Several years ago my daughter, Chappell, and I participated in “Our Story,” sponsored by NPR and StoryCorps. The premise is preserving oral history through storytelling. Two family members can interview one another over a 30-minute conversation that is later catalogued with the Library of Congress for future generations to learn about their family. The initiative has been …
You can hold onto family heirlooms and look through old photo albums, but there might be something about hearing a family voice that really makes memories come alive. Last weekend, my daughter Chappell and I participated in a 40-minute recorded interview hosted by our public radio station. If you’re not familiar with NPR’s Story Corps, the …
Last Saturday evening, when I attended KultureCity‘s KultureBALL, I was reminded once again what can happen when a grassroots idea gets the right leadership. Julian Maha and his wife Michele Kong, both medical doctors, founded KultureCity in 2013 after their oldest child was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Ever since, their goal has been education, inclusion and to provide the alteration of public spaces, making …
You win some. You lose some. But when you get really close to winning and still have to walk away empty handed? That’s especially difficult. A few weeks ago, as I watched the final holes of the British Open, I could not help but feel for Matt Kuchar as he walked up the 18th fairway. He played great, and by all rights …
I’ve held a few titles over the years, but this weekend I’ll have a new one: “Father of the Bride.” My oldest daughter is getting married Saturday, and has chosen our place and barn for her reception. Today, the barn is filled with florists, caterers and others getting it ready. I wish I had something …
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” –Theodore Roosevelt Happy Independence Day.
For three years running, Barber Motorsports Park has hosted the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Stewart Perry has been there from the beginning, enjoying the weekend of family fun the races provide. This year, highlights included the entry of V6 turbo-charged Chevy and Lotus engines and a chance to ride the ferris wheel from Neverland …
We are in the midst of summer’s “dog days.” While the heat might be novel to our Stewart Perry team, having a dog around isn’t. For several months, my canine companion has been coming to work with me. Pal, a 12-year-old Springer Spaniel, used to stay at home whenever I went to the office, enduring …
Three years ago we decided to plant a few tomato plants beside our office. That small patch of land has become much more. Our plot has grown into a full garden featuring silver queen corn, rosemary, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, watermelons, squash, turnip greens, cucumbers, peppers and of course—tomatoes. Beyond the beautiful produce, the beds have …
Every year, we have a Christmas gathering to bring all the Stewart Perry families together. The first year this reunion was held at our place, we spent one Saturday morning planting several hundred daffodils across the lake on the hillside. We chose that spot because it is visible from our conference room and is a …
Last week we finished our United Way campaign in the city but it was not without a real push by its leadership and the United Way. Someone said that while the economy is cyclical, community needs are constant. I have been thinking of some ways that small businesses can give back to the community that …
My oldest daughter, Chappell, an economics major at Sewanee, spent this summer learning about microfinance lending; first in Bangladesh with the Grameen Bank and Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Then several more weeks in the Dominican Republic working with the Esperanza Bank (Bank of Hope) making micro loans. Microfinance is a movement whose object is “a world …