SENIOR OF THE MONTH KEVIN FARLEY SHARES HIS STORY

Long ago and not terribly far from Wake Forest, lived an imaginative young boy with a creative and

inquisitive nature. He was born deep in the coal mining region of the Appalachian Mountains of West

Virginia. He grew up in a time of great turmoil and stress in America. The Cold War they called it. Serious

concern over our collective futures is what it was. Yet in the midst of all the chaos that was the second

half of the 1960s, all of the 1970s, and into the 1980s, this boy grew into a young man that followed his

heart as well as his mind, fully engaging both to become the man he is today.

That young boy was me. I’m Kevin Farley and I approve this message.

I grew up in a coal camp - as it was called - where the coal mining company owned the houses, the store,

the gas station, and the land. I didn’t know at that time that was a thing people looked down on. We

knew we were hillbillies and we were proud of it. There is no shame in working hard and being honest,

decent folk. And that described most people around me where I grew up.

Still, I wasn’t exactly like the kids I grew up with. Like most of my peers, we all hunted and fished and got

into mischief, as boys do. However, I really liked math, science, and technology. I always asked the

“why” and “how” questions about practically everything. It used to drive my parents crazy, but they

obliged with the answers as best they could and they always encouraged me to keep asking questions.

And it was that inquisitive nature that helped power the inspiration I found in the beauty of nature and

the magic of everyday life.

Growing up where tradition mixed with folklore freely, I developed a love of stories and storytelling. By

the time I was in high school, home computers arrived on the scene. Most people couldn’t afford them

at that time but my parents went the extra mile to get me a computer when I started college. Four years

later, I was one of the first in our extended family to get a four-year college degree. I remain the only

one in our family over the years to have received a computer science degree.

All of that just leads to what I do and who I am. So who am I? Well, I wear many hats. I am a father to

five daughters and a son in a blended family. I am a “grumpa” to three (and soon to be four)

grandchildren. I am most importantly a child of God.

But, what do I do? Well as a day job to pay the bills, I am an embedded software engineer. To break that

down for you, I write computer programs for the things of modern life like cell phones, computer

network equipment, utility meters, healthcare devices, and other things that would just bore you. Like I

said, that pays the bills.

When I’m not working, parenting, or “grumpa-ing”, I am an aspiring science fiction and fantasy novelist.

I have used the in-between times of life to craft stories, myths, and legends to entertain others and

ignite their own imaginations. Check me out on Amazon where I have ten novels self-published.

When I have any other time available, I volunteer for The Senior Network, serving on their board of

directors. I also volunteer at a vet clinic where I do IT work and at times, the removal of dead squirrels

(true story).

All that sums me up, but like everyone on the planet, it only scratches the surface. There is so much

more to each of us than we can put into words on a page. The only true way to get to know someone is

to talk with them, spend time with them, and genuinely show an interest in what they have to say. You

never know, you might be the friend someone needs or find the friend you need.