Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock, Retired Ordained Elderly In Our Mist

Randy been married 37 years to Sandra since January 24, 1986. One beloved son whom pass away , too soon. (A retired minister six years ago)Retired Ordained Elder in The United Methodist Church having served for a total of 30 years in Missouri, South Dakota & Kansas, six years ago .

Randy Wayne Jellison-Knocks has been a creator on Vocal since 2021 and has written over 70 stories.

Mariann: Mr. Randy are you a Vocal creator?

Pastor Randy : Why yes, Mariann, I am! (In fairness, I do believe that I am the only Randy Jellison-Knock in existence, lol.)

Mariann: That remain to be seen , lol

Pastor Randy: Stacked against the odds of a timeline that stretches beyond anything we can see or imagine, I still like my odds.

Mariann: Lol, can I interview you, Pastor Randy ?

Pastor Randy: Sure

Mariann: Great 👍 Where are you from ?

Pastor Randy: I'm originally from Watertown, South Dakota where I was born & raised. I attended Yankton College for four years, then traveled with three of my brothers singing gospel music all through the contiguous states & the southern provinces of Canada. After that I spent four years in Kansas City, Missouri attending seminary at St. Paul School of Theology. Once I finished school I spent three years serving churches in Lincoln, Missouri followed by nine years in Selby & Lowry, South Dakota. We moved to Kansas in 1999 & have been here ever since.

Mariann: When did you started writing?

Pastor Randy: In fourth grade I wrote a short story entitled "Timothy Robin & Jimmy Meadowlark" which got the entire classroom of around twenty-five writing & sharing their work with each other. That's the first I remember writing anything semi-epic on my own.

Mariann: what was that story about ?

Pastor Randy: Two birds who were too busy playing football to join in the migration & how they survived a cold South Dakota winter.

Mariann: What is your goal in writing?

Pastor Randy: To write something coherent that is both authentic & speaks to others. We'll have to see if that ever happens, lol.

Mariann: What literary genre do you mostly lean towards when you write your stories?

Pastor Randy: Fiction, fantasy, autobiography & poetry with theology & philosophy frequently thrown into the mix.

Mariann: What is your real life schedule and how do you fit your writing in it? How long does it take you to write a story? What does your writing space look like?

Pastor Randy: I retired from full-time ministry six years ago because my health would no longer allow me to continue, so my schedule tends to be pretty flexible. Usually I spend the early part of the day trying to catch up with reading whatever articles have been published on Vocal by writers I follow as well as responding to those who have commented or replied to me. Of course, sometimes that's taken until 3, 4, even 5 o'clock in the morning, lol. (Have you noticed, there are a lot of really talented writers here?). There are times when I simply have to let those wait on the computer if there's something I really feel I need to get written down. But usually I wait to write until after I'm caught up with reading & replying.

The time it takes for me to write a story varies greatly. Poetry or microfiction often flow pretty quickly so I may have written the first draft & gone through several revisions, proofreading & editing & manage to submit it that same day. Once the idea has taken shape in my head, well, as Mozart declared in "Amadeus", the rest is just scribbling & dibbling. Of course, there are exceptions. I'm just now getting ready to type up a microfiction story that's taken 3-4 days to get it where I want it.

Autobiographical stories I typically do a rough draft on the first day, then let it rest until the morrow before rereading, editing & revising it. Depending on the story, it might take days, weeks, months or even years to finish. That's especially true with fiction, fantasy, & theology.

My writing space? You seriously do not want to know. Jotting down notes with ideas & wordings I want to remember, that can be anywhere & literally on anything. The actual writing takes place in a tiny bedroom we've turned into an office space/memorial to our son who died just over ten years ago. He was into fashion design & so, in this room which may be 8'x10' we have two full size mannequins & a dress form sporting three of his creations along with three small & one large filing cabinets, an old writing desk, a Casio keyboard, an office/gaming chair & a stand for my laptop. There's also a kitty treat maze/tower that our cat just loves.

Oh, & I haven't cleaned for a while because I haven't been feeling well. (Right now I'm lying in a hospital bed while they try to get my blood sugar levels back down to where they're supposed to be. Yes I'm a newly diagnosed diabetic. Whoopee!)

Did I mention that you really don't want to know, much less see, what my writing space looks like. Do you remember that old PSA from the 70s with the Native American (who wasn't actually Native American -- the actor, that is), looking out over the open landfill. Let's just say that my writing space would bring a tear to his eye all over again. (I'd punctuate that with a lol, but it's just too tragic.)

Mariann: Can you send the link of your favorite autobiographical story you wrote on vocal?

Pastor Randy: My favorite autobiographical piece to date has to be "A Rude Awakening" (https://vocal.media/confessions/a-rude-awakening-39zec0b61) because, while I can't guarantee it shows me at my worst, it comes mighty close. After that it would have to be the first story I ever wrote & had published here, "Unknown" (https://vocal.media/fiction/unknown-e4yx0f08u2). It's based upon a dream I had when I was in high school (actually, I was at home at the time asleep in bed at the time of the dream..., but I guess you probably assumed that already). It has been informed my life & life choices ever since. More recently, writing "Bah-Bah, Black Sheep" (https://vocal.media/families/bah-bah-black-sheep}, helped me realize just how important my older brother has always been to me. And then there's "Now or Never" (https://vocal.media/confessions/now-or-never-ypyy0aef) which not only shows me in a poor light but hearkens back to one of my favorite professors who had a singular & profound impact on me. (He's actually given me permission to use his photograph, so I'd probably better get that done, lol!)

