Penny For Your Thoughts

I've always been interested in days gone by...world history, American history, South Carolina history...my own history. I'm especially interested in those points where the paths of each intersect. 

One of my favorite fantasies is time travel. To do this, I listen to old songs, flip open a bottle of Coppertone suntan lotion, study the way the sunlight scatters across the blue sky, and reflects off a field of grass, or wonder over wee bits of history that have survived the passage of time. One of my latest time travel attempts has involved the latter. 

Ever since visiting the UK back in 2018, and following my DNA results from Ancestry, I've had a growing desire to connect, or reconnect, as much as possible to the land of my forefathers. I've done this in many ways, but one of my more tangible pursuits has been the searching for, and collecting of, a representative farthing, halfpenny, or penny bearing the likenesses of Queen Elizabeth II all the way back to 1674 during the reign of Charles II. The reigns of monarchs seem to be an excellent way to organize, and file away in my mind the events and time passages that make a people who they are. Holding the coins in my hand connects me in such a very real and tactile way to a bygone time and people. Though those days and lives have long faded away, they still matter to me, and I can share with them a relic that provided for a small want or need during their time. 

Obviously, such an endeavor can get very expensive very quickly, but I chose to go about my pursuit in a more practical, and a bit more frugal fashion. I'm not so much interested in the investment side of numismatics. I don't need a proof, or uncirculated graded coin. I prefer the legible, but well circulated survivor. I don't really like a coin in a plastic container, but rather one that I can hold in my hand. The small collection shown in the pic above is such a grouping. The following are a select few coins from this collection, and I will share just what kind of thoughts they evoke. 

1674 Charles II Farthing

1674 Charles II farthing: The coin bears the likeness of the namesake of Charlestown, AKA, Charleston, SC, founded just four years before this coin was minted. Its original value was just a fourth of a penny. "Penny," by the way has been used in the States for years, but it is only a slang term for our cent. We don't have pennies...never did! The term is just another carry over here from our days as English colonists over than two and a half centuries ago. Charles II was named for his father, Charles I who was executed in 1649. North and South Carolina owe their names to the Latin derivative of Charles I. When this coin entered into circulation, the grand houses and porticos of Charleston had yet to appear, and the iconic cobblestone streets had yet to be laid. A small fortification, a few farming plots, and brick dwellings at Albemarle Point by the Ashley River were only starting to become the promise of the place, relocated a few miles down river some six years later, that I visit so often and love so much today. Meanwhile, back in England someone carried this coin, with the purchasing power greater than a dollar today, in their pocket until trading it for lunch or a pint, and finding yet another pocket, and so on until it eventually found my own.

1694 William & Mary 

1694 William and Mary halfpenny: William III and Mary II are from what I gather a bit of a royal enigma. Mary, second in line and William fourth, as the double profiles on the coin implies, shared the throne. Mary died of small pox at the age of 32 in the year this coin was minted. After her passing, William III assumed solitary reign until his death following a riding accident in 1702.  His sister-in-law, Anne became queen, and must've made pennies scarce by royal decree because I can't find one...at least at a reasonable price!

1724 George I

1724 George I halfpenny: The British King who couldn't speak English. From Hanover Germany, this aristocrat had the distinction of being the second cousin of Queen Anne. Times were hard, and finding a Protestant successor was no easy task apparently. George never bothered to learn English, and it was during his reign that the traditional powers of the monarchy began to diminish to resemble a more constitutional style of government that we see today. He died while visiting his homeland of Germany, and is the last British monarch to be buried outside of Great Britian.

1754 George II

1754 George II farthing: This coin bears the likeness of the namesake of the state of Georgia, and our own beloved George Washington. Ironically, Washington shares that distinction with his top adversary a few decades later, George III. Born in Germany, George II is the last British monarch to be born outside of Great Britain. In addition to Georgia, we also have Georgetown up the road, and the University and historic neighborhood in D.C. where I've had lunch, and explored while stationed nearby during my Air Force time. I could make this a much longer blog I'm sure if I were to name every place in the US that can be traced, at least in name, back to this Hanover born king. I find it fascinating how a series of events can elevate a fortunate man's name to carry on for centuries in ways no one could ever have imagined. From Georgia, to George Washington, and now my little collection, his name resounds far beyond his efforts and years.

1799 George III

1799 George III halfpenny: This was one of the first British coins I searched for simply because of his eternal place in American history. "Mad King George" is how I was introduced this king. Afterall, had he been a bit more adept at managing his colonies, I might seem more the son of England than I appear today. The year was also significant to me as it marks the year that we lost our own George Washington. George III would live another 21 years after the minting of this coin, but the coin's carriers would know this land as a former colony now called the United States of America. The citizens of this new land wouldn't have nearly as much use for this coin as they would've in times just a few years earlier.

