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Seeing the Potential
Mistie Desper
Randy Easterling and son, Bailey, have a
knack for seeing the “diamond in the rough”
when looking for their next project. Randy has
a long history of loving all things cars, motors,
and generally things to “tinker on.”
From around the age of eight, Randy
learned to see the value in things and the value
of working hard by helping at his neighbor’s
small repair shop. Randy said, “I started
tinkering at a young age because we didn’t have
much so I had to learn to fix things up that
other people didn’t want or threw out because
they didn’t know how to fix it. Many times,
these items would just need a good cleaning
and then I’d sell them for a little money here
and there.”
From there, Randy’s work ethic continued
to grow as did his love of cars. He recalled
sharing a love of racing with his son. He said,
“The dirt track was a huge part of our love for
cars and all things that go fast. I had Bailey at
the track when he was between 1-2 years old.”
It didn’t take long for Randy to earn the
reputation as the “car guy” and the neighbor
who could fix just about anything. As Bailey
grew older, he would always help his dad in the
shop and quickly developed the same passion.
Randy recalled, “We would work together and
he would start to ask questions. Over the years,
I taught him how to fix things up for himself.
We have the same eye for things now and can
see the potential. We enjoy and like to see the
finished product.” He added that there is so
much more value in working and creating
something by hand that you can’t feel just by
purchasing something sometimes.
Taking something that is seemingly
unwanted and seeing the beauty in it is a gift.
This gift requires much time and patience.
The time the Easterlings have spent together
over the years on their projects have bonded
them in a unique way over shoptalk and
spending countless hours working together.
They enjoy looking for their next project and
planning what they can do with it. Randy
joked, “We are always looking and bringing
things home.” Randy recalled that his wife
sometimes just laughs and pokes fun at them
because they are always into something.
A father and son share a special bond.
Randy said, “Being able to spend so much
time with Bailey over the years has been a
great blessing and bonding experience.”
Creating beautifully restored items, fixing
up cars or boats to flip, or enjoying races are
small in comparison to the valuable life lessons
and time spent with one another.
Randy added, “Time is a valuable commodity.
I hope Bailey takes these skills and uses them
to his advantage to bless himself, his family,
and to pass down to his children.”
Work ethic is very important to both
Easterlings. They pride themselves on being
very detail oriented and willing to learn new
things and get up and “hit the grind” every
single day. Randy said, “There is no shortcut
in life. You must plan your work and work
your plan. I hope I have taught Bailey to set
daily goals, whatever they may be, that he can
take to college and beyond.”
Randy has shown Bailey this work ethic
through his own actions over the years. He
has been able to not only hear it but witness
it firsthand shaping his young life. Bailey, a
2021 graduate of Brandon High School who
also has a side business along with the projects
with dad, has a bright future ahead of him.
Bailey said, “I have learned to see the
potential in every given situation. A lot of
times, if you can look past the first impression,
a little elbow grease goes a long way! My dad
learned from a young age that hard work and
determination will take you as far as you want
to go. The sky’s the limit!”
Hometown RANKIN • 43