Exploring Western North Carolina's Real Estate and American Politics with Dr. Douglas Young: Embracing Change and the Art of Storytelling

Discover the heartbeat of Western North Carolina as we traverse the landscape of its real estate market and unwrap the enriching tales of our communities. This episode is a heartfelt thank you to you, our cherished listeners, and a toast to the George Real Estate Group's enduring legacy. We'll guide you through Henderson County's bustling seller's market, sharing insights on average home prices and the transformative impact of diligent home maintenance. Joining us is the esteemed Dr. Douglas Young, whose familial roots run deep in the soil of Flat Rock, ready to impart his wisdom and experiences that span decades.

Have you ever pondered the intricate tapestry of American politics, how it's evolved, and where personal beliefs fit into this broad spectrum? Dr. Young presents his latest work, "This Little Opinion plus $1.50 Will Buy You a Coke," offering a thought-provoking collection of essays that journey through the shifting sands of the political scene and his own transformation towards conservative and libertarian ideals, all interwoven with his Christian faith. From the contentious issues of abortion to gun control, his stories strike a balance, seeking the common threads that bind us together as a nation.

Endings and new beginnings; that’s the essence of life's unpredictable dance. Our conversation with Douglas Young invites you into his transition from academia to the art of storytelling, reflecting on a career unexpectedly beloved and the newfound joy of writing. His upcoming novels, drawing inspiration from the students he once mentored, are eagerly anticipated for 2026 and 2027. But beyond the pages of his books, Douglas's musings on living in the now, coupled with his travel adventures alongside Cheyenne, will encourage you to cherish the present and the riches that life's experiences can offer.

Quality Home Consultants
Over 35,000 Home Inspections since 1998, Quality Home Consultants are ready to serve you.

Pure Haven Photography
Pure Haven Photography offers real estate visual solutions including photography, videography, drone

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello friends, thank you so much for being here. This is the George Real Estate Group podcast, which is a production of our live weekly radio shows hosted on multiple radio stations here in Hendersonville, north Carolina. The George Real Estate Group serves Western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina and it is a privilege to share positive news about our local real estate market and community. Thanks so much for subscribing and, of course, if you have any real estate questions or if we can help you in any way, be sure to reach out. Visit us at georgerealestategroupradiocom for more information. Good morning and welcome to the George Real Estate Group live radio broadcast here on WHKP Every Thursday morning, bringing you positive news about your local real estate market and community and conversations. And grateful to be here with you on this rainy Thursday April 11th and grateful to spend some time with you here behind the mic, sharing with you about our local community and have a special guest. I'm going to introduce you to him in here just a second, but before we get started I want to say thank you to our radio show sponsors, quality Home Consultants, jim Rawlings, Him and his team. They've done over 35,000, 35,000 home inspections. They also do septic. They do pests, radon all the things inspections. They also do septic, they do pests, radon, all the things. They are a critical piece of our team in helping our clients navigate through the buying and selling process and you don't have to be buying or selling If you want somebody to come out and do a home inspection on your house and check out. Go in the crawl space or go in the attic or just have a. It's like maintenance and just like you should get your oil changed every once in a while, you should have your home checked out. You can stay ahead of the maintenance. Also, avoid any surprises. I mean there's some stories he's told me where again you just don't know what you don't know and getting things inspected and again whether you're buying or selling, again very common. A majority of the homes in Henderson County have septic and so have you had your septic tank inspected and again having that checked out. They have some great maintenance programs as well. So give Jim Rawlings and Quality Home Consultants a call.

Speaker 1: 2:13

Also want to say thank you to Pure Haven Photography. They really make our photography in our homes. Our listings come to life. They're also one of our radio show sponsors, pure Haven Photography. They do drone, they do professional photography. They do video walkthroughs. Again, these are professionals that we're using on a regular basis with buying and selling. But again, maybe you have a rental property you want to have professionally photographed or you want to drone your land. Maybe you have a large land track and you've been looking for somebody. They're licensed, they're insured Again, incredible products that Justin Lauder and his team produce with Pure Haven Photography. Thankful for the work that they do for our clients and on behalf of our team, and so it's really a team effort that makes it all possible for our real estate business.

