BY DAVID ANDERSON
I never possessed the patience, but for only a rare few that called themselves educator’s in my lifetime. In 1999, an accident caused a voice from the wilderness in Professor Savage to snap me into attention. At the time, I was a low-paid corporate drone in salaried management with no clear direction or goals, except that I had to pay rent and support my young family. I hung on every word of Michael Savage and didn’t even bother to stop myself and ask why. I was listening to this man on AM radio riffing through highly intelligent verbal arpeggios like the jazz greats my father, a dixieland musician tried my entire youth to emulate.
I had no political understanding except that which was my fledgling moral compass to guide me. I changed my six day 12hr/day schedule so that I wouldn’t miss a single episode. I knew I was receiving instruction with each show, and finally a teacher who knew how to communicate the way I was raised – ‘where the women were straight and the chrome was thick!’. I found out very quickly who I could trust in revealing what I was learning from this professor, and more importantly who I could trust sharing Dr. Savage with.
In a socialist state where your politics number you in the buffet line, I was an outpost being resupplied with Star Trek level ammunition. With this new education I was also learning how to navigate the environment, almost like being the only one with night vision in a pitch black cave full of warring primitives. Whenever the rare privilege of meeting another Savage listener (student) greeted me, it was a warm blanket in a 50 degree chill for both parties – EVERY TIME.
My kids were toddlers and received dad’s joy from listening to Uncle Mike during traffic. Dad might have been the only dad happy to be stuck in bumper to bumper and that was good enough for them. They couldn’t decipher the code spoken, but they knew as I did that the voice on the radio meant them no harm. They laughed with dad laughing with the man on the radio because dad knows what funny is.
As they’ve grown up into their own, they hear dad listening to Uncle Mike and always smile, but now they are receiving the greater signal. Their mother has always been such a good, patient and loving mother (and wife) with zero political bones in her body. She approved of Uncle Mike from the beginning and NEVER ONCE said, “Change the station”.
The greater signal is THE moral compass. God has handed down His prophets throughout the generations. In revealing His Plan to those who believe, but more importantly those who surrender, God uses these for such a time as He calls them.
I was called and didn’t listen – I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t finished rotting in my flesh. Hell is being separated from The Father – our Creator. People actually choose that option as their eternity and we need to pray for them. I was called again when (He knew) I was ready and could only cry out on my knees a full grown man begging for God’s forgiveness – Lord I am so sorry for being so damned selfish, for not listening, for not obeying. Please forgive me O God, and He has.
When 9/11 hit my state, Hawaii went into lockdown. That Tuesday morning I was awoken at 3am by an employee who called me screaming, “TURN ON YOUR TV!!”. He was running out of LAX yelling at me that he wasn’t returning to work the next day and all I could hear were the screams of what sounded like a large group of civilians in total chaos, then the line went dead. I thought I may have been dreaming but something made me fumble for the remote and on the box I went to witnessing the 2nd plane hit WTC live. Pure shock and disbelief for a good 20 minutes and then it hit home.
I didn’t know God on 9/11, but I knew (what was revealed later) was that one of His prophets would be broadcasting. I tuned into that episode on that Tuesday and cannot for the life of me remember what Uncle Mike said, except that I felt better hearing a voice of reason amongst the cacophony of hyenas who would rattle TV speakers for days to come. I remember being relieved during that show that I wasn’t alone in my thoughts and emotions. Somehow there was a rock like calm from the Savage Nation that day. It was only the few listeners I knew personally at the time that I called and spoke to. Together we could patch together a little sense out of a completely senseless tragedy because our professor had laid some ground work for us. I got home late that day on 9/11 and my great dane, my first real dog Bubba, was lying dead of old age on our doorstep. She lived a good long life for a great dane and gave us seven beautiful puppies. I’ll never forget that day.
HELLLLOOOO INFIDELLLLS!!!! In 2006 my father had just passed away and I had left that thankless corporate indenture of 15 years to run a small mom and pop business, partnering up for spin off related service businesses. It was a big risk with no backup plan, or parachute of any kind. No risk no reward..
One day Uncle Mike came on the air and I had never heard him rattled the way he was. Like all relatives you love (whether you ever see them or not) your heart goes out to them when their sunshine gets blotted out. He was agitated and not screaming the way we enjoyed. It was pain and it was real. I WAS PISSED!
I had never before in my life pledged any chunk of money for any cause that I couldn’t see, or personally touch. I barely started making any real money at this point in my life, but something inside me told me to do it and I listened.
It felt so good to be part of a solution that made absolute sense. A foreign invader was about to get their teeth kicked in and I wanted on the kicking team! It was an exciting time to be part of the Savage Nation because WE were at war with the enemy within. This enemy had a name and it rhymes with pear.
The fury subsided and the subject got changed. Life goes on. I think I missed the lawsuit victory show announcement as I had become consumed with life and business. I had completely forgotten about it until I received an email in my spam folder that I almost deleted. The title was, “Michael Savage is inviting you and a guest for an election night cruise on San Franpsycho Bay”. First thought – SCAM, followed by ‘what if?’…
I jokingly yelled out from my office to the Mrs, “Hey honey, Doc Savage wants to take us on a cruise!”. She laughed, we laughed and I turned the computer off. A few days later another email appears with the same title, added “This is not a joke”. I called the number and gentleman answers and now I’m grilling him because ‘I know some heavy cyber-forensics cats and I’ll sick them on him if he’s messing with me’.
Long story short, that invite could not have come at a better time when my wife and I needed a break together. Only a good uncle would go out of his way to sponsor a thank you party. It was another day and night I will never forget. Seeing Dr. Mike with Teddy, meeting his family and friends and being together on a 5 deck cruiser with a “family” we never met, but knew so well was a true blessing only God’s Spirit could arrange. You know when you know.
Having that impostor win the office was the only bad memory I have from that trip, but it was a shared misery amongst the best of the best. At least we had eight years of cold hard truth to look forward to coming from our patriarch of The Savage Nation.
After going on, my only hope from getting this deep is that my hanai Uncle Mike has a chance to read this and be encouraged to keep pushing the envelope. You have encouraged me more than you’ll ever know. Your honesty and integrity through two decades helped me to be a better man resulting in quality relationships all the way around. Thank you. I know there are a multitude more to tell similar stories of how that voice in the wilderness helped them make it through when it seemed hopeless. I know a few personally.
I hope this isn’t too heavy, but I’m going for broke. In closing, there are two absolutes I will share.
1) God gave you unto this nation for such a time as this. You were given a prophetic vision and the gift to translate it across the broadest spectrum of people – HIS people.
2) The Savage Nation is infinitely greater than its combined listenership because of the moms, dads, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, kids and grandparents who’ve been touched by the messages God has given you. The Savages will continue carrying that teaching torch long after we’ve gone home to Heaven.
Aloha and God bless you.
About David:
Half-century old good dad and husband of a quarter century. From the streets to making good on the American Dream. Received a PhD from The University of Hard Knocks, now owning and operating several successful service businesses. Now obediently giving back time, direction and emotional revenue to those God sends me.
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