Inspiration: Beyond One Life 11

My father  is the last survivor of his parents’ nine children and by living longer than any of his siblings has now been elevated from the eighth position in a long stream of amazing people to the head of the remarkable family that served as inspiration for me in so many ways.

That’s the magic of lasting.

According to his birth certificate, Irvin Kenneth McArthur, was born at the end of the Asylum Car Line 1/21/1923 near Meridian Mississippi, delivered by a Dr. Lowry in the 2nd bedroom next to the porch, which the family later called the Radio Room because it was there they listened to one of the earliest models of a radio with a cabinet full of batteries and a big speaker on top.

Dad was an early explorer and later in life wandered out on the track, causing the conductor, Mr. Warren (known to the kids as Mr. Worm) to stop the car, pick him up and take him home.

That’s the magic of curiosity.

His  “Papa” was postmaster, the creator  of the McArthur and Cody General Store and Wagon Yard and went on to become a well known and respected building contractor, so the thirst for creation and entrepreneurship was embedded at an early age.

In his back yard there was a large barn which was originally built as a multipurpose shed for wagons, cows, horses and feed storage for the animals.  Sometime in the 30s, Dad latched on to the shed and created a bicycle shop in the midst of he Great Depression.

That’s the magic of creating something from what you have.

My Father was raised in the heart of the deep south, while I came of age far from the tensions of racial politics in the freedom of the Western Slopes of Colorado.  In the sixties, I traveled with my family to the heart of Mississippi and was shocked by the “Whites Only” restrooms and the tensions in the air.

I wondered at my Father who had been raised in a different age and in a different place and at the fact that I’d never heard or sensed a racist thought from him.

That’s the magic of going beyond the place you begin.

I could of course go on for an entire book about my father and the inspirations he provided for me.

• He is a man eager to grow and learn.
• He is a man quick to forgive.
• He is a man slow to judge.
• He is a creator of fresh ideas.
• He is a man of faith and love.
• He is a man of honor.

Along the way, my father collected a long series of impressive accomplishments and notable honors, but his real legacy goes far beyond buildings named after him, organizations he built, grew and supported and his inspiration to thousands of people he met along the way.

My Dad’s legacy is in the people he touched and inspired and lives far into the future.

Beyond one life.

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

All the best,

Ken McArthur

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And more, more, more.