1831 William IV

The remaining coins include an 1826 George IV penny, 1831 William IV halfpenny (The last Hanover King), a 1900 Queen Victoria penny, 1906 Edward VII penny, 1921 George V penny,  1937 George VI penny, 1966 Elizabeth II Penny, which is the only coin in this collection from my time since I was born that very year. My mother's name happens to also be Elizabeth...not sure if she was named for the then, at the time of her birth, yet to be coronated queen of England.

In addition to the coins that bear the faces of monarchs, the back row of my collection is made up of what has become known as Conder tokens. The late 1780s through the early 1800s, were marked by a significant shortage of small denomination coins. As a result, different areas around Great Britain minted their own solution in the form of tokens. The tokens now are a legacy to the regional pride that existed in those times. I went through and sought out a few of these for personal reasons, but I will happily share those now.

1797 Staffordshire halfpenny: I love the little castle tower on the token, but the must have element of this coin for me is the name Stafford shown above the tower. It is a family name on my paternal grandmother's side. I haven't been able to trace that line out of South Carolina, but I imagine they probably heralded from a place such as this, if not specifically here. I look at that name, and wonder if that's not my own hometown...at least in part.

1792 London and Middlesex Shakespeare halfpenny: One of our stops a few years back was in the Bard's town of Stratford upon Avon. We had Champagne and scones in the childhood schoolhouse of Shakespeare, and walked the ancient streets, and alongside the lovely banks of the Avon. When I saw the coin, I sat and wondered on how the people of that time had already come to realize the greatness of this one of their own from two centuries before. I think they'd be happy to know how his legend lives on. My daughter, Kristin, bought a little bust of Shakespeare to remember the visit by, but I didn't really pick up a souvenir that day. This coin serves as that for me now...a souvenir and testament to the enduring contribution he has made to the many generations that came after him.

1791 Lancashire-Liverpool halfpenny: The first thing to catch my eye is the very striking sailing boat image on one side, but the selling point for me is the intersection of different paths. Anyone who knows me knows how much music means to me. As such, the very mention of Liverpool always brings one thing to mind...fish and chips. Just kidding, the Beatles of course. This coin was minted in a time when the very idea of the Beatles would have been unimaginable even to the people of Liverpool. It was a coastal town with fishing and seafaring as its central focus, but that too was the backdrop for a group that would have executed the kind of successful invasion of America that would have most certainly been the envy of George III.

1794 Canterbury halfpenny: One of the trips we took while over there was to Canterbury Cathedral. The cathedral was amazing, the town was lovely too. When I saw the coin, it evoked a very similar feeling I had when studying the Shakespeare coin. Of course, the Cathedral, and even the dark history it possesses, has been a source of pride for centuries. For me, it's another souvenir that I didn't get while I was there. 

1794 Suffolk Bury Cornwallis Penny: I saved one of the most fascinating coins for last. Charles Marquis Cornwallis, better known as General Cornwallis or Lord Cornwallis from my history studies is shown here as the pride of his town. I've been to Capitulation Field at Yorktown Battlefield, and various places here in SC where he had some successes and failures including one attempt to take Sullivan's Island by crossing over from Long Island which is known today as the Isle of Palms. The failed attempt doesn't get much mention in Cornwallis's writings, and it's understandable why. The thing that occurred to me while holding the coin is that both he and Washington were still alive at the pressing of this coin. I imagine he spent the rest of his days dogged by those historic moments in time at Yorktown and the Carolinas, but he will now be remembered in my collection in a place I'm sure he would have preferred to forget. 

Thoughts on Veterans Day 2020

Lackland Graduation

It's been 33 years since I stepped off the plane in San Antonio, and onto the bus heading for Lackland Air Force Base, and the most shocking night of my life up to that point. I was 20 years old, married just a little over a year and a half, and a fairly new Dad with a daughter who had not yet celebrated her first birthday. When we arrived and got off the bus, we were greeted by a couple of human pit bulls wearing campaign hats, and metal taps on the soles of their shoes. I can still hear those echoing taps as they circled and yelled, circled and yelled. That night, one of the pit bulls circled our dorm in the dark, tapping and yelling, as I tried to lay still and invisible as possible. I wondered to myself, "what have I gotten myself into?"

The Air Force seemed like an escape from the trap I found myself in. I'd jumped into adulthood so early in my life, and was starting to realize that my early decisions came with barriers attached. I pondered the things I would not be able to do. I thought, "well, I guess college is out of the question now." I could see myself living paycheck to paycheck for the rest of my life, and I wanted more for my family. I had high hopes that the Air Force would provide a way.

After basic training, it started to feel like I made the right decision. I was sent to Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, and began my technical training to become an Imagery Interpreter. The job fell under the umbrella of Air Force Intelligence, and was unlike anything I'd ever done before. I fell right into the career field, and loved the tedious nature of it. I know that might sound odd, but I've always been drawn to tedious, and solitary pursuits. Now you might be able to better understand just how it is that I have found literally thousands of shark teeth fossils, and learned, and forgotten, hundreds of songs on guitar. 

