My Gump Life
I was talking to my friend Jim Martin the other day and was telling him about something that happened to me. When I finished he told me for at least the 100th time that I have a "Forest Gump" type life and I should write down the places I've been, people I've met, things I've seen, and things I've done because if I did it might rival Forest Gump's life. So here it is, my attempt to be Gump:
Places I've been (that I have actually quality spent time in):
Outside the U.S.: Mexico, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain
Inside the U.S.: NC, SC, GA, FL, TN, VA, WV, PA, MD, CA, MT, WY, CO, NV, KY
People I've met (these people I have either had a conversation with or at the very least met and shook their hand):
George W. Bush, Richard Burr, Michael Jordan, Billy Packer, Payne Stewart, Lou Holtz, Maury Povich, Mugsy Bouges, Steven Curtis Chapman, Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Sting, Hall & Nash, DDP, Ric Flair, Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman
Things I've seen & done: Got married, had 2 kids, Visited the Vatican, snorkeled in the pacific ocean, swam in the Mediterranean sea, hiked on the Appalachian trail, hiked in the Rocky Mountains, water skied, snow skied, rode a horse at Yellowstone, been to a NBA, MLB, & NFL game, went to an ACC championship game (WFU in '95), went to the NCAA tournament several times (saw the '92 Duke team play - greatest college team of all time), went to tons of concerts (Third day, Grateful Dead, GNR, Aerosmith, DC Talk, Alabama, Garth Brooks, Sawyer Brown, Jars of Clay, Diamond Rio, David Crowder, James Taylor, Brooks & Dunn, AC/DC, Relient K, Robert Plant, Public Enemy, to many more to list), San Diego Zoo & Wild animal park, Fisherman's Warf, Alcatraz, Battle of Little Big Horn, Historic Williamsburg & Charleston, Gettysburg, Hershey Factory, Amish country, was picked to shoot a hockey puck at a hockey game for a chance to win $10,000 (I missed), Won lots of contest (I've won tickets to games, concerts, other events), won money singing "take me out to the ballgame" at an Atlanta Braves game, my dad caught a foul ball from John Kruk while we were at a Braves game. I've been on 12 mission trips, been to several theme parks (carowinds, six flags, Disney world, epcot, universal studios, islands of adventure, animal kingdom), held many jobs (usher, bag boy, cashier, stocker, assembly worker, heating & cooling installation, sporting goods store salesman & manager, substitute teacher, children's pastor, DCE, youth pastor, pastor), planted a church, been the guest on a couple of radio programs, had several articles published in local newspapers, was on the cover of a nationally youth ministry brochure, went to a bull fight in Mexico, went to the LOTR trilogy showing, hit a last inning grandslam to win a wiffleball championship, coached an undefeated youth team to a softball championship, at 31 years of age I've never had a cavity, line danced at the Wild Horse Saloon
Wow. As I look back at the past 31 years I've led a pretty cool life. I'm sure there is more stuff as I keep thinking of it so this list will be ever growing and changing. I will updating this last for the rest of my life. If you've helped make any of this possible, thanks.
What I want to do before I die: Go to Grand Canyon, Cooperstown, Greece. Compete on a reality tv show. Write a book.
Places I've been (that I have actually quality spent time in):
Outside the U.S.: Mexico, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain
Inside the U.S.: NC, SC, GA, FL, TN, VA, WV, PA, MD, CA, MT, WY, CO, NV, KY
People I've met (these people I have either had a conversation with or at the very least met and shook their hand):
George W. Bush, Richard Burr, Michael Jordan, Billy Packer, Payne Stewart, Lou Holtz, Maury Povich, Mugsy Bouges, Steven Curtis Chapman, Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Sting, Hall & Nash, DDP, Ric Flair, Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman
Things I've seen & done: Got married, had 2 kids, Visited the Vatican, snorkeled in the pacific ocean, swam in the Mediterranean sea, hiked on the Appalachian trail, hiked in the Rocky Mountains, water skied, snow skied, rode a horse at Yellowstone, been to a NBA, MLB, & NFL game, went to an ACC championship game (WFU in '95), went to the NCAA tournament several times (saw the '92 Duke team play - greatest college team of all time), went to tons of concerts (Third day, Grateful Dead, GNR, Aerosmith, DC Talk, Alabama, Garth Brooks, Sawyer Brown, Jars of Clay, Diamond Rio, David Crowder, James Taylor, Brooks & Dunn, AC/DC, Relient K, Robert Plant, Public Enemy, to many more to list), San Diego Zoo & Wild animal park, Fisherman's Warf, Alcatraz, Battle of Little Big Horn, Historic Williamsburg & Charleston, Gettysburg, Hershey Factory, Amish country, was picked to shoot a hockey puck at a hockey game for a chance to win $10,000 (I missed), Won lots of contest (I've won tickets to games, concerts, other events), won money singing "take me out to the ballgame" at an Atlanta Braves game, my dad caught a foul ball from John Kruk while we were at a Braves game. I've been on 12 mission trips, been to several theme parks (carowinds, six flags, Disney world, epcot, universal studios, islands of adventure, animal kingdom), held many jobs (usher, bag boy, cashier, stocker, assembly worker, heating & cooling installation, sporting goods store salesman & manager, substitute teacher, children's pastor, DCE, youth pastor, pastor), planted a church, been the guest on a couple of radio programs, had several articles published in local newspapers, was on the cover of a nationally youth ministry brochure, went to a bull fight in Mexico, went to the LOTR trilogy showing, hit a last inning grandslam to win a wiffleball championship, coached an undefeated youth team to a softball championship, at 31 years of age I've never had a cavity, line danced at the Wild Horse Saloon
Wow. As I look back at the past 31 years I've led a pretty cool life. I'm sure there is more stuff as I keep thinking of it so this list will be ever growing and changing. I will updating this last for the rest of my life. If you've helped make any of this possible, thanks.
What I want to do before I die: Go to Grand Canyon, Cooperstown, Greece. Compete on a reality tv show. Write a book.
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