Lesson From a Tornado

As most of you know there was a tornado that ravaged parts of Kentucky in December of 2021. After seeing the footage I mentioned to a good friend that if he was going down I would like to join him in the cleanup efforts. A little while later my son and I had the privilege of spending two days doing cleanup for two families who had home damage resulting from this storm system. We spend the day cutting up trees, picking up debris, and making their properties safe for their families.

I have always enjoyed the physical side of working and serving those around me, I have not always been keen on the mental side of things. During my first semester as a PhD student I have had the opportunity to use my brain much more that muscles, as this is a different kind of taxing work.

Starting the Spring semester here at Purdue University go me thinking back to January 1997 when I began my Bachelor's degree in Biology Education. When I came to Purdue all those years ago I was nervous about whether or not I could even make it to the end. Those of you who know me from high school will probably be shocked that I even attempted it, let alone made it through and continued on to a Master degree and now a PhD. Let's just say I was not the best student in high school. Today I can look back and see the efforts of so manny people who have helped me along the way. When I graduated in 1985 all I wanted to do was get a job and live my life, with no real goal other than living from pay check to pay check and maybe having some fun along the way. In 1986 I began missionary service for the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within the England Bristol Mission. That two year service has had a lasting impact on my life for the better. In 1988 I met my wife, and we were married in 1989. She is my greatest support and rock when things get rough. I cannot imagine being where I am today without her constant influence in my life. In 1993 I enlisted in the US Army to get the GI Bill for college. My time in service taught me that I can do hard things - you are stuck with that enlistment commitment until the end of your contract, and that instilled within me a commitment to see things to the end no matter how difficult they may seem at the time.

All along the way I have met people who have helped clean up the results of poor effort in school, learning disabilities, illiteracy, fear, self doubt, and much more. When I look a my life today I can see that I have made it through each of these storms thanks to people being willing to take the time to help me deal with things that were much bigger than I could handle alone. To all those people I say thank you, and to all those yet to come into my life I look forward to meeting and learning from you. I hope along the way I have been able to give back as much as I have received.