🔥Key Takeaways 🔥
Even when the plan falls apart, showing up still counts.
A meaningful life doesn’t happen by accident—it requires reflection.
Small, consistent actions matter more than big, short-lived changes.

A Funeral, Rabies Shots, and Jack in the Box Can’t Stop Date Night
This past weekend, our church had a couples night out.
My wife and I were looking forward to it all week.
Babysitter lined up. Plans set. Easy win.
Then life did what life does.
An older man I really admired passed away.
The funeral was scheduled for Saturday.
Then Friday night, my wife went out to the garden, saw a black cat in the dark, and tried to pet it—thinking it was ours.
It wasn’t.
The cat made that very clear.
So Saturday looked like this:
A funeral.
Three hours in the ER for rabies shots.
A quick stop at Jack in the Box.
And then—we still went.
Late. A little worn down. Definitely not how we pictured it.
But we showed up.
Because most of life isn’t about perfect plans.
It’s about deciding what still matters when the plan falls apart.
Sometimes connection looks like dinner reservations and a full night out.
Sometimes it looks like fast food and showing up anyway.
A good marriage isn’t built on perfect nights. It’s built on not letting imperfect ones stop you.

The unexamined life is not worth living.
Smart starts here.
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The 2% Way by Myron Rolle

I read this on vacation last year.
I’ve always thought it was pretty incredible that Myron Rolle was both a Rhodes Scholar and an NFL player—but what stood out here was how simple and grounded his message is.
You don’t need a complete overhaul.
Just 2% better—consistently—adds up.
Not dramatic. Just intentional.
Until next time—
🔥Keep the fires burning,
— Clay
P.S. I’d rather grow Campfire Gentleman through real connections than algorithms.
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