Home is not always where someone is born or even where they grew up. Sometimes, home is where you find your people.
Jodie McGirt, a Montgomery native, and David McGirt, originally from Warner Robbins, Georgia, found both their people and their home on Lake Martin. After moving to Lake Martin full-time nine years ago, the McGirts have not only found their home, but have made an impact on the community.
kAmu@C D6CG:?8 E96 4@>>F?:EJ E9C@F89 E96:C 3FD:?6DD6D {2<6 |2CE:? s@4< r@>A2?J[ {2<6 |2CE:? |249:?6 vF? 2?5 {2<6D42A6D[ E96 |4v:CED H6C6 ?2>65 E96 a_ad qFD:?6DD !6CD@?D @7 E96 *62C 3J E96 p=6I2?56C r:EJ r92>36C @7 r@>>6C46] k^Am
kAmyFDE F?56C 2 564256 28@[ s2G:5 H2D CF??:?8 8=@32= 3FD:?6DD6D 2?5 H2D 4@?DE2?E=J EC2G6=:?8 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5] }@ >2EE6C H96C6 96 H6?E[ @?6 E9:?8 C6>2:?65 E96 D2>6 — {2<6 |2CE:? H2D 2 C67F86 7@C E96 |4v:CED] k^Am
kAmx? a_`e[ E96 |4v:CED E@@< E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ >2<6 {2<6 |2CE:? E96:C A6C>2?6?E 9@>6 2?5 3@F89E {2<6 |2CE:? s@4< r@>A2?J] qFE E96J H6C6 @?=J 86EE:?8 DE2CE65]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C FD E@ >:8C2E6 E@ H96C6 H6 =@G6 E@ 36[” s2G:5 D2:5] “{2<6 |2CE:? s@4< r@>A2?J H2D <:?5 @7 E96 7:CDE @AA@CEF?:EJ H6 925 7@C {2<6 |2CE:? E@ 36 >@C6 E92? ;FDE 2 A=246 E@ 36 5FC:?8 E96 DF>>6C[ 3FE E@ 364@>6 @FC 9@>6]”k^Am
kAmxE 5:5?’E E2<6 =@?8 7@C E96 |4v:CED E@ 364@>6 244=:>2E65 E@ p=6I r:EJ] (9:=6 E96J D6CG6 p=6I r:EJ =@42=D 2?5 {2<6 |2CE:? G242E:@?6CD 2=:<6[ E96J 564:565 62C=J @? E96J ?66565 E@ D6CG6 E96 4@>>F?:EJ E96J =:G65 :?]k^Am
kAm“~?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D H6 DE2CE65 62C=J @? H2D ECJ:?8 E@ 8:G6 324< 2?5 H@C< H:E9 @FC 4@>>F?:EJ[” s2G:5 D2:5] “%92E’D H96C6 @FC H@C<7@C46 4@>6D 7C@>] ~FC 6>A=@J66D’ <:5D 8@ E@ D49@@= 96C6[ E96J 5@ E9:?8D =@42==J] (92E C62==J =65 FD E@ ECF=J 86E DFA6C :?G6DE65 :? @FC 4@>>F?:EJ H2D[ H:E9@FE E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ[ {2<6 |2CE:? H@F=5?’E 36 {2<6 |2CE:?] ~FC 6>A=@J66D H@F=5?’E 92G6 2 8C62E A=246 E@ =:G6 2?5 C2:D6 E96:C <:5D]”k^Am
kAm%@ D6CG6 E96 4@>>F?:EJ 6G6? >@C6[ E96 |4v:CED @A6?65 {2<6 |2CE:? |249:?6 vF? :? a_`f]k^Am
kAm“xE H@F=5 C62==J AC@G:56 A6@A=6 H:E9 2 7F? 24E:G:EJ @FED:56 @7 E96 =2<6[” s2G:5 D2:5] “xE’D 8C@H? E@ 364@>6 2 G6CJ A@AF=2C C2?86 2?5 2 D276 A=246 E@ AC24E:46 D9@@E:?8 E96:C A:DE@=D 2?5 C:7=6D 2?5 86E E96:C C:7=6D C625J 7@C 9F?E:?8 D62D@?]”k^Am
kAmp55:E:@?2==J[ E96 |4v:CED 2:> E@ 6?4@FC286 8F? D276EJ E9C@F89@FE E96 4@>>F?:EJ 3J E6249:?8 C:7=6[ 9F?E:?8 2?5 @G6C2== 8F? D276EJ 4=2DD6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 766= G6CJ 8@@5 23@FE 92G:?8 2 A=246 H96C6 A6@A=6 42? D276=J FD6 E96:C 7:C62C>D 2?5 EC2:?[” s2G:5 D2:5] “qFE >@C6 :>A@CE2?E=J[ H6’C6 AC@F5 E@ 92G6 2 A=246 H96C6 A6@A=6 42? 86E 65F42E65 @? D276EJ 2?5 F?56CDE2?5 9@H E@ FD6 8F?D]”k^Am
kAmu=2D9 7@CH2C5 E@ }@G6>36C a_ac[ E96 |4v:CED 3682? E96:C >@DE C646?E 3FD:?6DD G6?EFC6 E@ 7FCE96C D6CG6 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? 4@>>F?:EJ — {2<6D42A6D :D ?@H @A6? E@ AC@G:56 D6CG:46D 7@C =2<6 AC@A6CEJ >2:?E6?2?46]k^Am
