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Success is the progressive realization of your goals. Life is a journey, not a destination. A common source of frustration for people is comparing their progress to their ultimate goal. They then run the risk of getting discouraged and abandoning their path altogether.
Suppose Bill has a goal to lose 25 pounds. After four weeks of dieting and exercise his weight has dropped four pounds. Bill is disappointed that in spite of all that effort he still weighs 21 pounds more than he wants. Convinced his goal is unattainable, Bill gives up on his weight loss plan.
Bill has given up because he failed to recognize the progress he has made. Subsequently, he has falsely concluded that his efforts have been ineffectual. Bill’s erroneous assessment stems from impatience and his preoccupation with the end result. Had Bill maintained his weight loss plan, he would have attained his goal in another five months.
Bill shortchanged himself in a number of ways. He failed to recognize the progress he was making and give himself credit for it. He expected instant results and didn’t allow enough time for his journey. He became frustrated and gave up before he had attained his goal.
It’s virtually impossible to leap from a starting point directly to an end result. There is always a journey connecting the two. When you want to drive to a particular location you can not be instantly transported there. You have to plan a route, get started, drive safely, and stay on the road through turns, traffic, and changing weather conditions. Your progress is measured in miles and you know from past experience that if you keep going you will reach your destination.
Your journey in life is no different. But rather than one objective at a time, you will have numerous goals, each with its own time frame and unique set of challenges. The pursuit of each goal entails a journey. Some journeys overlap, others are unique and distinct. Regardless of the mix, your journeys must be managed simultaneously.
For another example, let’s look at Jane’s situation. Jane is a college freshman and has many journeys to take before she graduates. These include each subject, every class, meeting new teachers, making new friends, etc. Jane’s college experience is not measured by her diploma but by her journeys and adventures.
Your life is comprised of the sum total of all your journeys. Some journeys are thoroughly enjoyable while others may feel like endurance tests. We can’t always pick and choose our journeys but we can make the best of each one. Each journey is rich with experiences and opportunities.
Here are some ways you can make the most of each journey. Objectively measure your progress and give yourself credit for it. Each step forward, no matter how small, is significant. Each step indicates that you are not standing still, and more importantly, not moving backwards. Even if you encounter a setback, resume your forward motion.
Set a timeframe for your journey that is compatible with your circumstances. If Jane were working full time and could only take one college course each semester, there’s no way she could graduate in the same time as if she were going to school full time. Journeys are personal. Don’t compare yourself or compete with someone else.
Don’t give up or get frustrated. Be consistent and persist until you complete your journey. Once you stop, you ensure you will never reach your destination.
To enjoy life, savor your journeys. Each journey can open up new horizons and enrich you in unexpected ways.

Jonathan Dartez was thrown into the starting quarterback’s role at Vermilion Catholic as a freshman after an injury to senior starter Mikie Bazar in 2021.
Dartez showed dynamic running skills, rushing for 902 yards and 15 touchdowns and throwing for 58 yards with nine TDs. He played six games at quarterback before Bazar returned from his back injury, then played receiver, running back, and whatever else the Eagles needed him to do.
“He handled it gracefully, and he just kind of got better each week as we went,” VC coach Broc Prejean said. “And we improved as a staff, understanding what he was good at and where he was most comfortable. We all grew together, and we felt like he was in a really good place by the time Mikie got back. That allowed us to put (Dartez) into other positions, and he was a jack of all trades for us last year.”
After working hard in the offseason to improve his passing skills, Dartez earned the starting quarterback job this spring, and Prejean said he’s looking forward to the chance to run a true run-pass option offense this fall.
“He’s one of the first guys I’ve been able to coach who truly can implement all three phases of the RPO,” Prejean said. “He can get it out there, make the right decision to hand it to the running back, get it out to the receiver if they’re not going to put enough guys over him, and then he can pull it down, and he can run it. Many teams are running the RPO style, but they’re running it intending to hand it off or throw it. Jon Jon has the opportunity to be all three. That’s exciting as a play caller, to be sure.”
That ability to run the RPO helps open up the field for the offense.
“Our mentality is to utilize the concept of spread truly — use all 53 1/2 yards sideline to sideline, and make sure we always have five guys on the field that can handle the football if they’re the right guy to it on that play,” Prejean said. “Jon Jon allows us to do that.”
Combining that run and pass threat is a goal for Dartez.
“Our goal is to be a fast-paced offense and just get whatever done,” he said. “If the throwing’s open, I worked all summer to improve it. If the running’s open, if I have to hand it off, I’ll do that, to win games.”
Dartez averaged 6.8 yards per carry and 15.8 yards per reception. He had 441 receiving yards and five TDs for the year.
