"...accepting hardship as a pathway to peace."
As a young man growing up in Georgia, all I could think about was graduating from high school, going to college to study music, and then living out the remainder of my life as a high school band director. I was absolutely certain that was the way my life was going to play out. I did graduate high school, and I did go to college, and I did study music. It wasn't until my tuba professor at college, Dr. David Randolph, encouraged me to pursue performance and college teaching did I ever entertain the idea of doing anything else with my life. Sure, I did investigate other career paths while I was a high school student (engineering, military science, and others) but nothing captivated my heart and spirit like music. I knew I was good at it and I sincerely wanted to share that gift with others through teaching. I had just assumed that high school teaching was the only avenue available to me. Dr. Randolph convinced me otherwise. He must have seen ...