May 1993 - University of Nebraska at Omaha

After graduation, we moved to a town just South of Omaha, Nebraska, and I started my Air Force career in earnest as an Airman First Class at the Headquarters for Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base. Seasons came and went, our second child, Marcus, was born, and I started taking night classes at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. They held classes on base, so I would often go to the bowling alley after work, grab a coffee and some mentos, or a bran muffin, and study until time for the three hour class to start.  Five years of long days, and occasional little interruptions like Operation Desert Storm, and I found myself standing in line to receive my diploma.

OTS Graduation - Sep 1995

We spent six years at Offutt before I was selected as an instructor in the very same course I'd graduated from just six years before back in San Angelo. A year and a half later, and I was on my way to Montgomery, Alabama, as an officer candidate. Suddenly, I  found myself with nerves on end just like I'd felt eight years earlier. 90 days later, and I drove out of the base gate wearing the gold bars of a second lieutenant. Where to now? Well, back to San Angelo of course. I stayed in the Intelligence career field, and attended a six month officer intel course. After that, I was asked to stay on as an instructor in the very same course. It was during this time that our third child, Nathan, was born, and I found my first professional weekend gig as a guitar player at the Cactus Cafe. I was paid with a delicious sandwich of my choice, and my audiences sometimes included students from my classes.

I made first lieutenant and was selected as the Chief of Targets for the JSTARS aircraft at Robins Air Force Base near Macon, Georgia. These were some of the most trying days of our lives. We were beginning to understand the depth of the challenges of our son's, Marcus's, autism. He would not sleep, so neither did we. The move had been so stressful for him, and he just couldn't handle it...neither could we. I asked if there was a way for the Air Force to move us closer to family in the hopes that we might get some help. A process was started, and in time we were able to move to Charleston. 

My three years at Charleston saw me attain the rank of Captain, and deploy to Europe in support of Operation Enduring Freedom after 911. After that, I managed to stay in Charleston by becoming an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at The Citadel, During my time at The Citadel, I was selected to the rank of Major, and enjoyed four years in what I consider easily my favorite assignment of my Air Force career.

Promotion to Major  at the Citadel

My last assignment found me as the Director of Intelligence for the Air Force District of Washington in D.C. What an amazing position, and assignment for someone wanting the next promotion, or to get a foot in the door of the Washington Intelligence Community. As part of my job, I attended multi agency meetings and working groups at the Pentagon, the National Counter Terrorism Center, and various other locations in the D.C. area, and that afforded me access to some areas and information I'd never knew existed, or ever thought I'd see. The two star General I worked for even told me in so many words what an opportunity it offered...but not for me. I'd left my family in the Charleston area due to Marcus's inability to handle moving again. As soon as I met my 20 year requirement for retirement, I petitioned that same General to help me retire, so I could get back to my family in South Carolina. He came through for me, and my old team at The Citadel put on a nice retirement ceremony in the beautiful Summerall Chapel.

It's been 13 years now since I last wore the uniform of an active duty military man, and I find that I very seldom speak of my military career. When folks thank me for my service, I fight a little feeling of embarrassment. I always say that I received far more than I ever had to give, and I joke that discount Riverdogs Baseball tickets is all I ask. Truthfully, I did give a lot of myself to the role. I call it a role, because it never came naturally to me, and I always felt exhausted after playing the role for extended periods. I always knew that I was a musician at heart, and not really a military man. I often thought of, and identified closely with,  the line from Dan Folgeberg's "Leader of the Band," where he described his father as, "a quiet man of music, denied a simpler fate; he tried to be a soldier once, but his music wouldn't wait."

End of a Career - 2007

Well, my music would wait...for 20 years, and I do count the cost of that, but what a small price to pay when I reflect on the honor of serving the same nation bought with the blood and treasure of giants. I'll never measure up in my mind to those giants, but I suppose I did the best a musician could do playing such a role so foreign to my own nature for so long. I gave a speech at a graduation ceremony once, and I had in hand a Farmer's Almanac from 1800. I peeled open the fragile pages and read General Henry Lee's Eulogy from George Washington's funeral held just one month prior to the printing of those pages.  He referred to Washington as, "our Bulwark in War," and referred to his heroic service at Valley Forge, and the daring icy crossing of the Potomac. The reverence that defined his oration moved me, and made even taller the legend of the man in my mind. Some evenings during that last year of my career. I'd leave work, and I could see the lights illuminating the capitol dome in the distance across the Potomac as I made my way across the parking lot, and I'd think back on that speech and on his words. Not only was I serving in the city that bore his name, but I was serving the very same nation that he, and so many patriots whose white stones flow for acres just a few miles away, toiled to establish. When I think on such things, I feel unworthy. The only suitable response, for my part anyway, to the words, "thank you for your service," is that it was an indescribable honor to serve."