Speaker 1: 3:02

We're so thankful the market's the market. We talk about that a lot and I tell our team we're not going to participate in any downturn. It's interesting. The prices keep going up. Our average single family home price in Henderson County is at $533,000. $533,000 is the average single family home price over the last 12 months. It's about a seven percent increase. We're still averaging about 122 single family homes a month selling. Over 35 percent of the homes that are selling are sold with cash, which is incredible. We have less than 300 homes on the market, so still a seller's market.

Speaker 1: 3:38

If you're thinking about buying, thinking about selling, we'd love to interview for the job. There's no pressure, there's no cost, there's no obligation. You can give us a call at 828-393-0134, 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygregcom. You can also subscribe to our podcast. We podcast all of our radio shows. We'd be grateful for that.

Speaker 1: 4:00

Or just stop by our office at 2720 Greenville Highway. Our neighbors next door opened up. Hubba Hubba Barbecue opened up. They're out of hibernation for the winter and again come by and get some incredible brisket and barbecue there. We say the smells are free. And again, grateful for our neighbors there. We're there in Flat Rock. But the George Real Estate Group we're growing. If you thought about a career in real estate, give us a call. But again, grateful to serve the community. We've, in my career have helped over 1,400 families and then with our team, I mean we're just so thankful to serve the community. The market's the market. The prices are the prices. We know real estate happens around life. It could be a really positive reason why clients or and our clients are buying or selling. It could be challenging. Whatever it might be, then we're here to advocate and help our clients navigate through the buying and selling process. And so this morning I'm so grateful to have with us Dr Douglas Young. Incredible, just so thankful for the opportunity to have you on our show this morning.

Speaker 1: 5:01

I mean, it would probably take our entire show if I read off all of your accolades and in your, in all of your awards and and again, you're too kind well and you just so, and we got connected through um, you know, through my father, howard george, and um and your family has been connected to the, to the flat rock area, for for decades a very long time.

Speaker 2: 5:24

yes, first of all, thank you, noah, so very much for having me on this program. I'm so grateful to be here. I'm really honored and you have the coolest radio station I have ever been blessed to visit. I love the Art Deco signs here. It's just wonderful.

Speaker 1: 5:39

And it's been in the community 75 years Outstanding, which is incredible and grateful. We've been doing a radio show here since 2011, but the history of this thank you for bringing that up the station here is amazing. It really is, and to answer your question.

Speaker 2: 5:53

Yes, uh, I'm so blessed that my family has deep roots in flat rock. My paternal grandparents, uh, moved here. They built a home in beautiful Bon Clark and in 1959 and they lived there until 1977 and then my parents, when they retired, they moved up to Bon Clark and a couple of decades ago and we just celebrated my father's 91st birthday this week and so it's been a wonderful time and we just love Flat Rock and Hendersonville and all of western North Carolina.

Speaker 1: 6:34

A lot of connections. Yes, sir, and you grew up coming here your entire life. That's right.

Speaker 2: 6:38

My whole life, all of my 62 years, have been very closely associated with Bon Clark and Flat Rock and Hendersonville.

Speaker 1: 6:48

That's amazing. Now share about where you're at currently with your career and what you're doing right now, Sure.

Speaker 2: 6:57

I was very blessed to be a professor of political science and history for just over a third of a century at various colleges and a university in Georgia, and then, at 59, I decided you know what, if I am ever going to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a novelist and a full-time writer, I better start kicking things into fifth gear. And so I retired in my late 50s to become a full-time writer, and I've been so blessed to have two novels and now a new book of essays published since then. My first novel is entitled Deep in the Forest, and it's a really fun dramedy, a comedy drama. It was published in 2021 by Newman Springs and when I checked the other day on Amazon, it had 78 reviews and they're all positive.

Speaker 1: 7:51

That's amazing.

Speaker 2: 7:52

It has a 4.9 rating average. And my second novel, which came out in late 2022, is another dramedy that takes place in another small southern town, and it's called Due South, which is a play on words for Due South excuse me Due West, South Carolina, which has a special place in a lot of people's hearts. I'm the only member of my immediate family who did not go to college at Erskine.

Speaker 1: 8:22

The black sheep of the family. I'm joking.

Speaker 2: 8:26

Yes, I went to the University of Georgia. But in any event, due South now has 30 Amazon reviews I saw yesterday and they're all positive and it has a 4.9 reader average. So I'm very touched. And the new book is a collection of essays. It's called this Little Opinion plus $1.50 will buy you a Coke a collection of essays.

