“GO WEST, YOUNG MAN, GO WEST”

Horace Greeley is often credited with this famous quote.  The implication is that there are new frontiers out west that offer growth, adventure and advancement.  Well, one of our own family members is now headed west, and our prayer is that opportunities for growth and prosperity will abound with this move.

 Jarrod, my son, is accepting a wonderful job offer in the San Francisco area and is moving to the beautiful state of California this week!  He and Sophie will be getting married this June in San Rafael, CA., and her parents live in the quaint little town of Fairfax, so this move is prudent, well deserved and exciting!  We do hope the best for he and Sophie.

 But there are a few things I would like to say publicly before he goes:

 First, while Jarrod will still be involved with Finn MacCool’s Pub via long distance, I in particular will miss his day to day interaction with our Finn MacCool’s family.  His insight, marketing savvy, hands on intuition, and general knowledge of our business on an everyday basis will be sorely missed.  When our little pub first opened in 2004-2005, we would never have survived without Jarrod’s time, effort and understanding which he so unselfishly devoted to our cause.  It is my humble opinion that every bartender and staff member owes a heart-felt thank you to Jarrod, because his dedication has helped us survive, and not only survive, but to succeed as one of Fort Worth’s legendary and finest establishments.  Simply put, we are able to enjoy the fruits of our business today due to, in large part, the efforts of Jarrod.

 Secondly, at the risk of sounding corny, Jarrod being our son and all, I would like to say this:  I have known Jarrod all of his life!  The point is, I am proud to have known him.  Even if Jarrod were not my son, I would be proud to be able to say I know him.  Jarrod shows a maturity well above his years, has a good heart, and is able to communicate and move in circles that simply amaze me.  Patti and I have been so fortunate to have been blessed with two amazing sons, Jarrod and Juston.  Our lives have been made richer and more enjoyable because of them, and we are so proud to have simply known them both.  Jarrod is not only our son, but he is our best friend. 

 So, from Patti, myself, and our entire family here at Finn MacCool’s – we want to say congratulations.  good luck and best wishes to Jarrod and Sophie as they head west.

 We - like Horace Greeley - still encourage Jarrod to follow his dreams and carve out his own path in life by saying "Go west, young man, Go west".   But if Horace Greeley DID know Jarrod, I think in his heart he would, like us, have really wanted to say “Stay here, young man, Stay here.” 

Robert Holt