Character Spotlight: Reed Carmichael

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been highlighting the Behind the Pages insights into my new book, Undeveloped Memories, including the Alaskan setting and protagonist. My previous post introduced Lorelei Carmichael, providing a glimpse into her life up to the point when she discovers a roll of undeveloped film hidden away by her uncle. This final spotlight features her secretive uncle, Reed Carmichael.

The prologue of the story gives a window into the dramatic change in Reed’s life when his brother and his sister-in-law die in an accident, leaving behind their children with them bequeathed to him. Being in his mid-thirties without a family of his own, it calls for quite an adjustment. As the story unfolds, readers along with Lorelei learn even more was involved than forcing a bachelor to adopt a domesticated lifestyle.

Reed embodies his role in a way any parent would want for their children if tragedy befell them. Even fifty years later, Lorelei has a special bond with him and grows more grateful as time passes for the life he gave them, as indicated in last week’s post. He holds nothing back from her and her brother, Harley…except for that trip he took to Alaska shortly before they arrived in his life.

When it came to Reed, I didn’t emulate him after anyone in particular from my life. I have a couple of fantastic uncles, but thankfully, they were never in the position Reed was with Lorelei and Harley. All the same, I flavored a little bit of his personality with my dad’s. Reed’s relationship with his friend, Gabe, has some shades of my dad’s dynamic with our longtime friend, John, right down to John’s nickname for him along with their frequent conversations about certain bodily functions! Given the book is by far my most serious work, I enjoyed adding that comical banter to inject some levity into the pages. (See Taking a Stand without Standing at All)

To give you a closer look into Reed’s traits, here’s a fictitious article he wrote when he retired from Mountainscape News, which is not part of the novel.

Prioritize Your Purpose

Some may be surprised or actually look down on me for staying with this small outlet for my whole career and never seeking out deeper waters. Throughout my tenure, there have been countless young journalists who’ve entered and departed our doors before we could have a name placard made for their desks. Granted, it took Gabe two years to get mine done, but you get the picture.

I’ll admit that I didn’t expect to spend half a century here when I accepted this job. I explored wider pastures at one time, believing another purpose awaited me. During that experience, I learned that goals and purposes don’t always go hand-in-hand like we often assume they do. You can work at goals for a purpose you conceive, but the ultimate purposes have a way of finding you, whether you’re ready or not. Mountainscape has grown into such a purpose, along with having the honor of raising my niece and nephew in Sedona.

This lesson shapes my outlook on retirement, too. Many are asking how I endeavor to spend my freedom, but I don’t have a major agenda. My niece has traveled enough for me and you combined, and the collection of coffee mugs she’s gifted me makes me feel like I’ve seen a good portion of the world already. I wouldn’t mind revisiting a beautiful part of the country I went to long ago, but that itinerary entails more than a simple plane ticket.

Regardless, I’m sure my new purpose will find me somehow, just like the film I used to develop would gradually illuminate the full picture it contained.

Also See

Character Spotlight: Lorelei Carmichael

Setting Spotlight: Alaska