I have a son that I would categorically say is the worst finder known to man. His inability to locate items was most notable during his high school years. What started as a “buddy can you bring me…” evolved into “I will get it myself!”, with explicit instructions in between that I dare say any stranger off the street could have found in two seconds flat. But my guy? No way, no how. At first, I thought it was a ploy to keep from having to help out. But I realized over time, that he simply did not want to visualize my directions, or the missing item as his head was filled with his own ideas, something that now serves him quite well.

Challenges and trauma impact people in different ways. For Haywood County native J.J. Singleton, who has battled cancer for about nine years now, it presented an opportunity for personal growth, growth he feels would have never otherwise been possible.