DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?
There's a great story that came out of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority house at the University of Texas back in the '60s. There was a tradition at the time for the alumnae of the sorority to return to the house every year on Bid Day to meet the new pledges. It was incumbent upon the pledges to prove that they had, in fact, deserved their bid, so they were all eager to make a good impression on both the alumnae and the actives.

So this one young lady recognized a face among the throngs of women that had gathered to meet the new pledges, and she seized her opportunity to make the aforementioned good impression. She pushed her way through the crowds and made a very public display of saying to the older woman. "Hello. I know that I know you from somewhere, and I'm just sure that we've met before." She went on to introduce herself to the familiar-looking woman, thinking that those assembled would be impressed by the fact that this lowly pledge who had only just that day accepted her bid knew one of the gathered alumnae.

The woman addressed very graciously accepted the young lady's hand and smiled. "I'm Lady Bird Johnson, my dear. I'm the President's wife. It's lovely to meet you."

PHOTO BY JILL SANDOLE Like Adrianne, above, Lady Bird Johnson very likely admired the wildflowers of Nantucket during her island visit in the 1980s.

That's right. Lady Bird didn't bust out with, "Do you know who I am?" She didn't even look down her nose and tell this girl that she was the First Lady of the United States. She very politely introduced herself and went on. And throughout her later years, Mrs. Johnson worked to create beauty in her home state of Texas with that same kind of humble attitude. There was no glory-seeking on her part, no attempt to pump up her own ego. It was just that she loved wildflowers, and today you can't drive through Texas in the spring without seeing the fruits of her labors. Through Lady Bird's beautification projects, the Texas highway system and surrounding lands literally come to life every March, with bluebonnets everywhere. Think Milestone Road in April, only on a much, much larger scale. And blue. Lots of blue.

And you know what, kids? Now that I really sit and think about it, Nantucket is a pretty beautiful place, too. Too bad so many of us seem to forget that fact and drop our trash all over the place. Lucky for us, we've got our own version of Lady Bird Johnson running around helping us all. The Clean Team, which meets every Saturday at 8 a.m., is one such group. If you're interested in joining their efforts, check out their Web site at www.ackcleanteam.org for details. And certainly the folks in the Nantucket Garden Club deserve a big round of applause for all they do to create and preserve natural beauty on the island.

There's one other group that deserves mention. Of course, that same group might just need a little kick in the pants to get them going, too. Yep. That group is the anglers out there.

For every generation, there is a destiny. And for every fishing column, there is a segue.

Friends and neighbors, I told you earlier in the season that this idea would be recycled, and here we are at that moment. I've noticed a lot less trash on the beach lately, which is a good thing. But there's still a long row to hoe, friends and neighbors, so we've got to stay diligent.

I know that none of you reading this column is to blame for the mess on the beaches. And yes, it's that time of year when the phrase, "Do you know who I am," gets thrown around from time to time, but just remember Lady Bird and the example she set, regardless of whether or not anybody knew who she was. We're all in this together, folks, and the beaches really don't care who you are. Let's all pull our weight here and work to keep the beaches clean. There's plenty of monofilament line and other fishing-related detritus on the beaches to implicate at least one of our ranks, so chip in and do your part to help out.

In that vein, the guys out at Bill Fisher Tackle at 3 Polpis Road are still offering free trash bags to assist in the effort. Take one to the beach with you when you go out fishing, return it to the shop full of trash and they'll trade you for a new plug. That's right, kids. You bring in the trash from the beach, they'll deal with the disposal of it and give you a brand-new plug to reward you for your efforts. So stop in at the shop and pick up a bag. And while you're there, give the guys a thankyou for doing their part in being good stewards of the environment.

And speaking of being good stewards, a very worthwhile nonprofit group called Recycled Fish is recruiting new members. Log on to www.recycledfish. org and take the "Sportsman's Stewardship Pledge." In return for your promise to be a responsible steward of the environment, you'll get a free membership to Recycled Fish. I'm on board with it and, as all of you know, I'm pretty important around these parts, so you know it's a good thing.

And just in case you're looking for any more thought-provoking wisdom, consider Lady Bird's own words: "The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become."

Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Tight lines. I