WELL& JOURNAL

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES Earlier today, I flopped onto my bed with a little too much enthusiasm, and one of the legs snapped clean off. It was not a slow lean or a warning creak. It was immediate. My Papaw jumped into action. He did not reach for a wrench or a chunk of wood. He grabbed the nearest solid object in sight: a hardback biography of The Judds. And it worked. Right now, that book is holding up the entire back corner of my bed. Naomi and Wynonna are not only country music legends from Ashland, Kentucky, but they are also the reason my sleep schedule remains intact. There is something oddly beautiful about it. Two women who carried the hopes of Appalachia onstage are now carrying the weight of my full-grown self, night after night. I will fix the bed properly. But tonight, I will rest easy, propped up by grit, good music, and a well-placed biography. Let the Judds hold it up.

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES I grew up riding in the passenger seat of my grandpa’s Trailblazer, watching him navigate every curve of Eastern Kentucky like he had helped pave the road himself. That old Chevy felt like a chariot. It was rugged, reliable, and always pointed somewhere important, even if the only stop was the IGA. Now I drive a GMC Acadia, and it feels like a full-circle moment. This vehicle is big. It has room for everything and everyone, but it still fits in a grocery store parking lot without a three-point turn. I have always wanted a GM SUV, not just for its nameplate but also for the memories it carries. Every time I climb in, I feel like I am following in his tire tracks. The only difference is I have better air conditioning.

  BY WALLACE CALEB BATES Empathy does not always look like grand gestures; it is often found in the pauses, the listening, and the willingness to understand someone else's experience without trying to fix it.  In a world that moves fast and asks us to keep up, empathy slows us down just enough to allow us to connect. It reminds us that leadership is not just about making decisions; it is also about creating space for others.  Whether you are managing a team, supporting a student, or simply showing up for a friend, empathy is what turns communication into care, and care into trust. It is not soft. It is strategic. And it changes everything.