In My Life - Blessings So Far

It's been a long time since my last post! Social media seems to have supplanted this journal, but every now and again a thought comes to mind that just doesn't fit the format of Facebook, but begs to be expressed none the less. This will be a lengthy blog post I'm sure, so I don't blame you if you just keep scrolling. That said, I spent a little time in my music room this morning just reflecting on a lifetime of blessings. Life isn't exclusively about blessing, I know...there is pain, failure, loss and heartbreak of all kinds, but those realities were not the focus of my reflection this morning. Instead, I recalled one by one moments that almost sound like the makings of another's life, but by the grace of God were allowed to me. Everyone has their own life story, and I'm sure so many moments in the lives of you reading this now might make these moments appear small indeed by comparison, but for my part, I'm filled with gratitude for the large and small portions that have blessed my life up to this point. If this blog inspires you to take a moment to reflect back on the blessings of your own life, then it will have served a greater purpose than just inspiring my own personal gratitude.

I was born in 1966 in Greenville County, to a loving,

Saxon Mill Hill in Spartanburg, SC - early '70s

but extremely poor family. My first memories are from a small, four-room house at the bottom of a textile mill hill just feet from the railroad tracks. The train would shake the house as it passed by. I shared a room with my two older brothers, and we heated the house with kerosene, and coal if I remember correctly. I remember making mud pies on the porch while Mom hung the clothes on the line. We had a dog named Bingo, and a doghouse for him made from a plywood church pulpit on the front porch. The memories from this time, all before the age of six, are warm, but very simple. I played with a broom pretending it to be a guitar until the day Dad brought home a small guitar from the J.M. Fields Department Store. I didn't know how poor we were then, but by today's standards, we had less then than anyone I now know. Mom and Dad had dropped out of high school, and had met while working in the textile mill together. The age of the mills was coming to a close, as was the age of any opportunity that could be seen at that time.

Scouting Days

Growing up, I had church, music, Boy Scouts and some sports. Dad found his vocation as a pest

control man, and I had a few adventures that stand out in my mind. The funny thing is that it is the absence of adventure that fuels the wonder and gratitude of the life that I look back on now.

The following is just a stream of consciousness that resembles my morning reflection. It does contain some accomplishments, but is not meant as a boast of any kind. I see any accomplishments I managed to obtain over time as little different from the random blessings that God has always orchestrated just right outside of my peripheral vision. So as I list these things, please know the memories inspire gratitude rather than pride.

What have I been afforded since the barefoot memories from that four-room house by the railroad tracks? I'll start with my greatest gift aside from my own eternal salvation...my family. I married my high school sweetheart nearly 35 years ago, and I've been given a daughter and two sons. The blessings that come from this gift alone eclipse everything that follows, but they were there for most of this. What's more? Well to just pick a random point in time, I'll start with the time I camped in the

Hiking in the Everglades

Canadian Rockies for two weeks. I've seen the sunset over the Grand Canyon, and felt the cool Autumn mist from the Falls at Niagra at night. I've marched before dawn to the calls of a drill Sergeant in San Antonio, TX, and have called out commands of my own directing fellow officer candidates in Montgomery, AL. I've hiked 20 miles in a day through the Everglades, and have been lost, and found in the mountains of North Carolina. I've eaten a bison burger at Wall Drug in South Dakota, and have been to the grave of Wild Bill in Deadwood. I graduated with a degree in Geography from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and earned a commission as an Air Force second lieutenant. I served during Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom. I deployed 12 days after September 11th to Sicily, and saw the sun rise over Mt Etna. I've walked across lava fields still simmering with heat, and wandered

Mt Etna - Sicily

through ancient Roman ruins on the cliffs by the Mediterranean Sea. I've climbed stairways of castles and cathedrals all across Europe, and watched a late night guitar and traditional Spanish dance performance in Seville, Spain. As a treasure hunter, I've found literally  thousands of fossils; some museum quality. I've found hundreds of colonial artifacts near Charleston, SC, a metal artifact on a Civil War battlefield in Manassas, VA, ancient brick fragments from the Mediterranean, and a WWII artifact on a battlefield in France. I've driven through Germany's Black Forest in the Fall, and seen distant glaciers in the Swiss Alps in the Springtime. I've ridden a train from London to Edinburgh watching the English pastures, sheep, Scottish gorse in bloom with its brilliant golden hue while catching glimpses of the North Sea. I've played my guitar at sunrise by the Forth of Firth at the Port of Leith in Scotland, and

