The Legacy of Eulan Brown

As most of you probably know by now, we are very close to releasing a new book entitled, “The Legacy of Eulan Brown.” If you have been a reader of this blog the last three years, you will recognize much of the content of the book. I have made an attempt to gather and organize some of the stuff I’ve written to illustrate the life lessons from a man who probably didn’t think his life counted for much.

I have no idea how the book will be received but I do know the lessons he unknowingly taught me are real. And my hope is the lessons can become real to the folks who read the book.

The book is now at the printer in Minnesota. We are expecting them (hardback edition) to be shipped in a couple of weeks in time for you to consider it for a last minute Christmas gift. . There will be updates on Twitter and Facebook as well as an announcement as to how to actually get the book. Of course, you will be able to get the book online, but I am also hoping to have a release party where I will talk about the book and do some selected readings and do a book signing. We are trying to figure all that out. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

My lifelong friend and Reynolds native, Jimmy Childre, Jr,, honored me by writing the Foreword to the book and did an exceptional job. Jimmy has plenty of credentials to take on such as task, not the least of which is the fact that we have been close friends for 55 years. The following is an excerpt from Jimmy’s Foreword:

Bruce’s demanding travel schedule, for both his corporate work and his numerous public speaking engagements, offers him many opportunities to meet new people. He seems to always position himself for that unique personal encounter where he comes away touched by someone’s story and then he shares it through his blogs, speeches and books. Bruce doesn’t seek out the rich and famous, although from time to time he may give us an unexpected view of them. He more often sees the special qualities of the unnoticed people and then effortlessly brings them into our lives where we can benefit from the lessons learned through his observations.

In this book, Bruce compiles stories about people he has met in his travels as well as people who grew up in Reynolds. One of those people is Eulan Brown. He was physically challenged and made a very meager living selling Grit newspapers from his bicycle. He was always wrecking his bicycle in a ditch or against a curb, spilling the newspapers from his basket and finding himself on the ground. As young boys, we would point and laugh while he got up, gathered his newspapers, and brushed himself off in an awkward kind of way to continue on his journey. This continued day after day and year after year.

Through Bruce’s God given gift of seeing what the rest of us can’t see, he has written The Legacy of Eulan Brown. With his talent for storytelling, he uses the stories to illustrate the lessons he observed from Eulan Brown, a man that essentially went unnoticed except when he failed.

Bruce’s writing and speeches have inspired thousands of people and I am confident many more are about to be inspired as a result of this book. Bruce’s unique view gained from being a funeral director in the little town of Reynolds, coupled with his keen sense of humor and sincere appreciation of life formed the perfect combination for what he accomplishes in this book.

Please stay tuned. I’ll keep you posted.

"God Won't Let It Rain on my Wedding"

The wedding took place on Saturday September 19. Luke and Drew were married on the grounds of the American Camellia Society near Fort Valley, GA exactly the way Drew had dreamed it and planned it.

I’m sure I am biased but if you rate the beauty of weddings on a scale of 1 to 10, this one would be at least a 15.

I asked Drew when they first starting planning an “outside” wedding if she was sure she wanted to go through the added stress of worrying about whether it would rain on her wedding.

Her response was quick and to the point, “God won’t let it rain on my wedding.”


As their day approached and the heavy rain approached with it, I was hoping her faith would be enough. In fact, I went out and bought a dozen or so umbrellas just in case.

I wasted my money.

I checked the weather radar an hour before the wedding. There were storms all over middle Georgia but they were just north of the American Camellia Society.

After the reception that night I followed the limo carrying Luke and Drew back to her parents’ house. They were stopping there to change clothes and grab their luggage to continue on to Atlanta.

Afterwards I followed the limo out of their subdivision. The limo turned left and I turned right. The thought I had at that moment was God didn’t let it rain on their wedding.

I had hardly processed that thought when the rain began to pour down.

I can tell you it’s difficult to drive in the pouring rain when you have tears in your eyes.

The video below was shown at their wedding rehearsal dinner. Hope you enjoy!

Luke and Drew Rehearsal from Bruce Goddard on Vimeo.

Back Sooner or Later

In case you are wondering where I've been, I thought I better give you an update.

Or maybe at least an excuse.

My plan is to release my next book before Christmas. Although much of it is already written, I finally got my inspiration on how to put it together.

But for that to happen, I am having to spend much of my blog time on book time.

But I'll be back... sooner or later.

Sooner... every now and then.

Later... with a vengeance.

Please stay tuned.

He Always Has a Plan

Chalk one up for the good guys.

Or good gal in this case.

Actually you can chalk one up for a good God who came through just in the nick of time for one gorgeous single southern belle by the name of Cindy Comperry.

Cindy graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1995 with a communication degree, which made sense to me since her dad is a professional “communicator “in the form of a Methodist minister. Not long after her graduation, Cindy landed a job with the American Cancer Society in Nashville and used her education in a wonderful way as she worked to raised funds for such a worthy cause.

After about nine years of fund raising for the ACS, Cindy changed careers and began working as Community Promotions Director for Journal Communications. This job was right up her alley and she found herself traveling to other parts of the country. She was a happy as a lark and sailing right on through life with the wind at her back.

Until about six months ago.

Cindy went in to work one winter day and found out her job had been eliminated. She became another victim of the economic train wreck of our good ole’ US of A. Not a comfortable position for a young single female who had spent the last 14 years making her own living.

The good news is Cindy did not panic. She corresponded with her network of friends and business associates looking for good advice.

Her Methodist upbringing didn’t hurt either because she also spent a great deal of time corresponding with her heavenly network.

