131 - Keith Richards Last of the Col-Hi Wildcats 1982 podcast

Sponsored by:
Pops Daylight Donuts - https://bit.ly/3x6DvOx​

Further support of Last of the Col-Hi Wildcats 1982 provided by the generous donations made to this GoFundMe link https://gofund.me/da4c5848

Visit our Patreon page to find out how you can become a sustaining member of this podcast.  patreon.com/wildcats1982

****************************************************************************

As we approach our 40th year, I interview friends from my graduating class of 1982, The College High Wildcats. This class held the distinction of being the last graduating class of College High School before the name was changed to Bartlesville High School.  Sooner High School and College High were combined into one school called Bartlesville High School.

In this episode, I visit with Col-Hi Wildcat, Keith Richards about high school, his adventures in Thailand, his greatest accomplishment, and lessons learned.

You can contact Keith at hope4thailand@gmail.com

► Subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Listen to the Last of the Col-Hi Wildcats 1982 podcast on
Spotify  https://spoti.fi/3nyawkE
iTunes  https://apple.co/3jk6b1t
Castbox   https://bit.ly/3vwBJ92
Google Podcasts  https://bit.ly/3aZj509
Stitcher  https://bit.ly/3pm234V
Podcastaddict  https://bit.ly/2ZaTz5k
PlayerFM  https://bit.ly/3Gkv6vR
TuneIn   https://bit.ly/3vDroIM
iHeart Radio  https://bit.ly/3EaCXu0
Soundcloud  https://bit.ly/3EWEkwP

► Subscribe to my Youtube channel --- https://bit.ly/3iV8sOT

You can look for these videos every week, so please hit subscribe to stay in the loop for each new show!



Resources and Links
--------------------------------------------
My contact info:
LinkedIn https://bit.ly/2ZZ4qwe
Twitter  https://bit.ly/3enLDQa
Facebook   https://bit.ly/2Od4ItO
Instagram  https://bit.ly/2ClncWl

Transcribe your podcasts and videos with Otter
https://otter.ai/referrals/ICNJ76HU

Executive Producer:  Ben Townsend
Creative Consultant:  Matthew Blue Townsend

Shot with a 1080P Webcam with Microphone, WebCam USB Camera, Computer HD Streaming Webcam for PC Desktop & Laptop w/Mic, Wide Angle Lens & Large Sensor for Superior Low Light-wb-4 https://amzn.to/32gfgAu

Audio by
Samson Technologies Q2U USB/XLR Dynamic Microphone
https://amzn.to/3q3FbHR

Voice Actor:  Celeste Townsend
Logo by Angie Jordan  

Transcript

Narrator: 0:01

Welcome to the Last of the Col-Hi Wildcasts 1982. podcast, brought to you by Deetsoman Production you know, you go to college and you're on this all star team. So I would tell myself that, really don't listen to that voice inside your head that tells you you're not good enough. And probably the other thing I would tell myself is get more sleep.

Amy Wallen: 0:30

Not everyone's gonna like you, but try to make them watch and I'm working on that one.

Kent Hudson: 0:37

People say, Well, I'm not going to have kids yet, because it's not the right time or I'm not gonna get married yet. It's not the right time. Well, if you keep moving the goalposts in line, it's never gonna be the right time. So enjoy your life. Do what you love, figure out a way to make that work. Don't Don't do something because that's what you're supposed to do, because it's kind of something that makes you happy. They go to landers for lunch,

Mark Thompson: 1:07

sitting around Jeff Blair's Mustang II and listening to his tape of PINK FLOYD'S THE WALL.

Scott Townsend: 1:27

Hey this is Scott Townsend. Welcome back to the Last of the Col-Hi, Wildcats 1982 podcast. And today I have with me, the guy with the coolest name in the world. Keith Richards, Keith, how's it going?

Keith Richards: 1:40

Hey, I'm doing fine, Scott. Good to be here.

Scott Townsend: 1:43

It's good to have you. So Keith, you're you know, you work at JB Hunt. You're over there in Arkansas. You're the pastor of Faith Southern Baptist Church. Is that right?

Keith Richards: 1:54

Right. Yes, man.

Scott Townsend: 1:56

So yeah, it's good to catch up with you here and see what's been going on in your world.

