Welcome to As Best As I Remember It — a collection of stories from my life, my family, and the place that formed me. I was born and raised in Stokes County, North Carolina, and no matter where I’ve lived or traveled, those red-clay roots have always run deep.
I write these stories because the older I get, the more I realize how much of life is carried in the moments we didn’t think were important at the time — the quiet mornings, the small kindnesses, the laughter around a table, the people who showed up, stepped in, or simply kept going.
Much of what I remember comes from growing up with my parents, Joe and Mary Scales; spending long days in the tobacco fields with my brother Reginald and my cousin Gene; following my big sister Sandra, who kept us in line and kept us moving; listening to stories from Dad and Uncle Obie as we worked; and being shaped by cousins, neighbors, and folks whose influence I didn’t fully understand until years later. My younger brothers Phil and Barry were too small to be out in those fields with us, but they have always been an important part of the family story.
And long before all that, my roots reach back to my grandparents — Elder Levi and Lillie Ann Scales — whose faith, strength, and example set the foundation for everything our family became.
Over the years, my path has taken me from North Carolina to Louisiana and back again, and eventually to places like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — through seasons of challenge, growth, and grace. What remained steady through it all was faith, family, and the people God placed in my path — carrying me farther than I could’ve ever walked alone.
Many of my stories appear in The Stokes News as part of my weekly column, As Best As I Remember It. This blog gathers them all in one place — for my family, for my hometown, and for anyone who enjoys a good story told honestly.
Here you’ll find tales about childhood adventures, life lessons learned the hard way, the characters and cousins who colored my world, small-town humor, faith and resilience, and the beauty of an ordinary life lived fully.
I don’t always get every detail perfect — memory has a way of rounding off the corners — but what I write is true in spirit. These stories are my way of honoring the people and places that have stayed with me, even when time and distance tried to carry me somewhere else.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for remembering with me.
As Best As I Remember It,
— Joel Keith Scales