Speaker 2: 8:48

And that title comes from a saying that I would share with my classes for many, many years. Whenever classes would push me to find out well, where does Dr Young stand on some issue, and I generally didn't want to tell them because I wanted them to always think for themselves. So if ever I did break down and tell them where I stood on this or that issue, I would preface it with the saying but just remember, this little opinion plus $1.50 will buy you a Coke. Right Now people have told me that I should have retitled this this little opinion plus $2. $2.50 will buy you a Coke, so maybe this will. $1.50 will buy you a six-ounce Right. A dollar fifty will buy you a six ounce Right inflation Right.

Speaker 2: 9:24

But I'm very touched that this book already has many Amazon reviews and they're all five stars and it is a collection of 65 almost all political essays that I've been blessed to get published in a variety of newspapers and other publications, from all the way back to 1986 through the end of last year, and so the book presents sort of an evolution of American politics and of my own personal views, and I've gotten more conservative and libertarian over time. I would describe myself as a conservatarian, also very heavily influenced by my Christian upbringing my.

Speaker 2: 10:10

Christian faith and the book focuses on a tremendous variety of issues abortion, afghanistan, aids, confederate monuments, feminism, gun control, george Bush, I and a lot of presidential candidates, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who I was blessed to hear speak and got to meet, and even I think one of the most recent columns which came out last fall is about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who I call the king and queen of narcissism.

Speaker 2: 11:08

But the book does clearly have a conservative, libertarian, christian bias, but I hope it's not preachy, and I have a lot of columns praising moderates and liberals who I admire. For example, one of the most recent columns celebrates President Carter's 99th birthday. I have enormous respect for President Carter. Now I know I may be a little biased because I'm a brother Georgian but I think that he is just an outstanding Christian statesman, even though I disagree with a great many of his policies and a lot of his public statements. But I think he did a lot of good and I think he dedicated his whole life to christian public service and I'll tell you that the three most magnificent, moving sunday school experiences of my life were all in his sunday school class I've heard, I mean for I mean is he?

Speaker 1: 12:02

he's not teaching anymore right Bless his heart. He's not able to now, of course, but I mean like for decades he taught his Sunday school class.

Speaker 2: 12:11

That's right, he was amazing and his classroom was the whole sanctuary of little Maranatha Plains Baptist Church and he would walk in and he would immediately ask where everybody was from church. And he would walk in and he would immediately ask where everybody was from, and no matter whether somebody was from Alaska or Iran, he would immediately talk about his connection to that town.

Speaker 1: 12:34

Wow.

Speaker 2: 12:35

And then he would tell us about where he and Miss Rosalynn had visited recently and what they were doing. And then he would read from scripture and he didn't have a note one, he just would bring in the Bible and then he would give his Sunday school lesson and then we would have prayer with the president that's amazing, yes. And then we'd have the big church service and then afterwards he and Miss Rosalind were so sweet they would stand outside and they would wait. Even if there were 300 people, they would wait and they would shake hands with every single person and they would pose for photographs with every single person.

Speaker 1: 13:11

Wow, Just a lovely couple. I mean just the human connection aspect of that. Yes, yes.

Speaker 2: 13:17

Right, and you know I have a couple of essays in here on the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Lord knows I'm quite critical of him. He and I are very far apart politically but having been blessed to spend a little time with him at a small black Baptist church in Griffin, georgia, and then I got to spend a little time with him again after the Democratic presidential debate in 1988 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, he is a heck of a lot of fun to be around.

Speaker 1: 13:47

Incredible individual.

Speaker 2: 13:49

Unbelievably charismatic, so down to earth, so much fun I mean absolutely the most fun presidential candidate I've ever spent time with, and he really needs our prayers for his Parkinson's Sure.

Speaker 1: 14:03

Isn't it interesting Again, I think, if people can see the human, You've got politics right, and politics actually it's from the word policy, right Like policy, and so it's so divisive. And yet, if you can connect with the human behind the person that's advocating for different policies, like again. I think that's where maybe more uh progress could actually happen. You know to see the human behind, you know the, the policy and it's interesting.

Speaker 1: 14:36

You bring this up in the sense of and I don't know if that's not necessarily the direction we're going to go in, but I think it's. It's so important to to keep that into context.

