It’s been a long time since I penned my thoughts. I try to keep my opinions and politics to myself. Probably because I don’t want to rock the boat with family, friends or coworkers. Sometimes it’s just the easy way out. All of the political unrest has really had me thinking and I just want to tell a story about a turning point in my life. Something that has shaped me and who I am today.
I grew up in Tuscumbia, Al. I went to a high school with around 400 students. I wasn’t the most popular in high school, but I wasn’t an outcast. Somewhere in the middle of the pack. I played a couple sports and had a handful of really good friends. I grew up in a great family with hard working parents that made sure I had every opportunity in life that I needed to succeed. I grew up living the small town dream. I had everything I could have needed... except diversity. All of my friends and I grew up the same, middle class and like minded. Thats just typically how life is in a small town.
In May of 2002, my best friend talked me into applying for the Walt Disney World College Program with him. Little did I know what kind of impact being a lifeguard in Orlando would have on my life.
On the first day of my lifeguard training class I was an ignorant kid from Alabama about to get the bubble I had been living in burst. When I unpacked my backpack I was approached by a girl was questioning me about my towel and if I knew how much it offended her. To me, the rebel flag towel was just something I thought was cool from spring break days. It was something that was common place on car tags and hats. I never once really thought about the symbolism behind it. I had never had anyone confront me and ask me what it meant. This was way before today’s pc culture. That was a powerful moment for me. I tried to explain to her that it was just a flag on a towel and I didn’t mean to make anyone upset. I was embarrassed. I didn’t know how to get out of there without everyone labeling me. I threw the towel away and never picked up another one. This was day 1. I was educated that day. Thankfully I took it to heart and used it as a moment to learn from someone with a different opinion
There were many other experiences while I lived and worked in Orlando that shaped me. I made friends from all over and learned a lot about how other families and communities operated. I went on dates with girls from different races. I met and made friends with people that were gay, from different countries, spoke different languages and were super friendly and open minded to a close minded teenager from a small town. I traveled all over Central and South Florida and fell in love with the coast.
All of this led me to where I am today. I am more open to peoples ideas than I was 20 years ago. I have a great wife, Rachel, who is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She sees the good in everyone and is teaching my kids the same values. She encourages me to travel and see more. While we are back in Florence for now, our souls still long for adventure and showing our boys that the world is big and needs to be explored. Hopefully they will have an opportunity like I did to get out on their own and have an adventure at a young age
So now to tie this all back together. People are capable of learning and changing. I loved the way I grew up. I love my small town and my friends and family. I just had never been exposed to something other than my reality. So no matter what happens politically in the next few weeks, meet your neighbors, talk to a stranger, be open minded and don’t let something you may be ignorant about define you. Learn and change. I did and I believe I’m better off from it.
