A New Chapter Begins
‘To live is to fly
Low and high,
So shake the dust off your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes’
Townes Van Zandt
The past fourteen months have been colorful. I put my father in the ground, finished my first 100-mile trail race, and decided to start my own consulting firm.
Life is anything but scripted.
My father’s name was Harold Dean Blue, but we called him Blue Dog. He was patient, kind, quiet, and humble. He moved slowly, always. Blue Dog was simple. Not ‘simple’ in terms of lacking knowledge or intelligence, he was uncomplicated. The lens through which my father saw the world wasn’t distorted by an overactive ego or imagination. No time was wasted wondering what others thought about him (evidenced clearly by the amount of time he spent in cutoff jean shorts with no shirt or shoes). As one of eight kids growing up on a tobacco farm in eastern North Carolina, Blue Dog valued hard work, keeping your word, and being thankful for little things. We spent a lot of time outside together backpacking, paddling, and fishing. I continue to discover and appreciate the various ways his formative influence shaped me. I miss him a lot, and know that he would be excited about this new chapter.
Blue Dog, circa 2014
Three months after saying goodbye to Blue Dog, I toed the line at my first 100-mile trail race in Huntsville State Park at the Rocky Racoon 100. Trail running had become an important part of my life four years earlier. My wife Erica, tired of hearing me talk about doing it, signed me up for a 50-mile race as my Father’s Day gift that year. After nine hours of running through east Texas pine trees, I was hooked. Twenty-four hours however, was a new bar for both my body and my brain. Erica and our Aunt Janet volunteered to crew. My brother-in-law and uncle, Joe and Butch, agreed to each run one of the last two twenty mile sections with me as pacers. The generosity of their friendship and support that weekend still makes me feel like crying when I think about it. I ran and finished the race in just over twenty-two hours. An experience like that can't be explained. It’s just too big. And although it could have easily been the onset of hallucinations late in the night, I felt my father with me, especially during those last few hours.
Huntsville Dream Team
Three months after crossing Rocky Racoon’s finish line, I left my post at United Way and decided to start my own consulting business. The thought had occasionally surfaced for a long time, but after twenty years of perceived stability that comes from working for somebody else, the idea of going it alone was scary. Before committing to follow my own path, a couple of opportunities promising a smooth transition fell out in front of me as they often do. Erica however, part Jiminy Cricket and part Mickey Goldmill, cautioned moving too quickly into another safe and familiar chapter.
Around that time, I was introduced through a friend to Erik Stanley. Erik was a UT track phenom (though he prefers the term ‘thoroughbred’), who started a company called Trail Roots to introduce people to the unique flavor of joy that comes from unplugging, lacing up, and exploring the wilderness with other humans. After seven successful years of growth, Erik wanted to take Trail Roots to the next level, whatever that might mean, and was looking for a professional pacer of his own. We met and found a table at Whole Foods on March 30th, where he laid out the past, present, and future hopes for his business. Erik Stanley is a unique bird. The unassuming honesty with which he speaks, coupled with his passion for helping people remember how to play together outside is contagious. I volunteered to help however I could and left Whole Foods thinking two things: one, I want to work with people like Erik Stanley; and two, that was fun. The next day, I got an unexpected email from Erik, who apparently left Whole Foods with similar feelings. He wanted to know if I would consider working with him and Trail Roots over the next year. That email changed my life. The following day, I graciously withdrew my name from those promising opportunities that were quickly falling into place, responded to Erik’s email, and Blue Crow Group was born. I owe a great deal to that thoroughbred for his trust in me and am grateful for my newfound Trail Roots family.
The Stallion
Reflecting on these three colorful polaroids from my most recent album, there is a common red thread running through their center, connecting each in a way that is almost serendipitous. Townes got it right, to live is to fly both low and high. As I start this new chapter, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the people and opportunities that have led to this moment, equipping me with a toolbox of experiences that might bring value to others. What an exciting adventure this promises to be.