Keith Richards: 2:02

Yeah, it's great to see you. Good. Good to catch up. I'm really enjoying listening to the podcast, I was just telling you that I haven't seen the YouTube video. So I need to go back so I could see what people look like, too. But, um, but I just think, Wow, this has been just to have this chance to listen to people's stories and, and what's been going on, I think is a tremendous way to catch up with people. So

Scott Townsend: 2:30

there's a lot of there's, there are some people who haven't changed at all. And I think you're gonna fall into that category. You look. I can't you don't look. How old are you? 57 ,

Keith Richards: 2:44

Just turned 58.

Scott Townsend: 2:45

Yeah, so that's what clean living does for you, huh?

Keith Richards: 2:52

Yeah, well, whatever.

Scott Townsend: 2:58

That's great. So what have you been up to the last 39 years? What's going on? What's going on in Keith Richards world?

Keith Richards: 3:05

Oh, my goodness. Well, I guess I can kind of try to give you the I think I'll call it the bird's eye view of yeah, 39 years right. So

Scott Townsend: 3:16

starting right after high school.

Unknown: 3:20

Well, as I remember, I was actually going to room with you at OSU was the original plan and then deviated from that. And I ended up when I visited with John Hensley at Oklahoma Baptist and just like I need to go here. So I went there. I had already felt like, maybe God was calling me to ministry so and I love music. So I started majoring in church music. When I got my degree in that became a minister of music and youth for the next 15 years, pay sick. And I met my wife. I think John mentioned this on his podcast that he had, he had gone or he had put an application in a church in Florida. And then then he did took a different one. So he sent them my name. So I ended up taking a trip down to Florida. This had been in 1987 and went down there and became the music Minister of music and youth there at a church in Northwest Florida. And that's where I met my wife. She was just fresh out of the youth group. And, and her name is Tracy So we quickly figured out, "We need to get married." And it was it was just one of those things. I just really felt very right about everything and oh you don't go out. We were we started seeing each other I guess in like, August, September of that year, we I'll be honest with the i, i before it got even a month in I was like, I just didn't want to do the whole dating thing I didn't want to, I just said, Look, I if you're thinking like I'm thinking, I'm thinking that we should be thinking about marriage and she was she was too and so we just started, you know, I pretty much was engaged within two months and then we were married by the next April when we fit for our wedding date. Okay. So yeah,

Scott Townsend: 5:38

When you know, you know.

Keith Richards: 5:40

yeah, Todd came down. John John Hensley came down and several Mike Peter. I think too many people don't know him, but he went to Col-Hi. And I didn't even know him till we got to, he went to Oklahoma Baptist and then we became like, best buds at Oklahoma Baptist together. And so So

Scott Townsend: 6:00

Who was this, Mike Peter?