Speaker 2: 14:44

I mean you're right. Uh, I have a column in here, uh, that was published late last year that's entitled If your Side Lost the Elections, do Not Despair, and I write about how, for all of our significant political differences and there are more than enough of them to warrant our voting each year, but still we have so much more in common than we often want to acknowledge and gosh. I've been very blessed to travel all over the world to China, throughout that great country, thanks to my sweet Cheyenne, and to Turkey, and all over Eastern and Western and Central Europe and Canada, mexico, the Caribbean, and we are incredibly blessed.

Speaker 2: 15:31

We are in by far the freest, most multi-democratic, powerful, wealthiest opportunity-rich country in history, and we have so much for which to be thankful to God, for, yes, and our founding fathers and each other. We work hard.

Speaker 1: 15:47

Yeah, for all the challenges that seem so front and center, when you put things into perspective and what other countries are facing, what other governments are facing, having a perspective of gratitude in spite of these challenges we might be facing, it really can.

Speaker 2: 16:03

I mean, I can tell you, having traveled all over China, and I love tell you, having traveled all over China and I love the Chinese and I'll tell you, I think the biggest takeaway I've gotten from my travels in China is that there is a vast difference between the people of a country and the government of a country. And if you don't believe that, ask yourself I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican does your government, does the American government, always represent you? No, for half the country, it probably rarely does, at least in terms of the president.

Speaker 1: 16:38

Of course.

Speaker 2: 16:39

And well, imagine if you're in China and you've got a communist dictatorship. And as much as I love the Chinese people and I encourage everyone to visit China, trust me you are far safer there than you are in almost any city in America. In terms of crime, I mean, you don't have to worry about that. But but as sweet as the Chinese people are to Americans, still, whenever I'm in China I have to be very careful about talking about politics. If ever I'm in public I mean, when I'm with Cheyenne's family, we can talk politics in their homes, and if we're in public, if we're away from anyone else, we can talk politics, but if ever we're in a restaurant, if ever we're in a, even if we're in a church, wherever we are, if there is anybody else around, we can you never know who is an informant who is working for the government and I have to be very careful.

Speaker 2: 17:37

Even when I am in a home of one of Shalyan's family, I have to be careful which websites I seek out on their computer, because that's all traceable.

Speaker 1: 17:47

They're watching everything.

Speaker 2: 17:48

Exactly so. The freedom Right In America. We never have to worry about that. But having said that, as a libertarian, I am deeply concerned, noah, about recent polling data showing that a growing, very significant share of Americans want to dramatically cut back on our freedoms of speech and press. And if you look at all these colleges and universities that have enacted these so-called hate speech codes that have severely restricted what people can say and write on campus, this is really disturbing.

Speaker 2: 18:28

And then, if you look at what's happened all over Europe and in Canada I'm sad to report, having traveled all those countries those countries are not remotely as free as they were even 20, even 10 years ago. Wow, and this dramatic reduction in freedom of expression has all been done under the guise of we have to protect against hate speech. Well, what is quote? Hate speech, end quote. Well, hate speech is anything that the authorities don't like. Just like in china.

Speaker 1: 18:58

Wow, just like in turkey yeah, it's a slippery slope exactly, and you can see the extreme of what's happened in in china right, and in turkey too.

Speaker 2: 19:06

You know, we were recently in turkey, last fall, and boy, the Turks are such friendly people.

Speaker 1: 19:11

And I've heard it's a beautiful country.

Speaker 2: 19:13

Yes, and we loved going in all the different mosques and you know different places. But again, we have to be mindful at all times of what we say in public about religion, about politics, and I hate to see that happening increasingly in our own beloved country Right, but that is what makes our country what it is our freedom of speech.

Speaker 2: 19:40

I agree completely, yes, but I believe, as our founding fathers understood, that we will only have as much freedom as we are willing to fight for, and not one whit more. And I'll tell you, I think that maybe the greatest enemy of freedom is apathy. And I worry that way too many Americans good Americans, devout Christians, devout Jews they're good people, but they're just sort of asleep at the switch when it comes to this recent dramatic erosion of our free speech rights. We have to be aware of how fragile these freedoms are.

Speaker 2: 20:23

Ronald Reagan said in his farewell address that we are not guaranteed these freedoms. Every generation has to fight for them. We will only have as much freedom as we are willing to defend.

Speaker 1: 20:35

Wow.

