[March 1, 2024] Karma is a mean dog sometimes. The first time I’d ever heard of it, I thought “moonshine” was some disease, and after tasting the vile stuff, I had no reason to alter my mind. As a struggling High School student (I wouldn’t say I liked school), I was attracted to some unsavory types. Bad choices, yep. Straying off the right path, yep. So when one of my buddies talked me into having “just a small swig of hillbilly moonshine,” I took the bait.
The burn! Oh, the BURN. In cowboy movies, you see the Indians calling hard liquor “fire water.” I thought that was fake to make movies more popular. Nope. It was true. And that batch of moonshine quickly burned like lightning down my throat, every inch down and into the belly. Never had I experienced this level of pain, even when compared to having my arm stuck in my grandmother Bigmama’s electric laundry rollers that slowly crushed my little arm.
Seconds after that swig of moonshine, I ran screaming out of the janitor’s closet – where we were daring each other to taste it – and into the hallway between the chemistry lab and my math homeroom. Heads turned, teachers frowned, and my student peers looked right at me smiling, as if they knew exactly what happened, with that quizzical look chickens give when a fox walks into their chicken coop. My throat began to close up, and my mind imagined me choking to death. But that was not to be.
“You got lots of ‘splanning to do, young man,” said the Vice Principal. Nothing like a dash of fear to begin the school year. I’m no teetotaler. Nor am I a sluggard, even to this day. I learned my lesson about alcohol, and it was a harsh lesson never to be forgotten. A few years later, that lesson would be reinforced at the end of my training in the Army.
High School can be rough for an academically unprepared young boy raised in a small town near the Spanish Moss-covered trees overhanging the bayous of north Louisiana. I’d rather be fishing in those bayous than going to school in the big city. Big city kids sure knew how to get into trouble with the school and with law enforcement. This behavior was exciting and fun but dangerous and not good for your health, like drinking unknown liquids out of a plastic jug that your third cousin provided you.
That was the year I realized I was not prepared to be a teenager. Several seniors, primarily associated with an overrated, underfunded, no-talent, teenager hard rock band, decided they would get drunk after school on a Friday. Friday was teenager night out on the town. I chose not to be part of the event because my attitude has been adjusted from the moonshine incident. It was a good thing because they were caught and arrested, and heaven forbid, their parents were called to pick them up. If I’d been caught, the last thing in the world I would have wanted is for the police to call my parents; better to go missing.
This was the year my height became officially 5’11” as measured by the track team coach. I was still growing. Whenever girls asked my height, I would claim I was “about 6 feet tall.” Girls like tall guys. Coach Green, also the football coach, had some words of advice for us. “No drinkin’. No sex. No carousing around town. And keep your grades up.” Some of the bigger and taller boys ignored this advice, but I figured, okay, it makes sense. Besides, I didn’t have a girlfriend. And 1967 would be the year of the controversial 4A championship football game against Austin Reagan High School. We lost.
Years later, as a senior, I joined a few friends at an early graduation celebration. I was 17 and still dumb. Alcohol was present, along with cigarettes, pot, girls, and lots of food. We were at one of the rich kids’ homes while his parents were away. There was plenty of quality beer in cans and bottles. The following week, there was a rumor that the kid’s parents wanted to know who was at the house party to find out who brought the hillbilly moonshine. LOL.
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NOTE: See all my letters here: https://www.theleadermaker.com/granddaughter-letters/
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Gen. Satterfield is truly giving us some wonderful information about his childhood and how he came to use that as a springboard to go to great places in the US Army.
BEAUTIFUL.
Yes, I would agree, beautiful letters. ❤
“That was the year I realized I was not prepared to be a teenager.” comment by Gen. Satterfield in this letter. I want to note that perhaps all teenagers think this at one time or another, so Gen. S as a teenager is not unique in the belief. But what is important is how he handles that insecurity and being “unprepared” is something he learned to overcome, in part by being in the Boy Scouts and having a loving and supportive family, his “Bigmama” and others. Read about them in his blog and think about what it took for a small boy in rural Louisiana to rise up to be a General in the US Army. Think about it.
Points well taken, Max. You got to wonder how he did it. These letters are all about the struggle. But also about the support of family, God, and community. 🙏
I agree
Great job max. Peer pressure as kids can create problems for children. It did me which caused me many whipping. Peer pressure not only causes problems for children but adult’s too. I Wiseman says you can’t put a square in a circle. What am I saying is your make up want fix the wrong crowd the circle. It’s ok too not with the crowd.