Scottish Highlands

I've watched the Alps majestically pass by from a bus window in South Tirol in Northern Italy. I've walked barefoot across the famous crossing at Abbey Road, and have attended a concert at Trafalgar Square. I've flown from Charleston, SC, to California and back again all in less than a 24 hour period, and I've flown first class from New York to London. I spent four years working as an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at The Citadel, and served as the Director of Intelligence for the Air Force District of Washington in DC. I retired from the Air Force after 20 years in the rank of Major, but not before living close enough to Mt Vernon to ride my bike there for an afternoon outing. I attended a book release for a friend at the Library of Congress, and spent days walking battlefields at Yorktown, Gettysburg, and Antietam where my 3rd great grandfather was killed in the Civil War. I've camped near the canyons at Big Bend, TX, and walked through Central Park in 18 degree weather. I saw the two towers of the World Trade Center a year before they fell. I've spent an exhausting,

NYC - 2000

sleepless night in JFK airport, and although it was not, in and of itself, a blessing, it did lead one of the blessings listed above. I've met my heroes. I've had a late night dinner at Cracker Barrel with, and  been invited onstage by Doyle Dykes, and I've shook the hands of James Taylor and Bill Murray. I've had lunch with guitar great, John Knowles, and I've had a few laughs off stage with guitar legend, Tommy Emmanuel. I've recorded with multiple Dove Award winner, Phil Keaggy, Nashville Bassist of the Year, Dave Pomeroy, and fiddle/mandolin all star, Andy Leftwich, of Ricky Skaggs Kentucky Thunder fame. One night at the Country Music Hall of Fame, I had the opportunity to eat cookies and drink punch with Duane Eddy, Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars, and Ricky Skaggs. I've seen three presidents in person...George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter. I saluted President Carter at a pass and review parade in Montgomery, Alabama. I've been to the graves of Hank Williams, and Elvis Presley, and to the childhood school room of William

William Shakespeare's School House

Shakespeare in Stratford upon Avon. I've been to the Black Gate in Trier, Germany, and to the childhood home of John Wayne in Wintersett, Iowa. I stood in a line with the Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, and behind the President's press secretary, Tony Snow, at a Starbucks in Alexandria, Virginia. I was the lead intel officer for the Air Force's ceremonial proceedings during President Ford's funeral. I landed in the cockpit of a C-17 alongside my son in Ramstein, Germany. I've driven the famed Romantic Strasse from Austria to Rothenburg, and stared up in amazement at the ceiling of the Pilgrimage church in Weis. I've met classical viruoso, Christopher Parkening, and saw Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson at Farm Aid in Ames, Iowa. I've looked for Nessie from the banks of Loch Ness, walked through bows made from elk antlers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, saw rain fall in the Sonoran desert, cliff dwellings near Sedona, and swatted brine flies at the Great Salt Lake. I've seen the faces of presidents on Mount Rushmore, the face of Crazy Horse at twilight carved into a mountain side in Wyoming, and I've seen the snow slowly fall in late fall in Toronto, Canada. I've crossed the Rio Grande in a boat, hiked to a Mexican village, and had lunch in

At Hadrians Wall

a local's house, and I saw a bear in the Smoky Mountains. I won enough in a lotto in Windsor, Canada, to buy a nice guitar, and I met Eugene Shoemaker, who discovered the Shoemaker Levy Comet that crashed into Jupiter. I've climbed bluffs along Hadrians Wall, and climbed the ancient stone steps at the Greek amphitheater in Syracuse. I've seen Gordon Lightfoot, Ringo Starr, and peeked through a fence at the fair to see Ricky Nelson. I've met some of the very best musicians that define, and redefine, their instruments to include Alison Krauss, Chris Thile, Bela Fleck and Jake Shimabukuro, and I've played guitars that belonged to Chet Atkins and Lenny Breau. I met James Burton and Joe Bonamassa in Nashville on the same night, and once ran into Sam Bush at a mall. I've seen the statue of William Wallace in the highlands, explored the Spanish caves in Aracena, and attended a concert at Westminister Abbey. I've been to the meteor crater in Arizona, the Cathedral at Cologne, and the U.S. Memorial in Bastongne, Belgium. Senator Lindsey Graham took my picture with a Medal of Honor recipient, and I met Congressman Alan West and Sen Tim Scott in the US capitol building. I've had key lime pie in Key West, ridden across Lake Pontchartrain, heard live blues in Memphis, lived in six states, and have visited too many others to count for the purposes of this blog.

All of this, and so much more...all of the friends, and family who have been there the whole time. All of the music, backyard gardening, scouting adventures, family vacations to Disney World and beyond, and the list could simply go on and on and on. All of the prayers, church services, and alone times spent with God. I hope that God grants many, many more days, and years, to come, but I'm so grateful for all that I've already been given. Hopefully, I'll be able to visit this little list of blessings, and report that the best was yet to come. I'm a believer in my Redeemer, and in the eternity, and heaven that He has prepared for me, so I'm certain that the list will never end.

Until next time, count your blessings, and give thanks, for I'm convinced that is the will of God.

