Prodigal Son

The eyes are the window to the soul. - English proverbYou can see it in his eyes. Even when he smiles, there is a certain sadness there, a minute trace of scar tissue from some long ago life-altering event.This much is clear. Scott Goodwin has seen pain in his life.Sitting with legs crossed in an office swivel chair, Scott speaks in a low, soft tone about his family, early childhood, his business, and God. Occasionally the four are intertwined. His close-cropped white hair and neatly trimmed goatee stand out in stark visual contrast to his blue collared shirt and jeans.Born February 7th, 1961 in Fort Gordon, Georgia, Scott Goodwin is the oldest of three children, with a younger brother, Jeff, and a sister, Carol. His father was an Army platoon sergeant, which meant there wasn't much time to make friends because the family was never in one place too long. "I was raised for the first few years an an Army brat," he says. "I can't ever remember going to the same elementary school a whole year. Ended up going to Curry High School for three years and then graduated in 1979."One thing about growing up that stands out in his mind with brilliant Technicolor clarity is the poverty. "I remember from a young age that we moved a lot, struggled a lot, lived in poverty most of my youth," Scott says. "That's what drives me. Growing up and seeing how my mom and dad lived, paycheck to paycheck, never prepared for the future or thinking of tomorrow. We had the necessities but we never had a lot. We didn't have the best clothes. Most of the time my parents didn't own their own house, they rented. The furniture was always second and third hand. Food was basic. You'd eat the same things every day, and you'd get meat once or twice a week. We're so spoiled right now, it's ridiculous."After high school, Scott found a job at Evenflo in Jasper and worked his way up to production manager. Eighteen years later, the company closed down and he went to work for Cochrane Roofing in Birmingham. "I started there as a service helper, because I was burned out in management after awhile," he says.Over time, Scott was made a project manager over various job sites. "That's how I got into gutter distributorship and manufacturing, because I saw a niche. Nobody catered to the speciality items, such as half round gutter, copper, the aspect of it. Every time we ordered something, we had to get it from an outside company."In 2001, Scott recognized an opportunity to create his own business, and Goodwin Metals was born. "We've grown from one person, which was me, to three employees now. We sell a little over a million dollars a year in gross sales," he says casually in a low voice.In 1994, Scott read two books by Dave Ramsey that he says completely changed his life with regard to money. "I read Total Money Makeover, and Financial Peace," he says. "That really reprogrammed my brain how finances should work. I've implemented everything he taught in those books in our company. I run our company just the same way."While Dave Ramsey's financial savvy has made a huge difference, there is no question of who Scott ultimately credits with the success of his business. "God's been good to us," he says softly. "I've learned over the years as my faith has grown stronger and I've grown closer to God that if we do our part, He will do His. That's all He asks us, to do our part. So many people think He's looking for perfection in people and He's really not. He's just wanting us to be persistent in that walk."Both parents are now gone, but the death of his mother in 1996 hit Scott especially hard. Even today, it's not easy for him to talk about. "That was, for me, one of the most...earth-shattering moments in my life," he says. " I was thirty-five years old when she passed. She had kidney disease and then ended up going into cardiac arrest."His voice betraying a faint hint of regret, Scott recalls something that happened just before his mom passed away. "You always think your parents are going to be there," he says. "I remember the night before, I was fixing to go to bed, it was ten o'clock. I called my mom every night. That's one thing I did, I always called my parents, especially my mom. And I remember it was so late and I said, 'oh I'll just call her in the morning.' And then of course, the morning never came. And I think about that all the time."Scott had a special relationship with his mom, often relying on her as his confidant. "You know, you always have that one person in your life that you can go and talk to and you can tell anything to," he says. "Didn't judge, didn't condemn, but would give you sound advice. That was the one I always went to, because I could talk to her about anything, anytime, anywhere, it didn't matter. She would sit and listen without judging, and she would give you her advice."That missed opportunity to speak with his mother one last time forever cemented in Scott's mind the gossamer frailty and brevity of life."When my dad got sick, I got to spend a lot of time with him later on," Scott says. "When they sent him home on hospice, I got to be with him a lot and help take care of him, especially the last month or so that he was alive."Scott admits that his life once veered off course when he was younger, and he wasn't always the man he is today. "I gave my life to Christ at twelve, and then pretty much walked away for many, many years," he says. "I became a people pleaser, just wanted to please everybody. I remember, in my early-to mid- twenties I thought, you know, I'm just going to please myself now, I'm not going to please anybody else. So you can imagine what kind of train wreck I became personally."But with age comes wisdom and as he grew older, Scott's eyes began to open to reality. "When I was about thirty, I started realizing I was self-centered and hollow, and I started going back to church and rededicated my life to Christ," he says. "Ever since then, I've been on this journey, walking with Him and getting closer. You've heard people say that once they rededicated, everything just changed. Well, mine wasn't that way. For me, sanctification came in steps. It's been amazing to look back over the last twenty-something years and see how far God has brought me."When Scott isn't busy with work, he has another job that he dearly loves. "I have a nine year-old granddaughter named Carley," he says proudly. "I remember when they announced the baby was going to be a girl, I was like, 'what am I gonna do with that?' I had no idea. But now, man....I have a very special relationship with her. I do whatever she wants, when she wants to do it. I enjoy the time I get to spend with her."What does Carley call him? "She calls me 'Gramps"," Scott grins.And just like that, the pain in his eyes is gone. 78To read more stories like this, please connect with our 78 Magazine Facebook page.