99 Years Ago

Today would have been my grandfather’s 99th birthday.

Billy Arnold — or Paw-Paw — was one of the most influential people in my life. He played a role in so many of my interests and obsessions, from politics to baseball to the Georgia Bulldogs.

Paw-Paw survived the Great Depression, including one of the deadliest tornadoes in history, and raised three daughters while still somehow keeping his sanity (mostly).

And the stories he could tell. I’d listen to him tell the same stories many times, and they were funny, poignant, or both every single time. Forget “the Most Interesting Man in the World”; I'd take Paw-Paw’s stories any day.

Paw-Paw got to meet and befriend so many amazing people. From astronauts to governors to professional baseball players, he had so many interesting encounters.

Most of all, Paw-Paw was a man of deep Christian faith, and that was what he modeled the most in his life. It’s also what I strive to emulate him in the most.

I know this is a shorter post than usual, but I wanted to pay tribute to such an influential man in my life on what would’ve been his 99th birthday. I miss him every day.