Dear Taylor,
This morning I was invited to interview with The Jon Walden Show on Revocation Radio (http://www.revocationradio.com/) – I kind of felt like you on a much smaller scale and radio broadcast. I had a book signing where about ten people showed up Friday in Auburn, Alabama at the famous Gnu’s Room Bookstore and Coffee Café. On game day, I dressed up as Aubie, the famous Tiger mascot you performed a concert with when you came to give Auburn students a “hug.” I had a rather large toboggan Aubie head with orange overalls. Mothers kept taking pictures of me with their kids. Yes, for a few days this past weekend and this morning, I felt somewhat known.
The Lord, if you claim to be a Christian, has humbly taught me that success is attained one small step at a time. We must often be loyal to the small things before God will grant us favor with the large goals, publishing a national scale book, starting a nonprofit, getting married (nothing hidden in this sudden innuendo). The truth is that I think that sometimes God just wants us; he yearns for that relationship. He does not require us to do great feats, such as dating a huge country star, although that would be super cool! I once heard a man say, “I do not believe in God.” And the person’s response he was speaking with, “It does not matter. He believes in you.” We accomplish success through Him not through our own efforts because God believe in us even when we do not believe in ourselves. Somewhere along the way someone reached out to help you I am sure. We certainly do not get to where we are without the help of others.
I met a girl this past weekend at the Auburn/Ole Miss football game who gave me faith that good girls do still exist in a society driven by self-ambitions. Her father is a bus driver and a farmer, and her mother is a P.E. teacher. Her roots are humble, but so is her demeanor. As we might say in Alabama, her parents “raised her right.” There is another individual who I am surrounded by on a daily basis who’s Daddy still pays her car note ($600.00), and all she talks about is buying shoes. You can imagine the differences in personality here. One girl who made me believe once again in the American woman is focused on future goals working on her MBA and studying for her CPA exam simultaneously. On the flip side, the other girl is working her first job out of college and spending her entire paycheck on shoes while her Daddy pays both her rent and car payment. Perhaps I am being judgmental, but then again I do drive a $3000.00 four-cylinder Chevy S10 that gets about the same gas mileage similar to that of an 18-wheeler. It is not by any means a luxury car. As some may say, it gets me from point A to point B. But see the first girl noticed (the one who made me believe in women again): “You published a book of poetry. You got a Masters degree in Communication. You work with orphan ministries.” She noticed the personality qualities and accomplishments that reflect my character, not the materialistic things I have not accumulated in my short life time. As she said her mama would quickly ask, “What church does he go to?” That is probably the type of girl worth going after, maybe even the type of girl worth writing country songs about.
I get that demeanor from you….famous but humbly so. You have not let fame get to your head, however based on some of the songs you write, I feel like the guys you date do. There is no way a country girl can date a cocky city slicker. Good girls sometimes always seem to land the winners. Maybe this past Saturday at the Ole Miss/Auburn football game I was evaluated for the right things instead of the wrong ones.
I continue to enjoy your lyrics and be reminded that dreams are meant to be. My hopeless romantic of a dream is that you actually respond to one of these letters. And who knows? Maybe I will get that dream of a date with the enchanted princess after all.
Yours if I ever will be had,
James L. Cartee III
