Tommy Williams finally figured it out. It took him a while, but he did it.

I considered Tommy a friend through many of the last 30 or so years. Not really a “close” friend per se, because we weren’t calling each other every day or anything like that. But a friend in that when we saw each other, we’d find a quiet corner and talk at length.

Now, I have to admit most of the conversations over the years revolved around football – specifically the Thomas County Central and Florida State variety. Tommy’s loyalty to FSU is legendary, so when a young quarterback named Charlie Ward was running things for the Yellow Jackets and Tommy’s Seminoles were recruiting him, he’d call regularly to check on how he had done in our games and check up on how Central was playing.

Of course, the conversation always ended up being tinted more garnet and gold than blue and gold.

When Charlie was leading FSU to a national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy, he always mentioned how proud he was that perhaps the top Seminole of all-time hailed from the place he called home.

Few things mattered more to Tommy Williams than his hometown. All you have to do is look around this place to see the influence he and his family have had.

And, to be sure, that influence isn’t just found in brick and mortar. Tommy loved the outdoors, and he was committed to making sure the open spaces that make our county and region so beautiful stayed open for future generations to enjoy as much as he did.

The last 15 or so years of his life, illness, including liver cancer, slowed him down — but not much. He was still working tirelessly on this or that. But along the way during that time, something happened to Tommy that, in my opinion, was the most important step of his life.

Tommy Williams, a man who lacked for nothing, had strode his full path of life unfulfilled.

Several months ago, he called me out of the blue, basically, to encourage me to stay strong with my convictions toward getting people involved in their community and nation. It provided me an opportunity to ask how was doing.

“I am better than I’ll ever deserve to be,” was his response. He told me that he was fighting cancer, and while he knew where that fight would end, it was clear he finally OK with his life — but at the same time acutely concerned for where this poor world was heading.

“You keep pushing people,” he told me. “I’m afraid if someone doesn’t remind them to care about what’s happening around them, most won’t.”

See, about seven years ago, Tommy committed his life to Christ. It was a decision that completely changed his life, and he wasn’t afraid to tell people as much.

“You know,” he shared with me, “I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but this was the one thing I did that made me feel complete, whole. The best part? It didn’t cost one red cent. It was all about what was inside me. I think of all the days I went with that void in me, but you know, better late than never, I guess.”

And then he said something that in many ways brought many of our conversations full circle:

“Randy, it’s not that people today are less intelligent or care any less than they ever have. The problem we have as a nation is that we’ve lost our foundation. We keep believing that the answer is money. Believe me, money is not the answer. Until people make the choice to place their faith in God to lead us again, we can spend every penny we can find and nothing will change. If we want to get back on the right path, we are each going to have a basic change of heart.”

It became clear to me in his last days that Tommy Williams had taken account of his life, looked at it carefully and, then, had paused to look around at others. I truly believe that much of reason he gave of himself so willingly over these last years was because he finally understood that only through acts can men truly change the hearts of others, and that such will only happen one heart at a time.

And, when you get right down to it, the only heart you can truly change is your own.

Thomas County is a better place because Tommy Williams loved it and called it home. I’m glad he finally understood before we was called home that a better place awaited him because of God’s love, and that finally, ultimately, each of us need to get back on that path.

Just like he said — better late than never.