NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Do you ever feel like you have a particular calling or purpose?
Over time, you might feel like that shifts because our lives and priorities evolve.
One man had the same job for more than 20 years — seeing some of the darkest times our world has ever seen. Now he uses a hobby for his own second purpose.
“Oh yeah, it’ll cure what ails ya," said Tad Derrickson. "I worked with a pulmonologist at Skyline Medical Center."
Derrickson worked as a nurse for 20 years.
He worked in the hospital at the height and rise of the pandemic. He worked seven days on and seven days off.
On those off days, he followed his love and ran a mobile sawmill.
“So I grew up with my grandfather running the sawmill," he said.
He takes trees that might end up in landfills and gives them that second purpose.
“You know and thankfully, the homeowner recognized that hey, this is black walnut," Derrickson said about a tree in East Nashville. "Two, it’s a tree that’s beautiful and has been here as long as we have.”
The tree that's focused in the player above will soon turn over a new leaf.
“Literally this by itself could be a table, it could be a bench, it could be shelving," he said. “We’ve helped people literally take old trees and make tables for every member of their family.”
To learn more about Derrickson's work, click here.
Do you have a positive story you'd like to share? You can email me at Austin.Pollack@newschannel5.com
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This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