Eagle Scout & So Much More

Nathan Takes the Eagle Oath

May 1, 2015 was a pretty big day for the Miller household.  After seven years of scouting, Nathan was awarded his Eagle Scout Award.  I planned the ceremony from start to finish, and doing so took up most of my free time.  When I wasn't putting together a slideshow, drafting the script, or coordinating the reception details, I was thinking...not just about the ceremony, but about so much more.  I thought about my own Eagle ceremony some 32 years ago, and I marveled for the first time over all the planning and work taken on by my scoutmaster, mentor, and lifelong friend, Wade Cleveland. I now have a new appreciation, and awe, for what was given to me.  I thought about the camping trips, the hikes, the outings.  During that seven years, we'd been to a national jamboree in Virginia, had two scout trips to Washington DC, we hiked in the Florida Everglades, Yorktown and Manassas Battlefields, backpacked along Lake Moultrie, and climbed Table Rock.  We'd spent three Summer Camps at Ho Non Wah, one at my old camp, Camp Old Indian, and two Winter Camps, one with icy temperatures in the teens.  I remembered Nathan coming to my tent at 2:00 am. He stood outside quietly for a moment, but I sensed it was him.  When I asked him what he needed, he hesitantly asked me if could come in because it was so cold.  I cranked up a propane heater, and heard him say, "Thanks for bringing the heater," with a comfortable smile on his face right before he fell asleep. And then I thought about the achievement. Nathan was about to join the 4% of scouts who achieve the rank of Eagle.

Though I'm delighted at his achievement, I would've been just as proud of him if he'd never made it past Tenderfoot. When he was three or four years old, while other boys were playing with cars or nerf guns, Nathan was drawing ceiling fans on his chalk board. He was obsessed with them, their rotation, fan blades, everything about them.  It was fascinating, but it made me wonder if he'd ever fit in.  So naturally, when we first started scouts together, I had no idea of what he was capable of doing, and had lower than modest expectations.  

Atop Table Rock

I remember him climbing Table Rock. Not even 11 yet, he was near tears before I realized just how difficult it was for him.  One of the things about his autism is that he doesn't always know how to express himself.  He'll go hungry, be driven to exhaustion, endure pain without so much as a peep because of his affected ability to express himself...or complain.  He must've been REALLY cold that night he came to my tent.  I never pushed him, and I never even thought about him making Eagle.  I was just pleased to see him having a good time, and I felt blessed to be able to be there for each outing, and each step.  

One day, he and I were shark tooth hunting...one of our favorite hobbies, and he started to ask me about my Eagle Scout ceremony. He doesn't talk much, so when he does, I know it's something that's important to him.  I told him stories of hiking with Wade and Danny to get my Hiking Merit Badge so that I wouldn't have to earn Swimming Merit Badge. He and I share a weakness with the water, but scouting has given us some basics that we desperately needed.  I answered his questions, and then I asked him, "Are you interested in making Eagle Scout?" In a soft, shy voice he answered, "Yes. I think I am."  I told him that the first real requirement for making Eagle was that one needed to want to make Eagle, and that his desire to do so was one of the biggest parts of it.  I also told him that I would help him in every way possible, but that I would not do for him what he could for himself. Soon after that talk, he started to advance.

The boys give Nathan a helping hand

I was amazed to watch him open up.  The boys had grown accustomed to Nathan's idiosyncrasies, his echolalia (facial expressions that reveal his inner thoughts). They understand that he is wired differently, and they've helped him. It was so encouraging to see an age group so notorious for adolescent cruelty demonstrate such understanding, kindness and wisdom. The pinnacle of this happened at a meeting one Monday night. The boys were running for office, and giving a campaign speech to their peers on why they should be selected for a position. Nathan threw his hat in the ring to run for the troop's highest office as Senior Patrol Leader. I must admit, I thought he might be being a little over ambitious. I told him in private that it was great experience to run, but to not have any high expectations. I even coached him on how to congratulate the winner, and how impotant it is to lose with grace. When it came his turn to speak, I was moved to tears in the back of the room. I watched in amazement to see this quiet boy step up and with such a genuine, and eloquent speech. I knew before the ballots were cast that he would win, and the boys overwhelmingly elected him to the position.

Eagle Dad and Mentor Pin

On the night of his Eagle award, he did it again. His remarks were genuine, and given in such a moving way that only he can deliver. I received two special pins (seen left). The one on the right says Eagle Dad, and that's a great pin to have, but the one on the left says Eagle Scout Mentor, and is given as a special honor by the Eagle Scout to the one he chooses. I will cherish them both. The memories are reward enough, but to have him honor me in such a way is moving beyond my ability to express.