Speaker 2: 20:36

And it's at stake.

Speaker 1: 20:37

Yeah, it's absolutely real and it's at stake and again, that's why every I mean this is just from the basics Every vote counts, go out and vote.

Speaker 3: 20:45

Go participate.

Speaker 1: 20:46

Don't you know, regardless of what side you're on? Just again, go exercise your right to vote and take that step. It's sobering how many people don't vote, which, again, that's part of the apathy.

Speaker 2: 20:59

Right we have, I'm sad to say, even though we are still, thank God, the freest nation in history and we're the most small-D d democratic. There's no other country in the world, to my knowledge, that elects remotely as many policymakers at the federal, state or local levels. But I'm sad to say as an american, we have just about literally the lowest voter turnout rate on the planet that is fascinating we have so and something we take for granted. Yes, yes, I mean again.

Speaker 1: 21:30

it's interesting here we have the freedom to vote and to decide and yet, I mean again, people are not doing that. And it starts at the local level.

Speaker 1: 21:37

I mean having the local elections and then, again how that spills over into state and then federal. It's fascinating. And again, let's back up, and this is a fascinating conversation when were you first influenced to get into academia, the academic world in, because I'm going to really take you back here. I mean, you were in public education, um, and then that's correct, you pursued your master's degree and then your doctorate, right? Who? Where did that first start with you to get into that world?

Speaker 2: 22:10

I first fell in love with politics when I was six years old in 1968. I was a big supporter of robert kennedy's campaign for president. I don't ask me why, I don't know, but it struck a chord with you as a child yes, yes, and I was just thrilled with it.

Speaker 2: 22:29

I thought it was so fascinating with all the candidates Richard Nixon, hubert Humphrey, ronald Reagan, bobby Kennedy, gene McCarthy and my father, who has been absolutely the most influential figure in my life. He really introduced me to politics and I remember growing up as a boy he introduced me to newspaper opinion editorials and when other students were reading the comic book pages and the sports pages, I would be devouring the op-ed pages and it was such a thrill growing up when every four years during, for four nights in July and again in August, oh, he would let me stay up way past my bedtime to watch the Democratic and Republican Party conventions with him. That was so much fun, and so I dedicate this first book of essays to him. Wow, because he is really the pivotal figure in my life, influencing me to keep up with politics, and he taught me the importance of politics, how, whether we like it or not, public policymakers have a profound impact on our lives, so we might as well keep up with what they're doing and keep them honest. You'll vote. Be informed.

Speaker 1: 23:36

Keep them accountable.

Speaker 2: 23:37

Yes, keep other people informed about what's happening, try to influence folks. But I can tell you, even though I grew up a faculty brat, my daddy was a professor at the University of Georgia, a highly honored, decorated professor. My mother was a highly honored kindergarten teacher and first and second grade teacher. But I can honestly say the idea of becoming a teacher never once crossed my radar. And they never. God bless them, they never-.

Speaker 1: 24:05

They didn't push you into this.

Speaker 2: 24:07

Push me. They never mentioned a word to me about me, about, oh, we think you ought to be a teacher, uh, and so I can say truthfully that I net the. The thought of getting up in front of a room full of 20, 30, 40 people and having to, you know, fill up 50 minutes or an hour and a half, uh, just talking, uh, that never crossed my radar. And if you had told me as late as college that you're going to be doing that one day, I would have been terrified. That would have been my definition of just abject terror. But I was very blessed. I had a wonderful professor in graduate school named Locke Johnson, highly decorated, and he asked me to be a teaching assistant. And so, at 23, asked me to be a teaching assistant. And so, at 23, really scared, I was a teaching assistant, and even though it was nerve wracking, it was a wonderful experience and that gave me the idea that maybe when I get my master's degree, maybe I could be a teacher.

Speaker 2: 25:05

And the only reason I went after college, I went to graduate school, was because I didn't know what to do with my life and I was a pretty good student and I knew I didn't want to be a lawyer, I didn't want to go to law school I was way too shy for that and I didn't want to go to the military and those seem to be the two primary options for political science majors like me. I majored in politics because that was in political science, because I was obsessed with politics. Well, after I had this teaching experience as a master's degree student, I thought, well, maybe I could be a teacher. And I was so burned out on education because I just had one summer off between my college years and when I went to graduate school and I went to summer school every year. I was an undergraduate so I was just burned out on school.

