I was a young man chasing a country music dream in Nashville. I figured I had a pretty famous last name… and just enough talent to maybe catch a break. But life had other plans.
I came back to Utah, we had a three-year-old and a brand-new baby, and I needed something steady.
Not long into the journey home, my pickup broke down — transmission and rear end, both gone.
There I was… horse in the trailer, two dogs, everything I owned… in a town where I didn't know a single soul.
Except one connection.
A friend from Nashville had family there. I made the call.
This man — who had never met me — showed up in a big way.
He boarded and cared for my horse. He spent days helping me track down salvage parts. Got a mechanic involved and got me back on the road at his expense.
He didn't just help me… he carried me through an incredibly tough time.
When it was all said and done, I told him, "I don't even know what to say… you didn't know me, and you've done so much for me!"
And I'll never forget what he said:
"Son… the only thing we leave behind is what we do for somebody else."
That lesson changed me, and now, some thirty-five years later, I do what I can to pass it forward.
That old man retaught me what my parents had taught me growing up — but this time, I was the one in need… and it drove it home.
Why I Serve
That's why today you'll find me building BNI, serving in Rotary, church and family service… playing music for residents with dementia and Alzheimer's… and doing my best to show up for people — wherever, whenever, however I can.
And truth be told… that's one of the main reasons I'm running for County Commissioner.
Because I believe leadership isn't about position — it's about service.
At a different level, yes… but the same principle:
The only thing we leave behind is what we do for somebody else.