Sir, you’ve done us well again and in support of our families, forever.
For those new to this blog, be sure to get a copy and read Gen. Satterfield’s books. It helps support his blog and keeps you informed on what it takes to be a good human.
I don’t know about everyone else but these letters are wonderful and loving and entertaining and educational all to boot in one letter. String them together and you get a wide-variety of ideas, topics, and challenges for a little kid from rural northeast Louisiana. Gen. S. tells us he grew up “rich” but if you read these stories you will see that is not exactly true. At least not true economically. But rich in family.
Lady Hawk, exactly what I was going to write. thanks for beating me to it. ✌
HAPPY FRIDAY……….. here’s loving Gen. Satterfield’s letters.
Hi all, and Lady Hawk (my favorite commentator here). I just reallly really love this blog because of the letters published here. They are an inside look at what it took to develop a real leader, not some pansy like Joe Biden and his handlers. This story of Gen. Satterfield as a little boy growing up in the deep south is like a breath of fresh air compared to the trash we read about today. Thanks all for making me feel welcome and happy for being here.
Welcome Sally. We’re here to learn and grow. Please get yourself a copy of “55 rules for a good life” and read it thoroughly. You won’t be disappointed.
God bless General Satterfield and his granddaughter.
Thank you, Gen. Satterfield for more letters. And, a shout out to others who might consider getting a copy of your two books. Yeh. I hope you turn these letters into a book also.
Karma is a mean dog sometimes. The first time I’d ever heard of it, I thought “moonshine” was some disease, and after tasting the vile stuff, I had no reason to alter my mind. As a struggling High School student (I wouldn’t say I liked school), I was attracted to some unsavory types. Bad choices, yep. Straying off the right path, yep. So when one of my buddies talked me into having “just a small swig of hillbilly moonshine,” I took the bait. — Gen. Doug Satterfield
This is the kind of writing that makes me want to read more.
Cheers from down under to my American mates. I too am beloving this series. Each and every letter to Gen. Satterfield’s granddaughter is a gem.
Always beautiful to see one of our friends writing about how important family is and to read these letters proves it.
Nailed it Joe. Cheers!
Great job with this letter to your granddaughter, Gen. Satterfield. My wife is really a huge fan of yours and has now started to print out these letters, put them on the refrig for our kids to read, and then tell her friends about them. They are COLLECTORS of your LETTERS.
Love this letter. ❤
We all love it Jerry. This is my favorite blog/website to hit before I start my day. It gives me something to think about before heading out to work.
“Years later, as a senior, I joined a few friends at an early graduation celebration. I was 17 and still dumb. Alcohol was present, along with cigarettes, pot, girls, and lots of food. We were at one of the rich kids’ homes while his parents were away. There was plenty of quality beer in cans and bottles. The following week, there was a rumor that the kid’s parents wanted to know who was at the house party to find out who brought the hillbilly moonshine. LOL.” — Gen. Doug Satterfield.
You just gotta love little boy Doug satterfield.
Another powerful letter to Gen. Satterfield’s granddaughter. POWERFUL !!!!! Just in case no one was listening or reading, this is what makes this blog so interesting for me.
Yes, Veronica, the same here. And now we are on letter #58 and counting. I’m not sure how many of these letters will be publsihed but they sure do make for great reading. Oh, I just wanted to say that I’ve been re-reading Gen. Satterfield’s “55 Rules for a Good Life” and getting more and more from the book. And, it’s inexpensive. So get your copy now and get copies for your children too.
https://www.amazon.com/55-Rules-Good-Life-Responsibility/dp/1737915529/
You won’t regret it.
Got it, ant man and I agree!
👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
Here’s looking at you.
Great comment on the power of these letters but it remains to be determined that his granddaughter will read these letters. Oh, I’m sure she will.
Yes, indeed. Who would not want to. What I”ve found is that the older one becomes the more you want to understand how others operate that have achieved a significant level of success in their lives AND try to integrate that into your life as much as possible. 😉
True, Mr. TJ. I hope you are teaching your students about this.
Yeah!! Mr. Asper, we love how you are able to keep your High School kids learning and by making sure they adopt traditional American values. I hope that you are also teaching them the benefits of being American Patriots (like Gen. Satterfield and myself). Hang in there and keep on reading this blog and leadership forum where good ideas go to grow.