Speaker 2: 25:48

So I was so blessed I got a job teaching, my first full-time job teaching at Gordon College, a two-year school, junior college in Barnesville, Georgia, about 50 miles south of Atlanta, and I started teaching there in the fall of 1987. And oh, I was so scared and my first quarter there my nerves were so wracked. I was just so scared to get up in front of a classroom that in my first quarter I got gastritis. I lost 20 pounds.

Speaker 1: 26:18

Wait, it was a stress of your physical body.

Speaker 2: 26:22

Oh, and I would get on the phone each week and almost cry to my parents Like what am.

Speaker 2: 26:27

I doing and they would say, oh, you'll just stick with it, just stick with it, stick with it one quarter. And then I kid you not. The greatest christmas gift of my life was when, literally with trembling fingers, just before I left the office to go home to athens for christmas holidays, I dared to open up my first batch of student evaluations and, to my amazement and joy, they were very positive. And kind and that gave me so much faith, so much hope that, hey, maybe I'm doing this okay.

Speaker 2: 27:04

Well belief in yourself, right, right. So I went back the next quarter and I was a lot more relaxed and I joked a lot more and I performed a lot more and the evaluations got a lot better, wow, and so I really fell in love with teaching.

Speaker 1: 27:19

So you stuck with it. Oh, it was the and you were at.

Speaker 2: 27:21

Gordon, for I was at Gordon.

Speaker 1: 27:23

Through 99,.

Speaker 2: 27:24

it says From 1987 until through May of 1999. For 12 years I loved it and I formed the Democratic Republican Club there, a sister two-year junior college in Gainesville, georgia, which is in northeastern Georgia, about an hour northeast of Atlanta and not far from Athens, where I grew up. And I was so blessed to be a professor at Gainesville College, which became Gainesville State College and then, in 2013, it united with Dahlonega to become the new University of North Georgia. And, oh, how fortunate I was with that union, because then I got to teach all these junior and senior level courses that I otherwise never would have gotten to teach. Wow, and so by the time I retired from the professoriate in December of 2020, I had taught 20 different political science and history courses. I was so fortunate and I had done everything I had ever set out to do in academia and a whole lot more, and it was funny More than you.

Speaker 1: 28:40

I mean again when you were in college. This was never necessarily your path that you thought it was never on my radar screen.

Speaker 2: 28:47

Although I could say that when, years later, after I've been teaching a long time, I asked my father dad, what did you think I would grow up to be? And he said well, I always figured you might grow up to be a professor, but he never breathed the word of that to me, yeah but it's probably not a coincidence. I mean, he was my role for what a man would be.

Speaker 2: 29:10

And I don't regret being a professor at all.

Speaker 2: 29:12

I loved it, but even though for most of my adult life, I figured that I would die at my desk or in the classroom, the thought of retirement never crossed my radar.

Speaker 2: 29:25

But what happened was in 2020, the state of Georgia made a one-time-only, extremely generous early retirement offer to all professors statewide who had put in 10 years or more, and I thought, you know this is a great opportunity. If ever I'm going to fulfill my dream ever since high school of being a novelist, I really ought to take it, because the way I taught man, I was a workaholic Sure, and I just never made time to write, and I had during one for about six weeks during one summer in the summer of 2017, I had when I had some time between classes. I wrote the first draft of my first novel and it was the most joyful creative experience of my life and I thought I need to seize this opportunity, and so I did. And since was the most joyful creative experience of my life, and I thought I need to seize this opportunity, and so I did, and since then, I've been writing full time.

Speaker 1: 30:13

You're writing full time.

Speaker 2: 30:14

And I've written a second novel and I've put together this collection of essays. I'm now editing a second collection of essays and that collection should be out next year and it's called Beyond the Political Essays on life, family, education, free Expression, art and Entertainment. That's too long a title. And I've also been writing all kinds of short stories that I've been very blessed to get published and I'm putting together a book of short stories which I hope to get published in 2026. I also have a book of poems I've been very blessed to get published and I hope that book will come out maybe in 2026.

Speaker 1: 30:47

I also have a book of poems.

