Tribute to Carol Phillips
By Milton Smith
The community was saddened this past week with Carol Phillips’s passing, longtime southern gospel bass singer with “The Regals” and retired Duke Energy employee.
Carol was a unique individual, a loving family man, a devout Christian who helped found and grow churches, a man of wise counsel who didn’t say much, but you better listen well, when he did, and he had an exceptional talent not many of us have. Carol made everyone feel comfortable when he was around. His statue and big smile reassured everyone that good things were ahead.
He and his lovely wife Joni raised and mentored their three children in a strong Christian faith with the knowledge that being individuals was a good thing and helped them harvest their God-given talents in music
and other life experiences.
As was said at his memorial service, Carol left us a “legacy” of hard work, strong Christian faith, a positive attitude and a loving nature that remains with us in his memory.
God gives us good examples for all to measure up to……Carol Phillips was one of those. Rest well with Jesus, good friend.
I’m worried about our dependence on the ever-present telephone. No one talks anymore. Even the cash registers tell us how much change to give back after a purchase.
Have you ever been to a place where the cash register failed
and the cashier couldn’t give the info back as to how much your change is? Without the help of a machine, it takes a committee to figure out the answers. What happened to figuring it out in your head? If your bill is $10.49 and you give the person a $20 bill and two quarters, what is your change? (No using the phone!) The answer is $10 and a penny.
I recently visited the Campbell Covered Bridge in the country
above Greer with an eight-year-old boy and his sister. They had a great time looking at the old wooden bridge, playing in the creek, and exploring new territory. On our way back to the car, a historical sign had been
placed along the path. It stated that the bridge was the only one of
its kind in the state and that it had been built in 1909. I asked the eight year old “How long has this bridge been built?” And he answered immediately, “One hundred and twelve years.” I nearly fainted! How in the world did one so young know the answer so quickly. It then dawned on me that the boy’s parents and family had been playing “mind games” with him most of his life. They would ask questions while traveling or at the table that he could figure out without writing or calculating on a machine. It was a game and fun. Like “If we are going ten miles away and have already traveled 7 miles, how many more miles are there to go?” “If our bill is 49 cents, how much is our change back if we pay with $1?” “If we pay with $5” or “If we pay with $10?” Of course, the boy is smart…….but the “mind games” helped to exercise his mind and expand his ability to calculate. Put the phone down for a few minutes and talk, play mind games or just hang out.
Some “Dad Jokes”: What is purple and lives on the bottom of the ocean? Moby Grape! Did you know that the three wise men were firemen? They came from afar! And what did the 12 disciples ride in? The bible says they were in one Accord? (That’s a Honda, I think)
Please stay safe. Think about getting the vaccine to protect yourself, your family and friends, and your community.
Thanks for reading, more soon. Shoot low, sheriff, he’s riding a Shetland pony………
Author: Tracy Sanders
