Don't Miss the Miracles

 A fascinating memoir of the life of Chuck Johnston, an educator, philosopher, adventurer, believer, and explorer of faith and understanding. Launched from the framework of solid, unforgettable family relationships, the book includes events and thoughts from daily journals, and recounts experiences, personal issues and growth, development of beliefs and spiritual awareness, and love of the arts, literature and the outdoors. The author also reflects on a career that moved from teaching and coaching to leading and creating schools and significant academic institutions in the Southeast.

Johnston weaves a candid tale of a life with faith, family and friends at its forefront, an eight-decade run trained by joy and heartbreak, driven by kindness and empathy, all met with cheer, humor and humility. His is an admirable story, filled with enthusiasm, one that has had a lasting sway on others, including countless students, teachers and acquaintances.

Born in 1940, Johnston grew up in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood, attending Atlanta Public Schools that were segregated at the time. The path he took in life led him to advanced degrees from Vanderbilt and Emory universities and a career devoted to education. The trail also honed his staunch beliefs in fairness and racial equity, and he has been a leader in schools and projects to increase opportunities for those in minorities or the underserved.

Growing up, he and his three brothers were inspired to excel in athletic competition.  For Chuck, running was at his core, a lifelong sport that carried him through college and on to the New York and Big Sur marathons. But he, too, has loved adventures. He skied the slopes of the French Alps, slogged pack-burdened through the blackfly-infested bogs of the Appalachian Trail more than once, and took a life-threatening slip over the falls while plumbing the depths of Linville Gorge. He only tried that one time.

For decades, Chuck has risen early each morning to pray and reflect on the previous day. The last paragraph or two of each entry has always lived under the same heading-Don't Miss the Miracles. Rather than a listing of his personal exploits or heroics, Chuck's "miracles" have almost always manifested in the form of friendship, with family first, but also with anyone else who ventured into his path. The events and interactions he recorded were at times painful, other times hilarious, and most often just ordinary. But he has always held to this truth-it was all sacred.

This memoir chronicles the years and the miracles he witnessed along the way. A rich trove of clear-eyed memories enabled the writer to compile this crisp, vibrant account of a remarkable life.