#13: 'Mere Mortals Have Done Some Amazing Things' (Part 1 of 2)

A bright yellow car with black racing stripes arrived in Jim's yard on a chain. It didn't run, its engine had once caught fire, and its rusted hood revealed its well-worn condition. Then Jim's father offered him a simple challenge: "If you can get it running, it's yours."

In this episode, I talk with Jim from Missouri about the lessons hidden inside of broken cars, the value of hard work, how to face uncertain crossroads in life, incredible family stories, and the importance of being willing to learn by doing. Jim grew up watching his father—a Great Depression survivor, World War II veteran, mechanic, carpenter, teacher, and tireless problem-solver—bring worn-out machines back to life with patience, ingenuity, and whatever parts he could find.

Along the way, Jim reveals what these memories have to teach us about personal growth and becoming the people we were meant to be. Broken engines can be studied and repaired. Difficult skills can be learned and mastered. Places can be left better than we found them. Even parts of ourselves that feel stuck or unfinished can grow and mature with a little persistence, humility, and mentorship. That's true even when a few wrenches are thrown our way.

Jim also recalls the time he faced a literal crossroads and had to choose between returning to a motorcycle shop he loved or turning toward college and an uncertain future. His decision led him into journalism, where his curiosity has allowed him to step inside the worlds of many different people, including tobacco farmers, blacksmiths, and other rural Missourians.

Books also factored heavily in Jim's upbringing, and they continue to shape how he sees the world. Jim relays his remarkable family reading tradition: books at the dinner table, books beside the kitchen sink, and enough concentration to read and carry on a conversation at the same time.

This is the first half of a two-part conversation about self-reliance, curiosity, work, risk, storytelling, and the lasting wisdom we inherit from the generations who came before us.

Sincere thanks to Lee Williams for his fantastic production of this and every episode of Perennial Pen.

In this episode, we explore:

• The broken 1969 Opel Rallye that became Jim's first car and an education in perseverance
• Lessons Jim inherited from his father's Great Depression childhood and World War II service
• Why believing that something can be understood is often the first step toward repairing it
• The importance of leaving a place better than when you found it
• How scarcity can inspire creativity, resourcefulness, and self-reliance
• Jim's work building and test-riding motorcycles as an 18-year-old
• The crossroads where Jim chose college over the comfort of a familiar job
• Why Jim believes taking the riskier path can open the door to growth
• The lasting physical and mental value of hard work
• How hands-on journalism allowed Jim to enter the worlds of farmers, craftspeople, and rural communities
• The influence of Jim's mother, family gatherings, Irish roots, and a home filled with books
• How Jim's family learned to read during meals—and still carry on a conversation

Reflection Question

What's one uncertain yet meaningful step you could take this week that might help you grow beyond your comfort zone?

More About Jim

Jim McCarty is Editor Emeritus and Special Projects Manager for Rural Missouri, where he has spent his career sharing the people, traditions, history, and everyday life of rural communities.

Meet the Rural Missouri staff:
https://ruralmissouri.org/staff/

Learn more about Jim McCarty in this Missouri School of Journalism Q-and-A article:
https://journalism.missouri.edu/alum/jim-mccarty/

Explore the history of Rural Missouri:
https://ruralmissouri.org/history/

Call to Action

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on the Perennial Pen podcast, email Nate at nate@silvermaplestrategies.com.

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