Keith Richards: 6:01

Mike Peter, yeah. So

Scott Townsend: 6:03

I reached out to him the other day based on your recommendation, and he sent back information. Good. Yeah. Yeah, I love him. So yeah, just so yeah, we got married. And then really, we get well, we we were at several state and minister music and you that was always music and youth, small churches small churches is what that means. Yeah. And but I love the youth ministry. So I love I love to see the ministry and stuff. So I didn't want to just do music. So I just really worked for me as far as finding a way to, to work with people. So. So I did that for a long time. And then, we had, over the years, we had four kids there. And first was born in Alabama. Second, then we moved to Arkansas, got a church in Arkansas Conway, and were there for six years, Benton, Arkansas for another four years. We had three more kids during that time. Our child number 3, is Emily, when, she was one year of age, she was diagnosed with leukemia. And so that was a pretty traumatic event for us. So we basically she's pretty much in the hospital for six months and went through a bone marrow transplant. And At one years old. At age one, yeah, right. Right. On her first birthday, she got chemotherapy. So it's like this is not right, you know, but but I'll tell you why. She's she's she's alive and well, today. She's 25 or something like that now. And yeah, she was the first bone marrow transplant, not bone marrow, cord blood transplant at Children's Hospital in Wisconsin. So it was just a real journey for us. Got through that with her. How long did that take from from the time you found out to the time that she got. I mean, we found out like at the end of July, she got her first chemotherapy the next week, so they right away chemotherapy and they said that they were going to give her they were losing all, we found out later they were losing all the kids like her, every one of them. So because we went back and looked at statistics was like, Whoa, you know, that's bad, you know. So they started her they said they The doctor explained it, he said we're going to give her both barrels of the shotgun is the best way to say it. He said, we're going to give her basically chemotherapy for adults. And then we're going to she's on a brand new protocol they've never done with any move for then they were going to give her a bone marrow transplant as well. And then but then she she matched for cord blood, which they never tried before was a new thing. So she ended up being when she went to do the bone marrow transplant they ended up using cord blood. And it was a lot easier I think on her we we saw kids during the bone marrow transplant. This is It's as dangerous as anything, you know. And but the cord blood transplant was a lot milder I think on her at least her body received everything fine. And so and after that it was it was done. You know, she had radiation and stuff too. So she's you know, she's a little shorter than than most kids she didn't she had to go through all the growth hormones and stuff as well that affected that. But she's she's fine and alive and well. And, and so, and we she's in then. Okay, so following all that We were in Benton, my son number four, child number four was born Josh. And he, he was actually a twin, I should say, but his sister, we lost a sister in utero. So. So you know, that went through that, too. Then after that I was working at serving in Benton, this music and youth minister. And then over the years, I'd felt like kind of wondered, shall we say about being a missionary? And if that's something that I didn't want to call myself to the mission field, you know what I'm saying, so I was ready, then my gosh, God, you're gonna have to show me what you want, if that's what you want me to do. And anyway, he it just worked out, let's just make it short. Felt, like, that's what I need to do. And we're were Southern Baptists, which sends out a big one, it's a very large mission organization, so called them and they basically said, We need to get I was 38 at the time, okay. And they said, We need to get you on the field quickly. Like within the year, so they kind of put us on a fast track to get to the mission field, Why did they want you to go out so fast? Because our oldest son was getting was 12. And they don't like sending out missionaries, with kids in their teens, it becomes very difficult for teenagers to really transition, they're leaving behind a lot more than younger kids. So it's easier for younger kids to make that transition. And not, you know, have it have have problems later on. And so, so that, so it worked out fine, they got us to the field, and we were moving to Thailand is where were we we, we they gave us a bunch of different choices, how that works. And then we just, you know, this felt like that's, that would need to be it so, and everything really changed from there. But I must say that my wife and I really loved it. Yes. You know, that was, I mean, I just, I like to have in high school, I don't think I hardly knew people. And I was certainly wasn't a social butterfly, shall we say, but now I've, you know, over as I grew older, and became much more relational and, and just enjoy meeting people. And so this was just really good, you know, because a good situation for me and really enjoy that type of ministry, just walking through villages at times and talking to people you meet, they can meet new people every day. and everything as it was just a lot of a lot of fun, very tropical climate. Just to give you an idea, we left here about this time, and it was in November, actually late November in 2002. And I've never been outside the country before, flew in on a plane arrived in Bangkok, Thailand at midnight, and got off the plane on the tarmac, and it was 90 degrees. And humid. Very, very humid. So we were just like, well, you know, look at each other like me, you mean that blast of he just hits you you're thinking what in the world and we got ourselves into? You were over there for seven years,

Keith Richards: 13:53

Actually 15 or 15 years? Well, there's every every three to four years, you about every three years for us, we would come home for three years over then like six, three to six months home. And then you go back. Yeah, so yeah. And so that's kind of how they have a they have a system that they work with that. So.

Scott Townsend: 14:16

So what was your setup over there? Were you running a church or what? No. We were basically trying to start new churches in a sense, basically, because because it's a country where very, very few believers, very few Christians, okay, so you're walking through a village, and there are no Christians in the village. It's all Buddhist. And so you are, you know, is introducing completely new ideas to them it you know, it just takes time. And so you're just, you know, and we would start basically, a little Bible study is what we would do with people who were interested. And then and do that for a while and then And if and then if any of them said, yeah, they believe they want to follow Christ then we would basically start a little house church is how that works. So, and just yeah, just really enjoy is very, very low key very casual. And, you know, and I like that. So, you know, no no formality about it, you know? No, no rituals or stuff per se, you know, but it Sounds like it was a good fit.