You asked for one, I gave you four. Those who know me well would tell you that's typical of me, never knowing when to shut up.

Thank you for the thoughts & prayers. I was released from the hospital right after I submitted "To Be Read Aloud". I'm just supposed to monitor my glucose levels daily until my next appointment & try & restrict myself to 1500 calories a day diet. He hasn't put me on insulin yet, other than for the past 24 hours when we were trying to get those numbers down.

Mariann: I am so glad you are out of the hospital, you you feel comfortable in me including that you were in the hospital in the interview?

Pastor Randy : Sure, It also gives me cover for not having been as supportive as I would have liked to have been these past few weeks. Sleeping sixteen hours a day kinda puts a person off their game, lol.

Mariann: Believe me, I understand. Your health is your wealth. How many children do you have?

Pastor Randy: Our only son, Keenan, died in a car accident on April 15, 2013, 5:11 p.m. We adopted him as an infant. My younger sister (also adopted) was his birthmother & always a part of his life.

Mariann: I am truly sorry 😔. What your favorite part in being a father if you don’t mind me asking?

Pastor Randy : You gotta know those are tough to single out & limit to just one. But there are memories that are so treasured. For example, when he was just one month old we took him to his first orchestra concert. (I played cello.) He was born October 10th & we found this infant sleeper Dracula costume--yes, a tux with tales--which he got to wear. We still have it.

Mariann:How long have you been married? What’s your favorite part in being a husband ?

Pastor Randy: Thirty-seven years as of January 24th. And I gotta tell ya, she's the talented on of the two of us. She would have me proofread rough drafts of papers right before they were due to be turned in for class & I would just scowl, asking, "How do you do this? Your rough draft is better than my 47th!" Her preaching is outstanding as well.

Mariann: Congratulations 🎉🎈 that’s a blessing.

Pastor Randy : Favorite part of being a husband? She's my soulmate. She gets me (at least when I'm not driving her crazy). She's the one who finally figured out that I was autistic. That was just eight years ago, so she had a long time battling just to get me to be communicative.

Mariann: Who are your favorite Vocal creators ?

Pastor Randy: I'm almost afraid to begin naming them because I might not be able to stop. There are just so many great writers here & I know that I'll miss lifting up so many I simply adore. But to name a few:

Meredith Harmon has an incredible gift of storytelling that I used to refer to as a worthy heir to Mark Twain. But she is so much more versatile than that. She can be folksy, witty, hysterically funny, serious, poignant..., you name it, she writes it. JD Pernoste & Anneliese Dahl are a team that find ways of transporting the reader into worlds we never imagined could exist. Stephen Kramer Avitable is so twisted with his plots, I'm always guessing. Naomi Gold is so completely open & brutally honest, her writing is always a revelation. Judey Kalchik & Rick Henry Christopher are great writers & incredibly supportive of everyone. Dharrsheena, Sonia Heidi Unruh, Heather Hubler, Donna Renee, Em, Ahna Lewis, Loryne, Gina C., Kelli Sheckler-Amsden, Kristen Balyeat, Amelia Moore, Kelley Stead all write with such warmth & authenticity. Don't tell them, but I secretly have a crush on each & every one of them.

Mariann : Lol, your secret is out on this one, this is an interview 😊

Pastor Randy : (Maybe don't tell my wife, either, lol!) And then you have people like Roy Stevens, Dana Crandell, Lamar Wiggins, Shane Dobbie, Grz Colm, Jordan Flynn, Scott Wade, my bro-HandsomelouiiThePoet..., I told you I wouldn't be able to stop! And, of course, we can't leave out either Melanie or you!

Mariann: What Facebook Vocal group you belong in ?

Pastor Randy : I belong to two Facebook groups: Vocal+Assist & Vocal Social Society. (How are you going to pare this down for your article?)

Mariann: If you were a book what title would you give yourself?

Pastor Randy : The title would be "Evanescence". It's recently become one of my favorite words & describes who I aspire (& fail miserably) to be. Not to promote myself but to encourage & strengthen others is where I sense my calling. I've always worked better behind the scenes than in the limelight. Things can get pretty dicey when the spot's on me.

Mariann: What influence you to pursue serving God as a career ?

Pastor Randy: Serving God as an ordained minister was not something to which I aspired. Okay, maybe part of me thought I could become the next Billy Graham or Mother Theresa. It's more something that chose me & wouldn't let me go. Let me be real honest about it, when I first gave in & accepted the call, I was pretty much an asshole. (Yes, both parts of that compound word can be found in the King James Version of the Bible!) I was pretty arrogant & sure of myself. I also thought it was all about personal salvation & that one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ. It's taken decades for the Holy Spirit to infuse me with enough humility to begin to live as a servant, sharing God's love & grace for all (whether you name Christ or not), with all. To me, that's the good news. It's not about living up to a certain moral standard or right belief. It's that God loves you & nothing is ever going to change that. God's grace is always for you, ever watching at the gate for every prodigal to come home. And all God asks is that we afford one another the same grace, love & courtesy.

Mariann: God is love in the true sense of the word , thank you for answering all my interview questions. Any last words or introductory words ? This was great. It is a pleasure to know you more and I am sure your readers , too.

Pastor Randy: Just that I'm thrilled to be part of this wonderful community. And thank you, Mariann, for taking the time to do this.

Mariann: My pleasure, God Bless and stay well. 🙏🏽

Pastor Randy : Blessings to you & all yours, Mariann.

Mariann: I just need to think of a title to this interview.

Pastor Randy : How about, "And you thought Hermann Melville was long winded...." lol. "The Epic Quest of Getting to Know an Evanescent"? How about, "Who?"