A Way of Life- Eat Mor Chikn'

It's a fact that I've been going to Chick-fil-A since the late 1970s when I would go with my dad and his Furman football chain crew buddies to games in my hometown, Greenville, SC in the back of a station wagon. As I got older, in the 80s, I went to CFA at the Haywood Mall with my teammates wearing my football jersey for the pre-game meal on Friday nights.  Going to the mall was a big deal when I was in school and going their with your teammates all wearing the same jersey was like being the big man on campus.  In the 90s, I moved away from the South, served two tours in the Persian Gulf in the US Navy and pursued my bachelor's degree in California.  My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time would go with me on dates to one of the only CFAs in CA.  As I was completing my undergraduate degree, in the '00s, my dad gave me Truit Cathy's first book, "Eat Mor Chikn':  Inspire More People".  I fell in love with the book as it gave me an inside look to how my grandfather was raised as Mr. Cathy and my grandfather come from the same hometown and grew up during the depression.  I was moved to hear how Mr. Cathy would treat his employees, how he would donate money to his causes.  I was able to get an inside look to how my parents were as younger adults raising my sister and I in the 1970s and 1980s when the US Dollar went off of the gold standard, there were lines to buy gas, and the interest rate to buy property was 25%.  Mr. Cathy was expanding his business at that time and had to go all of 1982 with no salary due to the hard times that people faced at that time.  Needless to say, I reference Mr. Cathy's books weekly.  In the '10s, I finally met my full potential as a professional, I would try to lift everyone's spirits by treating my teachers and staff to CFA biscuits from time to time.  In a way, I guess I'm trying to emulate my hero, the maker of all things comfort, Mr. Truit Cathy.  Man, do I have a loooooooooooong ways to go!

Now, something that started out as a childhood outing to see the Purple Palidins at the old Shirine Stadium, one of the cornerstones of me as a person is front and center in the name of traditional values, freedom of speech and tolerance to those that might march to the beat of a different drummer.  I seem to fall more and more the harder I try these days and feel like I could do so much better by my fellow man at work and on the street.  The world gets in peoples faces and little by little we think, say and do the opposite to how you were raised.  If only I could catch myself and say, "What would Truit do?"

I'm so fortunate.  I was raised the best you could be with both of my parents working.  Had it not been for my upbringing, I would have buckled, quit and gave up a long time ago.  It is more than chicken sandwiches, waffle fries and sweet tea.  CFA is a way of life in more ways than I can imagine, especially for people from the South.

Chick-Fil-A Appreication Day?  I appreciate CFA and its values everyday. 

As Truit often has said, "IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME". 

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