My name is Bruce S. Poteat — the “S” stands for Stanley, my father’s name. When I was young, I didn’t think much of it, but as the years passed, I grew proud to carry it. People ask me all the time what that “S” means, and I never mind telling them. It’s a piece of my family, and a piece of me. I am a follower of Christ and spent many years teaching Sunday school, a calling that shaped both my life and my writing. I taught faithfully until around age seventy, when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Though that season of teaching came to an end, my desire to encourage, uplift, and share truth never did. Writing became the place where my voice could continue. Before my teaching years, I served as a fireman in Oklahoma — and I’ll admit, I thought I was something back then. I worked hard, learned fast, and eventually earned the rank of Captain. I was also elected President of the Firefighters Union, a role that taught me leadership, responsibility, and how to stand up for the men beside me. I retired at fifty‑five, carrying with me the courage and grit that still shape the stories I tell today.