Family and Friends with Nathan

Many wonderful people attended the event. In addition to his Mom, sister and me, on hand was his grandmother, Elizabeth, and uncle Jimmy, his Papa, Bill Kaufman and his wife Nita visiting from Arkansas.  My old scout buddy, Matt Calvert from Spartanburg, and our lifelong friends, the Caton family were also down from Spartanburg. The Easlers, Donna and David, and the Patricks provided the meal afterwards. Friends from the Single Smile came and sang and played music afterwards, and then there were the scouts and all the friends of Troop 750. It was like a graduation, but more than that. It was a celebration of the end of low expectations. Nathan had moved way beyond low to average, and into a place where anything is possible.

Last night was Nathan's last scout meeting as a boy scout since he'll be turning 18 on Thursday.  We had cupcakes, and the troop sang Happy Birthday to honor the occasion. For the last seven years, Monday night has meant scout night, and every month we checked the calendar to see what camping trip, hike or outing we had coming up. I couldn't help but reflect a little on the end of a happy chapter as we drove home.  As we pulled into the driveway, I said, "We had fun, didnt we?" And he said, "Yes, we did."

Happening Now

Every now and then I get a moment of clarity, and I wish I could hang on to it and pull it out whenever I feel discouraged, or frustrated or less than whatever it is that I want to be feeling at a given moment.  Today brought one such moment of clarity for me.  I didn't think about the future so much.  I didn't measure my progress or fret over any failures; I just lived today.  Life is happening now.

It really isn't a "special" day in the traditional sense.  I mean I did memorable things, but nothing to check off on a bucket list or anything. Most days aren't those kind of days, but the grand and small days that run together ARE the makings of a life whether we realize it or not.  Today, Nathan and I joined our scout troop at the Stallsville UMC for Scout Sunday. Nathan played a beautiful orginal tune he entitled The Bells of Weil der Stadt for the offeratory.  We both played music in the fellowship hall following the service where folks came over and had cake and coffee.

After lunch at home, Nathan and I took off to one of our fossil hunting sites.  We didn't find anything worth a facebook post, but it was a Spring-like day for early February.  I wore short sleeves and still worked up a sweat climbing through the dirt looking for treasure.  This evening, Bobbi joined me at the gym where I did a slow but challenging for me paced 5K on the treadmill.  Back at home tonight I scrolled through facebook, and liked a page or pic here and there. Yep that's about it.

A pretty normal day, but when I think about it, that's quite a blessing of a normal day.  The fact that my normal is to be with the people I love doing things I enjoy...well, that's the makings of a good life, don't you think?

The past few years have been a series of such days.  Some have been dream come true days, and I've written about a few of these on my blog.  Some have been difficult, crushing even, but there's no denying that these days I've been given so far have been blessed.  

Tomorrow our Marcus turns 26.  We always pick him up, get him his favorite meal, fried rice, and get cake or cupcakes for him. Marcus doesn't do photography, but somehow we always get a pics of him eating birthday cake!  

So, I'll end by saying that today, February 8th, 2015, is Thanksgiving without the turkey as far as I'm concerned.  I'll plan for the future, continue to set goals, and work hard to achieve them, but I'll try to remember that what's happening now...that's the makings of life.  

Living In My Dreams

I was just counting my blessings this morning while listening to my recording of Desert Rain.  Yes, I do listen to my own recordings, and I hope that doesn't sound like vanity.  When I listen, it's usually in part a critical exercise.  I'm not trying to over analyze my work, but rather trying to measure how closely I've come to achieving my vision for the song.  I try to find those areas that I need to isolate and improve in my performance, and sometimes I just sit back and enjoy the product not unlike when I drink a tall glass of ice water while looking at a freshly mowed lawn.

Keith, Nathan and Phil Keaggy

This morning was one such time. I listened to Desert Rain, and heard Phil Keaggy's tapping at the
end of one measure, and I thought with joy, "my song inspired that in Phil Keaggy."  You see, I've listened to Phil Keaggy for over half my life, and I've heard that technique on many of his originals.  He is to me a guitar hero.  I knew him long before he knew me.  I've spent hours listening to his recordings over the years so much that I can play entire pieces from his albums  in my head.  In that way, he is no different than Paul McCartney or James Taylor to me.  So to hear his strings playing along with mine, elevating my art to a place that I had only dreamed of before, I'm flooded with such gratitude.

Keith & Nathan with Doyle Dykes

Track number 1 and number 4 on our compilation CD, Where Words Fail, Music Speaks, are other such moments. Though I don't play along, I hear the first few notes of Bob's Guitar Lesson by Doyle Dykes, and I can't help but think about how God gave me this gift to work with someone I admire so much.  To me, Doyle Dykes is one of the finest fingerstyle guitar players in the world. Chet Atkins once said something to the effect that he would pay to see Doyle play, and that is a huge compliment from someone whose praise rarely exceeded, "he's a fine picker."  But there he is, on our little project.  Track 4 features his daughter Haley, who has the voice of an angel, singing a song I wrote to the Lord 17 years ago inspired by my son, Marcus. She just moved into a new house in Nashville, and recorded with Michael W. Smith on his number 1 Hymns CD, and she could've so justifiably declined my invitation to sing for the project, but she said, "yes."  Her recording of my song, My Prayers, is a song thanking the Holy Spirit for His prayers on our behalf, and it moves me so.