Speaker 2: 30:48

I've been very blessed to get published and I hope that book will come out maybe in 2027. So I've really enjoyed being a full-time writer. I've been blessed to be asked to come back and teach but so far I've very respectfully declined because I'm having too much fun writing and doing guest lectures at various high schools, middle schools, public libraries, and I've loved speaking at a lot of radio stations. I've had book signings and my sweet Cheyenne and I are able to travel a whole lot more and there's no way we could have done anywhere near the traveling that we have if I was still tethered to an eight to five, five day a week uh, full-time gig it's incredible.

Speaker 1: 31:33

I mean there's a. I mean again, I, you decided to to pursue your dreams, and I mean that's a big thing. I mean, like you had a very you, you, your, your career is incredible. And yet this is also interesting. You took a bet on yourself. I mean there was an opportunity, you saw it, you took advantage of it. You're like, hey, I'm gonna pursue what I love, right, and not that you didn't love the, the, the academic world, right, it's just this. You, you said, since high school, you had this dream of being a novelist. And so, you know, and, by the way, all these years of preparation, you know, prepared you for even more, I mean the wealth of experience and knowledge you have to bring to the table with your books and your stories.

Speaker 2: 32:14

Thank you, and it's probably not a coincidence that my first novel is about a high school history teacher and the second novel is about an English graduate student who is a teaching assistant, and a lot of the characters are based on people who I was blessed to know.

Speaker 1: 32:35

The influence Some of them who?

Speaker 2: 32:36

I even taught right, Uh-huh.

Speaker 3: 32:38

And.

Speaker 2: 32:40

I love teaching, but I really don't miss it, maybe because I did it for over a third of a century.

Speaker 1: 32:44

You gave it everything.

Speaker 2: 32:45

And I still get to guest lecture a lot at high schools, at a university, at middle schools, at libraries. Maybe if I didn't have those opportunities I would miss it, but I really don't. I mean, my feeling is I did that.

Speaker 1: 33:01

It was a season.

Speaker 2: 33:02

Right, but I'll tell you, noah, on one of the cruises that Cheyenne and I took to Europe. It was a wonderful cruise, but what was so sad was how there were so many elderly people, and it was great that they were on the cruise but, what was so sad was Noah. So many of them were in such bad physical shape they could not go on the walking tour excursions.

Speaker 2: 33:28

One lady bless her heart. She had to. Just, we were in Sicily and she had to just stop at a cafe and just wait hours for us because she wasn't able to do it. There was another couple on the ship and oh, the old husband, god bless him. He was having to follow his wife with each hand on her shoulders. And so Cheyenne and I resolved man, it's sobering, we are on her shoulders. And so Cheyenne and I resolved man, it's sobering, we are. It is, and God bless them for traveling.

Speaker 1: 33:51

It's better that they're traveling, that they're on the boat.

Speaker 2: 33:53

That's right, they're just sitting at home watching TV. But we resolved, man, while we still are blessed with our health, we are going to take advantage of these cruises. We're going to go to Turkey, to Greece, everywhere, while we still can, because the time is now. You have to seize your opportunities. You have to make your opportunities today, don't wait?

Speaker 1: 34:12

Well, none of us are promised tomorrow.

Speaker 2: 34:14

That's right.

Speaker 1: 34:15

And I actually just read a book. By the way, Douglas, so grateful to have you here.

Speaker 2: 34:20

Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: 34:21

Time flies when you're having fun, because I want to make sure people know how to get your books and how to get in touch with you.

Speaker 2: 34:25

Thank you, but I have to.

Speaker 1: 34:26

You brought this up and I cannot not say this I recently read a book called die with zero and it's a very fascinating book. What's the point of having all this money at the end of your life when you can't? Well, again, you get. You work your entire life. You know you're trying to people are thinking about saving up for retirement, whatnot but you get to this point where you can't even use your money. You can't even use, and again, you can't take your money with you anyways, right, and it's not talking. He's not talking to the. You know the parable of the grasshopper and the ant? Right, he's not talking to the grasshoppers. This book is talking to the ants that work hard. And again, you want to live your life. You want can go take the trips, go live your life, live your life to your fullest while you can.

Speaker 2: 35:14

So you won't have regrets when you can't any longer travel and do what you would like.

Speaker 1: 35:20

There was this nurse that wrote this book about what people regretted at the end of their life. They regretted not the things that they did. They regretted the things they didn't do.

Speaker 2: 35:30

Exactly.