Her verse for the past six months was from Hebrews 1. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Cindy was sure of what she hoped for. And though she will freely admit she worried and wavered a few times about being certain of what she could not see, she kept the faith.

And she waited.

And prayed.

And others waited and prayed with her.

Today Cindy’s faith is much stronger than it has ever been. And her faith is stronger than it would have been if she had not gone through six months without a job.

The truth is when Cindy was wavering God was not wavering. He had a plan all the time and at just the right time He would show up.

Her unemployment checks were scheduled to end next week.

On Friday Cindy accepted a job doing what she has been training to do for the last 14 years.

Talk about timing.

Mind you, Cindy did not know she had been in training for this new job... but God did.

Even when it seems the walls are coming down and our world is falling apart, God is always in control.

He always has a plan.

And the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital will now be beneficiaries of His plan.

Yeah baby.

Life By the Tail

Today was a monumental day in our household.

Our youngest, Luke, officially became a college graduate. He took his last final this morning. When his diploma arrives it will be inscribed with such lofty words as Bachelor of Arts in English.


He can talk to you intelligently about folks like Shakespeare, Eliot, Emerson, and Murray. He has learned to express himself in writing after having been forced to write dozens and dozens of papers on subjects most unread folks like me know nothing about. He has learned oral communication skills after having been forced to stand in front of classrooms and give presentations about subjects that are not easy to comprehend, much less explain.

He also has a bit of a sense of humor.

Make that a large bit.

I believe the lessons he has learned are very important and will take him far in life.

I also happen to believe if you do not develop communication skills with the ability to influence others, you will spend your entire career working for someone who can.

To be honest, I wondered a couple of years ago what in the world Luke would do with a degree in English. Today, I am wondering in great anticipation what a degree in English could do for Luke.

Additionally, in just eight short weeks, he will marry the love of his life. And trust me, he has punted way past his coverage.

He says he's taking a few days off and next week will begin his quest to become gainfully employed. I know I am biased but when someone out there eventually hires him (and they will), they will quickly discover they got themselves a prize.

Luke has life by the tail and doesn't even know it.

But I hope he does know his dad is extremely proud of him.

Five Generations on One Sofa

Being in the funeral business all my life, I understand really well that life can be short. As you can imagine I’ve had a front row vantage point of some serious stuff.

Such things as children having their parents taken way before their time to be raised by someone else, parents losing children to accidents and disease and adults dying before they ever get to enjoy the privilege of being grandparents…

I could go on and on.

It all doesn’t seem fair but then again God never said life would be fair. We play with the cards we are given and we make the most out of the life we have been given.

And that ain’t a bad deal.

Sometimes families are just blessed and when I see it I can’t help but smile. Case in point is this family.

Nell Wainwright, fondly known by local folks as “Mama Nell” is the matriarch of this incredible family and pretty much the matriarch of Reynolds, GA. Mama Nell is the widow of Walter Wainwright, a prominent businessman and peach grower from Reynolds. She has always been sweeter than any peach her family has ever produced – and trust me, they grow the sweetest peaches in the land.

Her daughter is Mary Ayers who not only was in the peach business for years but also served as Mayor of our fair city for many years along with too many civic volunteer sightings to mention. Mary has the distinction of being the first female mayor of Reynolds… and she was a very good one.

Mary Nell (catch that name) is Mary’s daughter and grew up two doors down from where I grew up. The Ayers’ family moved into our neighborhood when I was a young kid and we grew up together in the backyards on Macon Street. The best looking girls in the planet came from Macon Street in Reynolds, GA and Mary Nell is a member of that club. The funny thing is there were no street signs in those days so none of us knew it was Macon Street. But all the boys knew it was a very special place.

Laurie is Mary Nell’s beautiful daughter who has a beautiful daughter of her own named Taylor. And Taylor is shown here with her mother, her grandmother, her great grandmother…. and her great-great grandmother.

When little Taylor grows up, this picture will be one of her most prized belongings.

Five generations together on one sofa.

And blessed.

Doe's Eat Place

(Bentonville, AR) Being a connoisseur of fine red meat, my antenna rises when I am traveling and I hear someone recommend a great place to eat a steak.

When a second person and then a third person recommend the same establishment, I sort of make it my business to make my way there.

Doe’s Eat Place is known for their world famous steaks and tamales. I didn’t eat the tamales but two of my co-workers and I ate the biggest steak and best I think I have ever eaten.

And I’ve eaten a few.

I discovered a few interesting details about the history of this famous eating place while there.

Without going into all the details, in the early forties, the business started as an African American “Honky Tonk” in Greenville MS serving only African Americans. They had a small kitchen in the back where they prepared food for the honky tonkers. Big Doe and Mamie who worked in the kitchen developed quite a reputation for serving great tamales. A local Caucasian doctor began stopping by (at the back door) between calls to eat a delicious tamale. One day he asked “Big Doe” to cook him a steak. Big Doe cooked the good doctor a huge steak to go with the normal tamale.

The doctor was more than impressed.

The doctor began bringing his friends to join him for the great food. Being Caucasian, they were required to eat out of sight in the back of the building.

Talk about discrimination.

The business grew. Big Doe now had an African American Honky Tonk in the front and a Caucasian “Eat Place” in the back. He eventually closed down the Honky Tonk and expanded the Eat Place.

And the rest is history.

Big Doe passed away in 1987 but his Eat Place is now a chain of about 14 restaurants in such places as Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Missouri and Louisiana.

For the record, they don’t charge by the steak. They charge by the pound.

It just doesn’t get any better than Does’s Eat Place.

In the video below you will see that Frances took great care of us.