A one year project to become a better man in America's south
Day 39 – I’m in DC today meeting with a ton of folks. 18 meetings in 3 days. DANG!
So, I don’t have a whole lot of time to write today, so I’ll be brief by recommending an amazing spot in Columbia, SC.
On Monday my buddy Brett Floyd turned the big 30. We celebrated with a cooking party at Let’s Cook on Assembly Street. Yes, a cooking party. And it was amazing. [Read more...]
Day 36 – Yesterday I woke up thinking about my mother. It would have been her birthday and she would have been 55-years-old. She died at the age for 48 in what was ruled an accidental suicide.
Just a few hours after waking up, my thoughts soon moved to Trey Pennington, who committed suicide yesterday morning in a Greenville church parking lot. I cannot say that Trey was a close personal friend. We worked on a few projects together and traded emails just two weeks ago. The last time I saw him was about five months ago when he and I shot a new media training video together. I often contacted Trey when I needed advice and he was always willing to take time for me.
Day 29 – In continuing our study of the Beatitudes this weekend, Dr. Wendell Estep of First Baptist Church of Columbia moved on to Matthew 5:6, which states “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”
Dr. Estep said that we have three types of thirsts. The first is the physical thirst. As you know, I certainly have a large appetite for tacos, boiled peanuts and barbecue. The second is the intellectual thirst. The third is spiritual thirst.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions as to why I talk about faith so much on this blog. It’s an easy answer. I believe that to be a better person you must thirst for spiritual growth. That is not to say that I think religious people are better people than atheists. I don’t think they’re better. I just think they’re are better off.
Day 27 – Here I am back on an airplane. YAY airplanes! This time, I’m on the way back from Dallas where I had a few business meetings. More on that later.
I just listened to a sermon by Dr. Wendell Estep of First Baptist Church Columbia in which he said, “When my father died, it was a long time ago. I remember being there. I do not remember one song that was sung. And I do not remember what the preacher preached about. But I remember those people that were there.”
Day 20 – Kurt was right. Writing every day is pretty tough. We just got home from a long day in Hilton Head, where we said our final goodbyes to Daddy Bill. While the ceremony was sad, it was great to see good friends and my adorable goddaughter Audrey.
Day 16 - This weekend I received a handwritten thank you note from Florence County GOP activist Bill Pickle. Occasionally I’ll get a note in the mail from SC Senator Greg Gregory advising me to check out a bowtie or a shoe company. We get a lot of notes from ladies, but I have found that this is a dying art among gentlemen.
I’ve had a box of stationary for years, but I always fail to do the right thing and write notes. That will change this year. With me owning an Internet company, emails, Facebook messages and tweets are what I have become accustomed to and expect. Whenever I receive a handwritten notes, it is refreshing and shows that the sender really cares.
Day 7 – Part 2 – Saturday was just too busy to put into one post. Now its time for you to meet Katie, Mimi and Daddy Bill’s westie.
Yesterday I was tasked with taking Katie to the vet and today I got stuck with giving her a flea bath. She’s staying with us for the rest of the week and there is a chance she becomes the newest member of the Donehue clan. We’ll see how that goes.
DAY 3 – Please do not think I’m one of those “social media gurus” trying to sell you on lifestyle design. Unless you are running for office or promoting a cause, I don’t want your money. I tweet and FourSquare my life, but I’m not one to share the more intimate parts of my life.
So why am I doing this?
People need accountability. I need you to hold me accountable. I want to help hold you accountable.
(This blog post was originally published on a blog that no longer exists. I’m republishing it here to remember Connie Tingin)
It happens every Vandy game. I think about Connie and spend the week reflecting on life.
Connie Tingin was one of my best friends. We went to high school together in Goose Creek, but we weren’t very close at all. Besides having a few classes together and hanging out at the “Groo Spot” (someone wrote Groovy on the sidewalk, but the ‘vy’ wore off) during lunch, I didn’t spend a lot of time with her. But then came college where our love for the band Jump, Little Children brought us together. We traveled the Southeast going to concerts, hung out nearly every night, and carpooled home to Goose Creek often. She was one of the most happy, energetic people I have ever met. Her attitude just rubbed off on people and it was impossible to be around her without smiling.
