The New Exponent

By Elizabeth Bowers
Staff Writer

We laughed. We cried. We gasped in awe, jumped back in shock, squealed in excitement…but mostly, we just laughed. On Thursday, September 10, Tennessee Wesleyan College was blessed to have motivational storyteller Thomas Dismukes speak to the willing individuals—or those individuals who simply wanted to get another one of those convocations out of the way. After his performance, few people, if any,  regretted having come to witness “The Million Dollar Quarter”.

Thomas Dismukes is not only a motivational storyteller—and an incredible one at that—but he is also an adventurer that has done anything from “sleeping in a dumpster in England” to “exploring the Arctic Circle”. Sadly, Mr. Dismukes did not elaborate on either of these stories during his storytelling session, but he did manage to capture the audience’s attention through many other stories; stories that sparked interest and raised at least some emotions in every person sitting in Townsend Auditorium - whether it touched them, made them laugh, or forced them to take a good look at themselves and the life they are leading. He also succeeded in amazing them by balancing two full sized ladders on his chin. Not only that, but one of his stories told of how he holds the world record for balancing glasses on his chin—ninety-five glasses, fifteen feet high, nearly seventy pounds.

Although his balancing skills were phenomenal, Mr. Dismukes’ God-given talent is public speaking and storytelling. He told stories about his grandparents – like how his grandfather would always recite strange poems and somehow manage to connect them to life. In a way, this is exactly what Mr. Dismukes was doing during his performance. He told stories about his adventures, regaling us with the excitement and adrenaline of discovering a lost tomb and riding a bucking bronco. Each of his stories was unique and intriguing, and every single one of them tied back into life one way or another.

One of his most entertaining segments was his colorful retelling of his rodeo adventures, where he rode a horse for the first time in his life. His animated recollection and reenactment of his wild ride had the audience in tears of laughter. Apparently he had forgotten to tighten the girth strap, and that’s when everything went down—upside down on the horse’s belly, that is! Sadly, Mr. Dismukes did not tell whether or not he had won the rodeo. My curiosity got the better of me, and I took the liberty of e-mailing him and asking what had become of his endeavors. He responded that he did not win the rodeo but he did get “extra misery points”.

Personally, I find Thomas Dismukes an incredible storyteller and daring adventurer, but even more importantly, an upstanding person who can really make a difference in the world. If you didn’t get to see his show, or you did but would like to see some videos of him and learn more about him, I urge you to go to his website and check him out.