Keith Richards: 15:27

Yeah, yeah. I enjoyed it. Yeah. Well, I think

Scott Townsend: 15:31

when I think of Thailand or Bangkok, I think of monkey temples and yeah, Indiana Jones and

Keith Richards: 15:40

well, I know what you're talking about, wasn't quiet like that.

Scott Townsend: 15:45

Idols and...

Keith Richards: 15:46

Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely. I mean, every home has got like little spirit house in front of it and stuff like that. Our mission teams, they come and they think those are birdhouses. And like, "I want to get one of those cute little birdhouses." And I'm like, that's not a bird house. That's where they put the little offerings to the, to the spirits, you know, and stuff. So really Spiritism This, this? Not so much a worship of spirits, but a fear of spirits is what predominates people's thinking. So

Scott Townsend: 16:19

was it the kids? And was it the soccer team from Thailand that got lost in the caves? Is that where, okay?

Keith Richards: 16:28

Yes. Yeah. As wha my, yeah.

Scott Townsend: 16:35

I saw a documentary on National Geographic about that. The other problem is that,

Keith Richards: 16:41

Yeah we were trying to follow that. yeah, yeah. I've been in caves. So and there's data or not like, well guided caves. So yeah, it's, it can be very dangerous.

Scott Townsend: 16:50

Did you ever feel like you might be in danger over there, threatened or?

Keith Richards: 16:58

No. No, I probably been in situations where I should we work with Buddhists for the first well, maybe the first eight years, and then we work with Muslims for in South Thailand for the last seven years after that. And so we got to work with it. But but the people overall are very hospitable. You know, nobody's out to get you. It's not like that. And people are, you know, they're open to listening to different ideas, you know, you're not. So there's a few every once in a while, you'll run into somebody that's offended. But you would do that here in the US too. So,

Scott Townsend: 17:36

right. So you came back to the US after 15 years?

Keith Richards: 17:41

Yeah, well, we came back for our regular stateside, we had, in our last term, we adopted twin boys, Asher and Benjamin. They were it was just an interesting situation. The our, we had a mission team that was there with us. And we were actually doing this hospital connection thing. And we had met a lady who was pregnant with twins. And just in really bad straits, our mission team helped him out, helped her out, she needed a fun place to stay. They got a lot of supplies for her got her set up and everything. And so they would asking us to follow up on her make sure that, you know, everything goes well. So my wife was spending a lot of time with her making sure that the twins were born and you know, everything went well and set up and all that. And she was estranged from her family which is why she was in such desperate straits, she had no family anywhere near her in North Thailand, I think that's were they were at west central Thailand, which is close to 15 hours away by car and where her mother was. and so had no one around to give her any help. And so we were just kind of stepping in and helping out where we could. And through the process getting a we my wife was in the hospital when the boys were born. But not rounding out right when they were born, but like, they were still in the hospital and they were, you know, small and then and then and then we would we would check it on every once in a while. We had to know we had the boys that our house because she had to have surgeries. We watched the boys for for a few days and different things like that had a good connection with the twins. And as as babies. And then right before their second birthday, she was killed in accident automobile accident. No. And they were the boys were gonna be sent into a home, you know, there's just no in the social. We were just like, Oh, that's not good. And we had a connection with him. We're like, you know, we would like to adopt, you know, and so it just all worked out. It is really all came together. It took some time, like three and a half years before it was actually complete. But they were in our home right from the beginning. They know that's good. Well, yeah, so They were in our home we just had, but we couldn't leave the country till the adoption was complete. So our last term was like a full five years. And when we came back, we're like, well, we got a whole year of stateside, saved up. So we were going to stay the whole year. And then during that time, that was in ninth 2017, we came back and stayed the whole year. And toward the end of the that year, some of our other children and other things were going on. And we're just like, we didn't feel good about leaving with a situation like it was. So we said, we need to stay. And it also the boys are still going through citizenship process. And that was dragging out. And so we decided we needed to stay. So we took a leave of absence from the International Mission Board. Which they allow you to do that for two years. And then, so we did that. But and then after. And but after then that's why I started working in JB Hunt, I tried to find other missions, a ministry position didn't materialize. And I didn't really know what I needed to be doing. As far as that goes, but once we're on a leave of absence, we had to find other income. And, and so I just applied for a job at JB Hunt and got on there. And then then this ministry opened up so I could as a pastor, at a small church here in Huntsville, and started doing that. And we love that that's actually working out quite well. And we feel like as far as we can tell the Lord wants us to stay put. And so we're here, and it's going well.