kAm“{2<6D42A6D :D 2 4F=>:?2E:@? @7 2=>@DE `_ J62CD @7 {2<6 |2CE:? s@4< r@>A2?J[” s2G:5 D2:5] “p=@?8 E96 H2J[ @FC 4FDE@>6CD 92G6 4@?DE2?E=J 2D<65 FD 7@C C64@>>6?52E:@?D 7@C =2?5D42A:?8[ A=F>3:?8[ :CC:82E:@? @C 2== E96 @E96C E9:?8D E92E E96:C =2<6 6D42A6 ?665D]”k^Am
kAm%96 |4v:CED 564:565 E@ E2<6 >2EE6CD :?E@ E96:C @H? 92?5D E@ 7FCE96C D6CG6 E96:C 4FDE@>6CD’ ?665D] %@ 364@>6 2 @?6\DE@A D9@A 7@C E96:C 4FDE@>6CD[ E96 |4v:CED @A6?65 {2<6D42A6D E@ 96=A E96:C 4FDE@>6CD H:E9 >@C6 E92? ;FDE E96:C 5@4< ?665D]k^Am
kAm“%96J 92G6 @?6 W4@>A2?JX =@@<:?8 @FE 7@C E96:C 36DE :?E6C6DE 2?5 >2<:?8 DFC6 E96 BF2=:EJ :D 5@?6 E@ E96:C 6IA64E2E:@?D[” s2G:5 D2:5] “(6’G6 5@?6 2== E96 >2C:?6 4@?DECF4E:@? 7@C E96> @G6C E96 J62CD[ D@ E96J H:== <?@H E96J 42? ECFDE :E H:== 36 5@?6 C:89E — E96J H:== 86E A:4EFC6D[ FA52E6D 2?5 H6 AFE 2 7:G6\J62C H2CC2?EJ @? 6G6CJE9:?8]”k^Am
kAmpD:56 7C@> D6CG:?8 E96 4@>>F?:EJ E9C@F89 E96:C 3FD:?6DD6D[ E96 |4v:CED 2C6 :?G@=G65 :? @E96C 7246ED 2D H6==] pD D@@? 2D E96J 3642>6 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD :? p=6I r:EJ[ E96J ;@:?65 E96 492>36C :? a_`e] yFDE D9J @7 `_ J62CD =2E6C[ E96J C646:G65 E96 qFD:?6DD !6CD@?D @7 E96 *62C 2H2C5]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 ?@ :562 H92ED@6G6C[” y@5:6 D2:5] “x’== 49F4<=6 2E E9:D 3642FD6 W{2<6 |2CE:? #6D@FC46 pDD@4:2E:@? G:46 AC6D:56?EX #2?5J z:C<=2?5 H2D D:EE:?8 H:E9 >6] w6 8@E FA[ 2?5 x H2D E9:?<:?8[ ‘(92E :? E96 H@C=5 :D #2?5J 8@:?8 E@ 5@n’”k^Am
kAm$9@CE=J 27E6C z:C<=2?5 8@E FA[ 96 2??@F?465 E96 |4v:CED 925 H@? E96 2H2C5]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 ;FDE E92?<7F= E@ 92G6 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ DFAA@CE 2?5 36 A2CE @7 2 4@>>F?:EJ =:<6 E9:D[” y@5:6 D2:5] “(6’C6 G6CJ 2AAC64:2E:G6 @7 2== E96 A6@A=6 E92E >2<6 2== E96D6 E9:?8D H@C< D@ H6== E@86E96C]”k^Am
kAm pD:56 7C@> E96 492>36C[ E96 |4v:CED 2C6 :?G@=G65 :? G2C:@FD @C82?:K2E:@?D :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ] q@E9 y@5:6 2?5 s2G:5 2C6 G@=F?E66C 7:C67:89E6CD 2E z@H2=:82 '@=F?E66C u:C6 s6A2CE>6?E[ >6>36CD @7 E96 p=6I2?56C r:EJ z:H2?:D r=F3 2?5 :?G@=G65 H:E9 r9:=5C6?’D w2C3@C] p55:E:@?2==J[ y@5:6 D6CG6D 2D E96 {|#p AC6D:56?E 2D H6== 2D 2 3@2C5 >6>36C @7 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? pF3FC? r=F3] k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 3@E9 7:C67:89E6C :?DECF4E@CD[” y@5:6 D2:5] “p A2CE @7 8:G:?8 324< :D >2<:?8 46CE2:? H6 2C6 DFAA@CE:?8 2?5 56=:G6C:?8 E96 EC2:?:?8 E@ 92G6 255:E:@?2= 46CE:7:65 7:C67:89E6CD 24C@DD r@@D2[ %2==2A@@D2 2?5 t=>@C6 4@F?E:6D]”k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 E96 492>36C 2?5 {|#p[ E96 |4v:CED DFAA@CE 6G6?ED =:<6 E96 2??F2= !@=2C !=F?86 2?5 #FDD6== u@C6DE #F? E@ 96=A 8:G6 324< E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ] k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 3=6DD65 E@ =:G6 96C6 2?5 E@ AC@G:56 E96 ?F>36C @7 ;@3D H6’G6 4C62E65[” s2G:5 D2:5] “(6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 4C62E:?8 D:8?:7:42?E=J >@C6 @G6C E96 ?6IE 7:G6 E@ `_ J62CD[ 2?5 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 5@ :E :? 2 D>2== A2CE @7 2 8C62E 4@>>F?:EJ :D >@C6 E92? 6?@F89 7@C FD] xE’D ?:46 E@ 36 C64@8?:K65 D@>6E:>6D[ 3FE E92E’D ?@E H9J H6 5@ :E] (6’C6 2AAC64:2E:G6 @7 6G6CJ@?6 H9@ >2<6D E9:D A@DD:3=6 3642FD6 E9:D :D 2 DA64:2= A=246]”k^Am
