Rich or poor, struggling or striving, I will always be grateful for each and every soul who had a hand in shaping me. In order to grow, every plant needs to be nurtured. Whether it was during our nature walks or working in the greenhouse, I learned a lot from our teacher Ms. Birdie West. Just like plants, we’re all reaching for the sky in one way or another. And certainly, no matter where we’re headed to, we are truly blessed whenever we get a little help along the way.
Ever since I heard my Great Uncle Albright Brooks play the spoons when I was a little boy, I’ve been loving music. And when I first heard ‘The Little Engine That Could’ during story time, I instantly became fascinated with the power of words and stories. Without a doubt, these were the seeds of my dream.
When I was coming up, certain songs I heard in church and on the radio had a profound effect on me. More than anything, I wanted my own radio. I was eight years old and had not a single penny in my pocket, but I was determined to get my first radio. One day, I was skimming through the sales inserts tucked in the Fredericksburg Free Lance Star. The Radio Shack insert advertised a transistor radio with a stylish brown leather case for $4.99. The Kmart flyer showcased a no-frills transistor radio for $2.99 (with the battery excluded). At that moment, I was on a mission.
To make some money, our father taught me and my brothers how to pull copper wires from old, junkie cars and then burn the rubber off in a big, iron barrel. After the bare copper wires had cooled off, we would put them in a brown grocery bag we had gotten from Earl’s Supermarket.
I’ll never ever forget that one particular week during my childhood because that was the week when God decided to send a few Angels my way. I had been searching and pulling wires for four days straight, and since I couldn’t afford to buy a brand new battery for the radio I plan to get, my cousin Jimmy James Carter gave me a spare 9-volt battery for free. Back then Jimmy James was our local ‘Mister Fix-It’ man. Jimmy James is a jack of all trades. Y’all should’ve seen my face when Jimmy showed me his sketch book years ago. I was amazed how well Jimmy drew a ’57 Chevy and a Ford Mustang with such perfection! But aside from his artwork, Jimmy James could fix anything. Matter ‘ fact, Jimmy was the first person who showed me what a PC circuit board looked like, as he opened up an eight-track tape player and repaired a broken wire. (Jimmy James is a kind soul who would do anything for anybody. I pray that God continue to watch over him and keep him in good health.) I was so grateful for the 9-volt battery from Jimmy James that day, and now it was time to go to the metal scrap yard to see how much money my copper wires are worth.
One of my brothers put his bag of copper wires on the weighing scale and we all watched the needle quickly jump upward. My brother proudly smiled as Mr. Clark handed him three dollars and fifty cents. Next, it was my turn to place my bag on the sensitive scale. My father and Mr. Clark had known each other a long time. When we first arrived at the scrap yard, my father mentioned to Mr. Clark that I wanted to buy a new transistor radio at Kmart with the money I got from my copper. Honestly, still to this day, I remember being so anxious and nervous because it felt like my Earl’s brown grocery bag probably weighed more than the few burnt wires crumbled up at the bottom of the bag. When my bag rested on the scale, the needle barely moved. As I looked down, through the corner of my eye, I could see the tip of Mr. Clark’s dirty work boot slightly touching the outer edge of the scale and the needle suddenly jumped upward! As Mr. Clark handed me three dollars and twenty-five cents, a big sigh of relief swept across my face.
It’s the fall of 2026 and things aren’t always easy for a lot of us, but I sincerely hope that each one of you have a few good people and a few Angels looking out for you. – Randolph Randy Camp
Learn more at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp
