Am I Cool yet?

By Jim Cathcart

I dug through all my old photo albums today for snapshots a colleague could use for the upcoming National Speakers Association convention, themed "NSA Rocks!" 

It was an exercise good for the heart and the funny bone. Man, it's been a fun journey. 

I hope you enjoy these blasts from my past and remember some similar ones from your past. 

The top photos are me and Paula at the Ozark Folk Festival in Mountain View, Arkansas in 1970. The two below it are from 1968 showing me and my friend Bob Teague as "The Harper Brothers." We performed three nights a week at local bars and clubs around Little Rock. 

The next photo is Jim Jr. at about 2 years old with Paula. Obviously being programmed by us to play the guitar. 

Then I found this photo of Jim Jr.'s son Jason looking at his future. Guitars seem to run in the family because we make sure to pass along the passion as well as the skills. 

Next we fast forward to 1989 when I was the president of the National Speakers Association. At our Dallas annual convention I rode into the foundation fundraiser party on a motorcycle, dressed in an Elvis outfit! Then I got on stage and sang "Happy Birthday Sweet 16" to NSA. 

Who says business has to be boring? 

I've had a lifelong love of motorcycles. My first big bike was this BMW R69US that I bought new in 1968. Today it would be a collector's dream. Then in 1995 I had a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 and my sister photographed me in front of the Hard Rock Cafe near my La Jolla office. 

Life is sweet and I've been amazingly fortunate. Thank God for all my blessings. And thank you for indulging my ego. Am I cool yet? (Or does asking that question eliminate the possibility of being cool?)