Nathan & John Knowles

Track number 9 and 12 features yet another guitar legend, John Knowles.  He gave us a beautiful rendition of Vincent, and he went above and beyond recording with Nathan...something that we will always treasure. 

Then there are my friends, Kirby Easler, Greg Neff, Dustin Ashenfelder, Steve McKoy, Greg Rowles and painter, Steven Givler. Each one of these gave beautiful gifts from the heart.

Keith & Nathan with Greg Rowles

All of this, and it's the time of my life shared with my son, and it is with such gratitude to the Lord that I write this blog entry. When we started this project, I could barely imagine such blessings, but here I am living in my dreams.

Three Years Later

Well, I haven't posted on here since April of 2011, so maybe it's time for a new post...ya think?  I guess I just defaulted to facebook for journaling, but after visiting this site again, and reading some of my old posts, I must say that I find value in the longer format of these blogs.  So where do I start?

I suppose I'll start with where I left off...going to Nashville to see my friend, Doyle Dykes.  Funny thing is that this is pretty close to where I'll end up by the time this blog is finished.  The trip three years ago to visit Doyle in Nashville turned out to be an appetizer for the things that would come.

If I had to pick a common theme to describe the last three years, I would have to say "blessed" would best describe things.  I'm not saying everything was without its challenges and heartache.  Dad was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, and had to undergo life-saving surgery and chemo, my best friend lost his sister and mother within a span of two months, and I even had to have a minor surgery, myself.  Still, I'm today a man filled to the brim with gratitude.

Among the highlights of the last three years would be our seven country European vacation back in 2012, a 20 mile hike in the Everglades and various trips to Virginia including hikes at Manassas and Yorktown battlefields.  Also, are the many blessings that have seen Nathan's progression in scouting just shy of Eagle Scout, and his incredible transformation into an artist.  I feel immense pride at Kristin's pursuit, and attainment, of her goals as a cosmetologist, and finally the realization of a dream to help plant and grow a music community in my own town of Summerville.  That brings us to now and the realization of a dream with the production of a music CD featuring friends, family and heroes...the Music Speaks Project.

Vipiteno, Italy 2012

Everglades Hike - 2013

Virginia Hikes - 2013

Friends - A Music Community Realized

The latter has been so incredibly rewarding through the new friendships and experiences that have come out of it already.  If you told me three years ago that I would produce an album featuring Nathan, Doyle Dykes, his daughter Haley singing a song I wrote, John Knowles, a duet with Phil Keaggy, and several more close friends grown out of a simple little idea for an open mic night at the Single Smile Cafe, I would have told you that it was a nice dream, but highly unlikely.  Thing is, it didn't happen three years ago; it happened little by little, prayer by prayer.

I remember praying not so long ago, and asking the Lord, if He didn't mind, that I would love to work with Doyle Dykes and Phil Keaggy.  I knew it was a pie in the sky thing to ask, but I explained that I wasn't chasing fame or glory, but rather the association and partnership with men of God in whom I admired and respected...the kind of men I wanted to emulate.  I wanted to create with them a thing of beauty, and I felt like they had His blessing already...I wanted to be a part of that.  And just like only God can do, windows and doors, flood gates even, began to open.  This simple little child-like request was met, not with indifference, but with an abundant answer.  Not only did I get the things I specifically asked for, folks like John Knowles, Greg Rowles, Kirby Easler, Steve McKoy, Dustin Ashenfelder, Haley Johnson and Greg Neff came through the opened door!  Nathan's artistry developed in perfect timing, little things like professional recording time at an affordable rate just fell from the sky, artwork, photography, even the money to produce the CD simply showed up as if on schedule.

Just a couple of weeks ago, at the invitation of John Knowles, we found ourselves in Nashville at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention. Nathan was on stage with John Knowles, and Tommy Emmanuel was adjusting Nathan's mic for him right before a performance.  I felt a little overwhelmed at where we were, what was happening, and all the things that had just happened.  I felt blessed, but I also felt something else...the weight of responsibility.  Jesus encouraged us to take His yoke upon us, and assured us that His burden is light, still there is a little bit of a burden there.  I'm no longer out doing the work of Keith; I'm part of what He is doing now.  I pray for the grace to continue to walk in the path He has laid before me...to not get distracted, discouraged, or prideful in any way.  His work is too important, and I don't want to remove myself from the beautiful part that He has so graciously given me.  I wish that I could walk perfectly, but I do know that where I fail that His grace is sufficient to keep me in His will.  With overwhelming gratitude, I accept that grace, and I look forward to walking wherever He leads.

With John Knowles at CAAS - 2014