Scott Townsend: 21:42

That's great. That's Wow. Hey, there you go. What was life like for you growing up in Bartlesville? Are you from Bartlesville? Or

Keith Richards: 21:57

Yeah, yeah. Well, since I was like, in third or fourth grade, something like that. My mom's family was from Bartlesville. Yeah, well, for me, the my, my mom was raised, I had three brothers. And my mom raised us all because she and my dad divorced when I was about third or fourth grade. And then we moved back to Bartlesville. And so I guess, like a lot of the kids you've talked to, I went to First Baptist and connected there met Todd and John and Jason and a bunch of others as well and thinking of Diane Honts I was trying to think of people I gotta find my yearbooks go through but But yeah, just had a real it's a really enjoyed that. And

Scott Townsend: 22:57

Mike Wesson?

Keith Richards: 22:59

Yes. Oh, yeah. I didn't know if I didn't know who you would know, from sooner, because even sooner. Yeah, Mike Wesson, absolutely. Oh, he's kind of my best friend for most certainly, for my teen years. You know, Mike and I always hung out. And then, but also, Todd Todd, you know, was best man at Yeah, yeah, definitely. And so, so I had my wedding.

Scott Townsend: 23:19

Meyerdirk? some really good close friends. I'll tell you what, the later on looking back. It was their parents. You know, I grew up without a dad in the home. But their parents had a huge impact on me my life. Like, you know, if I was going to credit anybody, I'd say, Wow. I was thinking of who else? And I was thinking like, I think Lloyd Honts was Diane Honts' dad. He was like in my scout troop. Yeah. Which had a huge impact on Troop. Troop, Do you remember the number? me.

Keith Richards: 23:55

11. Troop 11. Yeah, yeah. And, and a lot of us were in that. So so that's, that was that was a big connection thing. But yeah, I look back and I was in their homes and stuff. And I'm like, you know, it's like, it's why God just gave me people to look up to to help me and guide me along the way. And so I feel very fortunate, very grateful, you know, for having that.

Scott Townsend: 24:24

Where did you guys live downtown?

Keith Richards: 24:26

Yeah, downtown. Yeah, not too. If you go down Shawnee Ave, just go keep on going straight till you get to the downtown area, but you know, it's not quite in downtown but right. It's off of Seneca, Seneca was our street. Okay, in that, you know, you have Cherokee and I think it's four blocks from Cherokee.

Scott Townsend: 24:46

Okay, all right.

Keith Richards: 24:48

Yeah. So but yeah, down in that area. So. My mom worked as a lab technician at the hospital, Jane Phillips. Yeah, but No, I had a good childhood. I enjoyed it. So

Scott Townsend: 25:03

do you still stay in touch with your friends from high school?

Keith Richards: 25:09

To some extent, I'm horrible. As much as I as much as I love my friends, I'm like, you know, I should do better. I don't do Facebook, my wife does the Facebook guardian or first person, right? So I just let her she'll tell me if anything important happens. And I just, I just have not done that. And so

Scott Townsend: 25:31

that's how we that's how I Found You was. I saw Keith Richards on Facebook, Keith Richards. Yeah, I reached out to you on Facebook. And then I got this message from your wife Tracy said, Hey, Keith's not on Facebook, but I'll pass along the information. Yeah, yeah. And then pretty soon, here it goes. And that was great. Yeah.

Keith Richards: 25:52

Yeah. Glad. Yeah. Yeah. So but yeah, that's, that's it. Yeah. No, I keep them I feel like I'm like, once a year, I'll touch base with Todd or Johnny or somebody you know, that's really horrible out. So overall, that the

Scott Townsend: 26:09

What are you gonna do to improve on that?

Keith Richards: 26:13

Yeah. I tell him I'm sorry. Every time we contact each other. I'm sorry. I haven't called you in so long.

Scott Townsend: 26:24

I mean, it does make. I know what you're saying. And it makes me want to change that. Personally. Yeah. I want to stay more in touch with high school friends and people that I mean, yeah, I've said this before. And I feel like I'm repeating myself each episode, but it makes me I'm kind of you think back over 39 years and I'm just now reconnecting. Yeah, everybody. And I'm thinking that we could have been friends or you know, we're friends. You and I were friends. Because we weren't friends then. But yeah. 39 years and not saying or doing anything? I feel kind of. I'm gonna try to, yeah, a Christmas card or something. Right. Right. So I, I'm trying to change that. So yeah. Don't be surprised. Don't be surprised if you get a Christmas card or something from me.

Keith Richards: 27:26

Sounds good.

Scott Townsend: 27:27

So who was? What teacher do you think had the most impact on you?

Keith Richards: 27:31

Yeah, I've thought about this. I've heard that question a couple times. So I mean, I think of a few. One that I know, I don't know who I know, people coming. I mentioned Mr. Simmons. And I wouldn't say personally, but was uh, yeah, I did learn a lot in there. And it certainly helped me later on in college, you know, writing the papers and stuff. That's what I really remember was that it did help me, you know, in writing papers, although I did not necessarily make good grades, you know, in it. So, you know, I remember getting like a D or something because I had a semicolon in the wrong place. That would have been a B, you know, now it's a C. But, and then, but another one I remember is, Mr. Love, taught history, history, government, really with the class that I had him for that I recall. And because I remember, he was going through a teaching about different types of governments. And he was teaching about communism. And I remember, he led us on, I don't know if you remember this, but he led us on for days, thinking that he were like, is he communists?

Scott Townsend: 28:42

I know. That's what I thought. Yeah, remember? Yeah. I was really confused there for a while.

Keith Richards: 28:47

Yeah. So confused. And then he comes in one day, and he goes, now today, I'm going to tell you why Communism will not work. And I was like, what? You know, we were all really worried. And everything. So it's just the wild, you know, but it's a great lesson, you know. So now, that was pretty cool. I remember that. And

Scott Townsend: 29:08

you're the first person I've talked to that remembers that. And I don't remember the incident. Exactly. But I do remember walking away thinking is he for this? Are we supposed to be okay with this?

Keith Richards: 29:22

Because I remember, you know, what's going on here. And then. Yeah, of course, I was always real involved with choir with some of the other ones there. So.

Scott Townsend: 29:36

Well, you want to take a break?

Keith Richards: 29:38

Sure.

Scott Townsend: 29:39

All right. Let's take a break. We'll be back with more from Keith Richards, right after this.

Narrator: 29:46

Thank you for listening to Last of the Col-Hi Wildcasts 1982 podcast and we'll be right back after this.

Scott Townsend: 29:56

Pops Daylight Donuts Man. they've got the best tasting doughnuts. That's sausage wraps pastries in ne Oklahoma. And also if you'll tell the staff there, Hey Scott Townsend said to give me a large spicy pig. They'll give you a free large spicy sausage wraps. But you have to tell him Scott Townsend Hsinchu. So tell them Hey, Scott Townsend told me to tell you to give me a large spicy pig. So there's the offer, there's the there's the call to action. So go to Pops Daylight Donuts, say hi to mark for me. And yeah, go to Pops Daylight Donuts and get you some. If you've enjoyed this podcast in 2021, you have my patrons to thank for that. A bunch of Wildcats got together and created a GoFundMe account to help in the production of this podcast. So with that in mind, I've started a Patreon page so that listeners can help support the Last of the Col-Hi Wildcasts 1982. podcast on a month to month basis. So please check out my Patreon page patreon.com forward slash Wildcats 1982 And now back to the show.

Keith Richards: 31:26

I mean, to me, it's just just my family. And, you know, as it's not. I mean, there's things that I love. Sure, I love I love though the ministry that God gave us and different things like that I love my wife and my kids. And to me, that's that's, you know, that's that's where success lies is you know, that's why I'm happy. Having, you know, peace or a good relationship with the Lord and then having a wife and kids and a loving relationship with them and keeping that going. And I'm good. So any

Scott Townsend: 32:03

regrets from high school? Or? When you look back on high school? Is there any so we already talked about that I'm doing horrible as far as keeping up with everybody. As I always say that is the biggest thing for me. It's like I think I was tended to isolate myself in high school to just a few friends that I Yeah. Yeah, it's like I had a few friends and it was close to them, but others didn't really hang out or talk to with much and, you know, kind of wish I'd done more. You know, I mean, we were friends. Yeah. Yeah. Great friends, but I mean, I know exactly. And I was friends with a lot of people like on a very kind of a casual relationship. You know, and I guess that's what this way it is. You know, you know, I remember there was one birthday party I think with, was it Mike Wesson? And you were there and Todd maybe? And it was, uh, you know, we spent the night at Mike's house. Yeah, Mike's house, or maybe? I don't know, I can't remember.

Keith Richards: 33:10

Anyway, it was it was Mike's did we play we play like board? Not board games, but man. Cuz I remember Mike's he would have I don't know, we would go there spend the night at his house and we'd be playing I don't remember the old like those army games. were you set up different troops.

Scott Townsend: 33:30

And oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, kind of simulation games. simulation games. Yeah, we used to try different things like that. And I never figured all that out.

Keith Richards: 33:41

No. I think none of us were really good at it. But it gave us some, our goal was to stay up all night, right? Something to do for the next 6 hours.

Scott Townsend: 33:55

So as you you know, you've probably heard this question too, as you look back on, see your 18 year old self walking across the graduation platform. Knowing what you know now what would you what would you tell your 18 year old self?

Keith Richards: 34:10

Yeah. I actually think of Scripture, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." My path was not a straight path. I mean, I went kind of all over the place you know, but just start to see I think another way to say that is trust in the Lord and follow the green lights he gives you you know, and just just just go in the direction He give you a go and and it'll be good so So yeah,

Scott Townsend: 34:47

That's good. Yeah. Well, any any you got all the Wildcats listening to you now's your chance to talk to them and what do you want to tell them?

Keith Richards: 34:59

Yeah, I don't I don't know. I haven't thought about that one. But, yeah, well, I miss everybody for one thing. I have not had a chance to do the reunions, you know as Such. I think I was always either out of state or even out of the country, but I've really enjoyed listening to these podcasts and catching up with with people. And yeah, just think I think a lot of everybody and so yeah, I'm gonna try to do that. So yeah, my wife was like, but before this, my wife was like, you don't need to go to reunion. If we go to a reunion, you'll be you won't know anybody. Like she'll be going, "Who's that?'" Like? I don't know, you know? So this is really good, because it's really helping me like yeah, I'm gonna know people now.

Scott Townsend: 35:58

Alright, so all you Wildcats watching or listening to this. Reach out to reach out and give him that what's your email address? Hope HOPE the number four. I actually still use Thailand. th a i l a n d. @gmail.com Yeah. So reach out to Keith say Hi. Just you know, no biggie. Just say hi. Help Keith get back into the swing of things here. And you have to promise that you'll respond back to them. So yeah,

Keith Richards: 36:34

I'm better with emails. Yeah. Yeah. I will respond to an email. I'm pretty sure. So

Scott Townsend: 36:41

and, yeah, and if, if they want your address for a Christmas card or something, they can get in touch with you and

Keith Richards: 36:48

you can do that. Yeah. Sounds good. Oh,

Scott Townsend: 36:51

okay. Well, Keith, really appreciate it. It's great catching up. And let's not let it be so long till we talk again.

Keith Richards: 37:00

Yeah, we can do this every year.

Scott Townsend: 37:04

Which is a lot better than what we've been doing.

Keith Richards: 37:07

All right. Thanks, Scott. Really enjoyed it. Really good to see you, sir.

Scott Townsend: 37:12

So for Keith Richards This is Scott Townsend. Thanks for watching, listening to Last of the Col-Hi Wildcasts 1982 podcast. Have a great day and we'll talk to you.

Narrator: 37:50

The Last of the Col-Hi Wildcasts 1982 podcast is a Deetsoman Production. Visit the Last of the Col-Hi Wildcasts 1982 podcast to YouTube channel. Listen on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.