Speaker 1: 35:30

And so live your life. I love again I'm grateful you brought that up Again that observation you made of and again, great that they're out there doing this, but don't wait. Don't wait to live your life, don't wait to go on that trip Precisely Live life to its fullest. And you're doing that with these, living your life now as an author and again traveling Again. So grateful to have you with us. Thank you very much.

Speaker 1: 35:55

We probably could talk for hours and unfortunately our time is up here, but how do people? Where's the best place for people to find your books? What's the best place for people to get? Thank you very much.

Speaker 2: 36:06

My first novel is Deep in the Forest. The second is Due South, two words due spelled D-U-E, due south. And the new book of essays is this Little Opinion plus $1.50. We'll buy you a Coke, a collection of essays. You can get them all via Amazon.

Speaker 1: 36:27

Like if someone looks on Amazon and looks up Dr Douglas Young, or just Douglas Young, douglas Young, and then those titles right Amazon, barnes, noble Target, thrift Books, all kinds of discount websites. Wherever you find your books that sell books.

Speaker 2: 36:42

Absolutely Occasionally, I have book signings. I hope to have a book. In fact, I believe I will have a book signing somewhere in Bon Clarkin, nice, perhaps in Nautical Hall In Flat Rock, maybe in May or June, sometime this summer, right, and if you like, I'd be delighted to give you a heads up about that.

Speaker 1: 37:00

And we can get the word out for sure.

Speaker 2: 37:02

Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 37:02

Thank you so much for coming on the show this morning. On the show this morning, I'm just grateful to have the conversation. It's amazing the people in our community and I know Flat Rock and Bun Clark have been part of your entire life and your multi-generational family and connected Three generations. That's incredible. I want to also remind our listeners in wrapping up every Friday morning at 845, we do our Hometown Heroes series. Tomorrow morning is Janeane sheaves. Jane was nominated by the former sheriff, george irwin, for her service as a volunteer and jane has volunteered with tozy toes uh in the hit squad making homemade items for our troops. She volunteered with the henderson county sheriff's department vip squad.

Speaker 1: 37:46

Here too Tune in every Friday morning at 845. We are, if you want to call in I'm not sure how we can do this. Well, first off, let me finish up with a hometown hero Again. Every Friday morning at 845, our Hometown Hero Series. If you want to call in and nominate somebody, you can do that here on WHKP. We're so honored to have our Hometown Hero Series here and want to remind our listeners about that.

Speaker 1: 38:11

I have a copy of Douglas Young's book here at the station and if you want to call in, we're actually going to let. If someone's listening now, if people are listening now, we're going to leave this book here at the station and it's going to actually be a here at the station and, uh, we're going to. It's going to actually be a first come, first serve. If someone, the first person that wants to call in, we'll leave it here at the front desk with Tippy and, uh, you know, douglas is going to sign the book. He's so generous to leave a copy of the book here this morning. But thank you so much for for being here with us this morning.

Speaker 2: 38:43

Thank you very, very much, noah, for having me. I'm so honored and touched to be here and I just thank everybody in Hendersonville and Flat Rock, and especially Bun Clark, who make this such a wonderful community, and may God bless and keep you all Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 39:01

And again for our listeners, thanks so much for tuning in Every Thursday morning here on WHKBree. Whkbree bringing you positive news about our local community real estate market. Of course, if you're thinking about buying or selling, give us a call 828-393-0134. And again, we'll be here tomorrow morning. The real estate market's still moving and again, the average price is $5.33. But have a great day, have a great week and we'll see you tomorrow morning.

Speaker 3: 39:31

Hey guys, it's lucy miller, george, your favorite nine-year-old and I'm here to talk about the george real estate group. Are you ready to sell your home and move on to bigger and better things? Well, let me tell you my family knows a thing or two about selling houses. We have the experience of helping over 1,300 families and, let's be real, selling your home is a big deal, but with our expert guidance and our terrible dad jokes and Lucy jokes, we will make the process as easy and painless as possible. Want to hear a joke? Why did the real estate agent cross the road To get to the other listing? Okay, maybe our jokes aren't the best, but our selling skills are definitely are. Give us a call today 828-393-0134. Have a nice day.

Speaker 4: 40:28

Thank you for listening to the George Real Estate Group podcast. Tune in next time for more industry news updates and real estate tips. You can reach Greg, the George Real Estate Group, at 828-393-0134 or at realestatebygregcom.