My father

Yesterday, Feb 22., would have been my father's 94th birthday if he was alive. With the snow and not feeling well I didn't post or write anything about it. For those who knew my father, I hope I continue to be what he was. He truly never met a stranger. Loved a good joke and made me look quiet and shy at times. And like it always is, I never appreciated him until he was gone. I remember him taking me to a Mizzou home football game, then eating at Bobby Bufford's. watching the sun set and discussing the pros and cons of renting out farm land or buying equipment and farming it yourself. It was a great conversation. It was at that time I think my father viewed me as an adult. I was 24 at the time and had done more than most people had before they were that age, but I still felt like a kid when it came to my dad. If there is one person who I want to emulate it would be him. I went to Kemper because of him. I went into the same fraternity as he did. I became a Mason as he was. I like Jack Daniels like he did. I traveled and enjoyed it. He also love to travel (just not by plane). And he wasn't afraid to talk to anyone. He also treated everyone the same; with respect and kindness.

I pray I continue to live up to what he was and be the person I hope he wanted me to be. Love and miss you dad. 

James S. Herring 
KMS 1936-1938

I posted that to my Facebook status. The snow was bad, and I have done many stupid things, but driving in that white out conditions and on those roads definitely ranks up there. Not even my Illinois trip when I was at Kemper can match that. at that time, it wasn't snowing bad and I had good visibility  This time in 2013.... the visibility was about 50 feet. I did 40 mph longer than I ever have to get to work. And then 3 minutes there and the boss says hes shutting the office down. Since I am a Job for Hire I only get paid for the hours I worked so I stayed there til 1:00 when there was a break in the snow. Still took me as long to get back home as all the on ramps were blocked to I-70. Semis, cars, not plowed... I have never seen it that bad before. 

Anyway, my dad's b-day was yesterday.  When I got back from work, I was not feeling the best so I took two Nyquil and went to bed at 8:15. I remember looking at the clock before I closed my eyes. And I didn't wake up until 9:15 this morning. So I needed the sleep. In any case, a lot of my friends and people from Kemper have commented on my post and liked it. Especially those who knew my father. 

I also wanted to write a bit about walking at night in the snow. In the country walking in the snow is usually a requirement to get to a barn, garage, vehicle... and walking at night when it has snowed is like walking in near silence. Everything is muffled except for the crunch of your feet. Its like the world is holding it's breath until you get to an explosion of lights from the outside and the doorway leading into the warmth and hearth of the house. I used to love walking around for 20-30 minutes...get my face cold, smell the wood smoke and maybe occasionally hear a plane or far off train as they broke through the silent barrier.  That was something that Kemper and the farm had in common; seeing and hearing planes and also the trains. And hopefully those memories and sounds stay with me for the rest of my life and beyond as they are a double stacked memory; the farm and Kemper. Two places now gone with the fog and time, available only in the memory and the heart on my soul. and like my father, I smile as I think of them and him.