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South Carolina Wildlife Magazine’s recent issue arrived last week, as it has done for decades at any place I have called home. The magazine holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. I read it cover to cover growing up. Little did I know that a common contributor would end up being my father-in-law. He encouraged me to write, and my first published piece of writing was in South Carolina Wildlife Magazine. 

When I opened the current issue, I glanced at the authors and photographers. Near the end, I noticed my last name. But it wasn’t me or my wife. On closer inspection, it was my twelve-year-old son, Paul. 

Now, I know what you are thinking. How can a parent not know when his child is going to have a story published in a magazine? Well, I have learned in the writing world that it is best to be pleasantly surprised when something you write is in print. My son won a writing contest a few months ago, and the winner would have their piece in the magazine. I knew that, just like I know it may snow when Chris Justus calls for it. But waking up in the morning and seeing an inch on the ground is much more exciting than waiting anxiously for the first flake. 

Paul has always been a storyteller. The poor kid doesn’t stand a chance in that regard with two parents who write and a grandfather who is an award-winning humor and nostalgia writer. 

Add another grandfather who is known for his interesting and funny quotes, and Paul is going to have a rough time writing for English classes throughout his schooling. 

People who like to tell humorous stories tend not to do well when writing about the theme of a Shakespeare play. Paul’s first assignment this year in his English class was to expound on the theme of a short story about a lady who lived in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. She was being interviewed about her memories and she told the reporter how she was present for every major event in the 20th century. Her family finally realized she was lying to the reporter and the interview stopped. 

My son turned in his explanation of the theme to his teacher with confidence. In Norman Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It,” a young Norman is being instructed by his father that brevity is best in writing. Paul’s theme response would have made Mr. Maclean proud. He simply wrote, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

While our entire family had a good laugh about this, his teacher was not impressed and made him change the answer to something with more words and less accuracy. 

So Paul has entered the world of scholastic writing, where original thought is not rewarded as much as rewording a Google search on a book’s theme. I hope that he will continue to use humor and originality in his storytelling. One thing is for sure, though: He can always be proud of being published in South Carolina Wildlife Magazine when he was twelve.