Recently, my wife and I were able to take a weekend getaway to the mountains in North Carolina. Due to circumstances, we have not been able to do much of anything for the last 5 months. The trip was very relaxing, and I could tell you a story about what we did. However, what I want to do is tell you a story about the man we met.

Jed is in his early 80s. He is a successful businessman who has continued a family business and built it into an empire. You wouldn’t know it if you walked into his store. Humboldt’s is the kind of place that is average and gritty. Nothing off-putting about the atmosphere, but also nothing spectacular. It is your average run-of-the-mill store out in the middle of nowhere. Jed is well-dressed and down-to-earth, always wearing his signature cowboy hat.

When we met Jed, he was reserved and cautious. He knew why we were there (as we were staying at his cabin), but yet he was super laid back and opened the conversation with, “What’s on your mind?” At the end of the conversation, he told us he owned a mountain and he would be willing to give us a tour of his mountain and the surrounding area. I am all up for a tour, but I honestly thought he was just musing when he told us he owned a mountain.

After we settled in, we made our way back to see Jed to start the weekend off with a tour. Off we went. We hopped into his 90s foreign-made car with minimal interior upkeep and 400,000 miles on it. As I offered my wife shotgun, I climbed into the back seat, pushing all the stuff and dirt out of the way. No seatbelt for me, I guess, since it wouldn’t click in. Then I noticed the check engine light was on.

Jed opened up the tour, telling us how he came to own the car we were driving in and how loyal the car had been to him. I was amused, to say the least. As we drove, Jed would point out farmland that either belonged to him or had previously been owned by him. Our first destination was his family house that was built in the 1800s. This now mint-looking mega-house he shared with his granddaughter and great-grandchildren was even the place of his birth.

Next up? “Now I am going to show you my mountain.” I sat in the back, joking about where it might be, thinking this guy is pretty funny. As we drove, he pointed out his son who was working along the road and the trailer park he owned as we headed up the hill. “Ok,” I thought. Maybe this guy is for real? We finally got to a gate. The sign read Humboldt’s Mountain. “Ok,” now I realize – this guy really does own a mountain. As we drove, Jed started telling us the details of each of the lots we passed and about the residents he sold the lots to. My wife asked, “So does your family all live up here?” Jed’s answer with a chuckle: “No, My family can’t afford to live up here.”

The last place we went on the mountain was the best lot. He had just finished clearing the lot, and the view was spectacular. Through a series of questions, we landed on Jed saying, “How much do you think this lot is worth?” My wife spouted off a number that Jed said was close but not the asking price; however, he would accept it.

The tour continued as we drove on. Jed had a story on every road we went on. Some were about where his family lived and grandparents once owned. Some stories were about others he had given the same tour to. As we drove with the windows down, you could smell the burning oil as we climbed the hills on the gravel roads. We were definitely getting the local(s) tour.

The stories just kept on coming. Most stories were business-related, but there were a few family stories blended in. Old Jed had his hand in everything: farming, the general store, construction, land acquisition and development, truck driving and dump truck trucking business, rental units, and he even drilled for oil on his land at one time. Oh, and he ran for Congress too! You could say, from the line of that old TV show “The Beverly Hillbillies”: “Old Jed’s a millionaire.” At the end of the tour, I realized that Jed had more stories than you could count. I was sure there were more stories, and I told him so. I told him I like to write and I thought it would be really fun to do a biopic on him.

The next morning, Jed showed up during our breakfast at his store. He sat with us for a while, shared more stories, and told us about his family pictures that were on the wall above us. He then proceeded to direct us on some ideas for us to explore for our day.

When we returned to our cabin from our day long adventure, I started a fire as we sat on the back porch to stare at our wonderful view of the stream just 50 feet from us. As I looked over to my right, here comes Jed with a bottle of wine in his hand. While both my wife and I do not drink, we invited Jed to sit down and enjoy some wine and tell us more stories. The next morning, we thanked Jed for his hospitality, and we headed for home.

Now, you might think this story may not offer much hope, which is the objective around here. Perhaps there may be some hope for the entrepreneur in this story. However, that is not the point of why I told you Jed’s story. Maybe you read this story and it promoted you to be more confident in your business deals. Maybe you read this and just realized you need to have another look at your self and what is important to you. Inside Jed’s story is a man and a family that matters.

The point is this: I believe our stories are important. I believe that just like Jed, you have a story. In addition, I believe your story could help someone else.

Can You Tell A Story?