Take in every word you say
Their little hands so eager
To do the things you do
And little ones who are dreaming
Of the day they’ll be like you…”
Mills went on to describe the pride he felt when UK won the
national basketball championship
in 1996, and especially in 1998. He said he
wanted to wear his large championship ring and
show it off to the students,
teachers and staff at his alma mater, Dunbar High School.
He also specifically wanted to show his former
coach, Frank Watson, who was also the P.E.
teacher at the school. Mills said
Coach Watson “taught us how to be men by how he lived his life.”
Mills said when he visited the school, hoping to
have a “me day,” he saw an opportunity to help
a girl in an uncomfortable
situation.
“You could say she was bullied,” Mills said. He
envisioned how he could step out and help the
student and show the other 70
kids in the P.E. class what was the right thing to do.
However, “I walked out that door… It’s one of the
moments I deeply regret. None more than
this one. Those 70 kids needed a
sermon without saying a word, just by doing something.”
Mills ended his talk reminding the audience they are
very important business leaders in the
community and they have real power
because the community’s youth is watching them.
They are always looking for a
role model.
“You have influence whether you want to or not.”
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