SAND

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

Today, I learned that the sand along much of the southern East Coast, from the Carolinas all the way down to Florida, actually came from the Appalachian Mountains.

Over millions of years, it eroded, flowed downriver, and settled quietly into the coastlines.

And I had to laugh, because of course it did. Of course the mountains gave us that, too.

It is just one more example of how Appalachia, this place that so many people overlook, has quietly built the very bones of this country. Our coal fueled cities, our timber raised homes, and our music shaped the soul of this nation.

It makes me think about how God works. Slow. Intentional. Unseen, most of the time. The rivers never stop moving. The land keeps giving. And whether people recognize the source or not, they are still standing on it. Benefiting from it. Resting in it.

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A NEW START - AN ENTRY FROM MY HEART

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES As I sit here drinking my coffee this Saturday afternoon, looking out the window at the snow-blanketed ground and my dog frolicking through the yard (I love the word frolicking!), I am reminded of how the world outside our homes can fill with joy and pain, happiness and sadness, and other contrasting emotions.  At the start of this new year, I set a few small goals that were aligned with James Clear's framework in Atomic Habits : incremental, small changes that will lead toward steady progress. Among these goals are making my bed each day, listening to or reading scripture each day, and journaling each day.  This blog site is part of the last effort mentioned above. I plan to use it as a public-facing journal in which I share my thoughts regarding topics of varying natures. Some of them will discuss my faith, my profession as a higher education public relations professional, my academic pursuits as a scholar, and my perspective as an Appalachian living i...
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PROTECT AND DEFEND

 BY WALLACE CALEB BATES On the eve of another inauguration, I am pondering what it means to be an American. The peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of American democracy, an event we can anticipate every four years that ensures our voice leads a government created by the people, for the people, and of the people. At noon tomorrow, a new president and vice president will swear in to begin their terms, taking an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, a breathing, living document that has enshrined the rights of the people into America's foundation. This moment, while steeped in ceremony, reminds us of the enduring strength of our republic and our responsibility to safeguard it. As President Joseph R. Biden recently said, "Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead." A po...
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