“I think his time playing receiver in that latter half of the season last year is going to be invaluable to him,” Prejean said. “There were times this summer where you see he’s starting to think like us. Based on what he sees, he’ll see a defense, and he’ll know a certain route has to come open if it’s run correctly. It allows him to anticipate and be ahead of the game and manipulate safeties and linebackers when he can.”
Dartez said that being moved to quarterback was a little stressful but that he had great support from the school and community.
“It was fun because the whole school supported me as a freshman coming up, and it helped me for this upcoming year, just learning the plays.
“I made lots of mistakes last year. But it’s going to help me this year. I got all the jitters out.”
His coach said those mistakes, including interceptions that still bug Dartez, are part of the learning curve.
“I think the bumps last year were invaluable,” Prejean said. “And we talked about it even last year. I’d remind him after a tough game that next year you will remember that tough game and lean on it. You’re talking about a kid who had six starts at quarterback, six starts at wideout, and then he was the starting catcher on the baseball team, so I think at this point he has a lot more experience than many sophomores and juniors in the state. We’re not going to count on him as a sophomore anymore. He’s just our quarterback.”
Prejean said the team had a competition at quarterback in the spring, but the experience Dartez gained at the start of the 2021 season helped decide for the coaches.
“We went through spring looking at a few guys,” Prejean said. “His ability to know and handle the offense stood out. You saw the experience was there, he knew what calls to make, and the growth and maturity had come exponentially since his freeman year, so he solidified himself in that role. He had a great summer throwing the ball at 7-on-7, so we know he can do what we need him to do now.”
“I think the spring game helped me out,” Dartez. “I did good, and I got to control the offense better. I think it’s just the playbook. I knew all the routes, and I even told the coach which routes were open and which routes weren’t open. I called audibles and all that.”
While his running ability is still his strength, Dartez said, he worked hard to improve on his passing over the spring and summer.
“He did a lot of his work,” Prejean said. “He worked with a former quarterback, Drew Lege, on his own time over the summer. He was calling practices with the receivers on his own time. I think being able to watch offenses similar to ours during 7-on-7s, he started to understand where his talents lend themselves to and where the ball needs to be distributed. And he did a great job all summer of making smart decisions. That’s the biggest thing we talk about — don’t put the ball in danger, get it out where it needs to be, take what’s there, and just trust yourself. This summer, he did a great job of that.”
“(Lege) really helped me out,” Dartez said. “I can throw much harder, much farther, at least 20 yards farther.
“I think if I’m going to be a good passer and complete at least 60 to 70 percent. I don’t think they can stop my running and my throwing.”
Dartez is learning some of the position’s finer points heading into this season.
“He’s a competitor,” Prejean said. “I think he’s learning that sometimes the best throw isn’t always the deepest throw. It’s just getting the ball to a guy in space that’s available to receive it, and letting that guy be an athlete for you. As he’s starting to trust and develop chemistry with our receivers more and more, he’s understanding that. The five-yard throw might end up being a bigger play than the 20-yard throw. That’s what I think he really did a good job of this summer.”
In addition to football and baseball, Dartez also plays basketball and soccer at VC.
“He’s a kid that kind of does everything for the school,” Prejean said. “He’s just a tremendous competitor.”

December 17, 1965 ~ August 10, 2022

ABBEVILLE— Jules Detraz Hebert passed away suddenly Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at his home in Abbeville, LA. He was 56 years old.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 15, 2022 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church (300 Pere Megret St.) in Abbeville. Interment will take place on a later date at St. Paul Cemetery.
Jules spent most of his life in the city he loved most, Abbeville, but he also appreciated the charm and character of other places. His love for adventure took he and his family on many wonderful trips where he instilled in his children his love for learning and for travel.
Jules was born December 17, 1965, to Aurelie and Hazel “Pie” Hebert. He attended kindergarten at Seton and grammar school at Mt. Carmel. He was a member of the Vermilion Catholic HS Class of 1984, where he was Student Council President.  He moved to Baton Rouge to attend LSU and was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Order. He spent a summer abroad studying in Innsbruck, Austria during his time at LSU. After graduating, he moved to Denali National Park in Alaska, where he met the love of his life, Ann Link Hebert.  Together they built a beautiful family and served their community well, including as proprietors of their business, Vermilion Janitorial & Industrial Supply.
Jules was very active in his church parish and at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church. He was a member of the ACTS community, assisted with retreats, Cursillo, and was a lay eucharistic minister.  He served in the Knights of Columbus and followed in his father’s footsteps as an active Rotarian, where he served as President, was named Rotarian of the Year, and was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship Award.  Jules was also active in the Boy Scouts, leading Troop 229 for many years and assisting his sons in their quest to become Eagle Scouts. Some of his favorite times were spent camping with his family.
Jules is survived by his beloved wife of 27 years, Ann Link Hebert; three children, Lucas Detraz Hebert, Oliver Link Hebert, and Isabella Marie Hebert; three siblings, Gladu Aurelie Hebert, III and wife, Irina of Franklin, TN, Nannette Hebert Goodyear and husband, Ralph of Maurice, LA, and Adele Hebert Netterville and husband, Craig of Baton Rouge, LA; mother-in-law, Florence Reynolds; sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Link Asam and husband Don, and Theresa Link Palmer and husband, Mark; brother-in-law, Jerry Link; nephews, Evan Palmer, Jake Netterville, Michael Hebert, Sasha Hebert, and Aaron Link; and nieces, Adrienne Palmer and Mary Margaret Netterville. 
Jules was preceded in death by his father, Gladu “Aurelie” Hebert, Jr; mother, Hazel “Pie” Detraz Hebert; and father-in-law, Eugene Francis Link.
Visitation will be held at Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville (209 S. Saint Charles St.) on Sunday, August 14, 2022 from 4:30 PM until 7:30 PM. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 PM.  Visitation will continue Monday, August 15, 2022 at 8:00 AM until 10:45 AM when the procession will depart for the church. Repast to follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall (202 W. Vermilion St., Abbeville).
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

DELCAMBRE - Delcambre Shrimp Festival Queen Alaina Barras wanted to do something to help bring back the Delcambre Shrimp Festival with a bang.
The festival has been canceled for the last two years because of COVID-19. It will take place on Aug. 17-21.
Back in April, Barras came up with the idea of making a three-dimensional wooden sculpture of the word “Shr mp.” However, the letter “I” was left out of the word for a reason. People could stand and fill in for the “I” when they take a photo.
On Monday, Barras unveiled the sculpture to the Shrimp Festival Board. The letters were placed on the stage in the Shrimp Festival Building the night before by Alaina and her parents, Robbie and JoEllen Barras. They covered it with a tarp to make sure no board members saw the letters.
It was the first time the Shrimp Festival Board saw or even heard about Barras’ idea.
“Their jaws dropped,” said Barras.
Once she saw the Shrimp Festival Board liked the letters, a ton was lifted off her shoulders.
“In my head I was worried the board would not like it,”she said. “I did not fully enjoy it until the board saw it. For four months we had to keep a secret in this small town, which is hard to do.”
Barras, who is not an artist, said the sculpture turned about better that expected.
“It turned out better than I envisioned, “The detail on the letters are great.”
The letters, are made out of wood and stand about five feet tall, will be on display next to the Shrimp Festival Building during the festival. People will be able to stand where the letter “I” is and take photos at no charge.
The unveiling of the letters was the end of a four-month project accomplished by Barras, a 21-year-old education major at the University of Lafayette.
She began thinking of ways to help the Shrimp Festival in April. Then, she thought about how Lafayette has the sculpture of the word “Lafa ette” with the “Y” missing. She thought about the word “SHRIMP” without the “I.”
She presented the idea to her parents to see if it could be possible, and both agreed it was possible. Next, she spoke with the Shrimp Festival queen sponsors to see if they were OK with the project. They loved it.
In April, she began laying out the plan to make this happen. First, she met with Delcambre Principal Chantel Helms about getting Delcambre High’s woodworking students to cut out the letters. Barras met with DHS woodworking teacher Jake Broussard before the end of school last year.
The DHS woodworking students cut out the letters and made the platform for the letters to stand on. That took about four weeks.
Once the letters were cut out, she found local artists to paint on each letter. She had a vision of what she wanted on each letter and she also wanted to use pastel colors.
The artists who painted the letters were:
Blair Blanchard painted the letters “S” and “H.”
Jessica Touchet painted the “M.”
Lexi Renard painted the “R.”
Kassie Duhon painted the “P.”
Before painting the letters, they submitted their idea to Barras, who had the final approval.
Pink shrimp were painted on the S.
The Delcambre bridge was painted on the H.
The letter R has the traditional Delcambre Reebok, white boots, along with a shrimp boat, shrimp, a white crane, and the words, “Bayou Carlin Cove.”
The letter M has the image of the Blessing of the Fleet with a priest, plus an image of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church.
The letter P has the image of the Delcambre Water Tower, along with the words “Eat Local” and the Delcambre zipcode, “70528.”
“Each letter is unique,” said Barras. “Each represents Delcambre and the festival.”