Veteran Scholarship Recipient Kevin Raney

Kevin Raney, USMC, Ret.

Craft Supplies USA Veteran Scholarship Recipient Fall 2024

Interview transcript:

My name is Kevin Rainey and I'm from Tennessee. I was born and raised in a small town in Manchester. I currently live just outside of Manchester in a town called Tallahoma.

I started my life off in the Marine Corps. I needed some kind of direction in my life. I was originally a high school dropout and I went on and got my GED, kind of tried to straighten my life up some.

After that I went and got my degree in electronics engineering and then went into the Marine Corps. After the Marine Corps, I was still gung ho and out to save the world, so I went into law enforcement. From there I also got into becoming a rescue diver and doing body and evidence recovery and things like that. Currently I'm a director for the water and sewer utilities.

So, wood has kind of always been a passion in my life, a part of my life pretty much for my entire life. I grew up next to pretty much in the woods and kind of spent all my time in trees and had always fascinated me. And then seeing things that people had made from wood, it's always been something that I really, really enjoyed. That was my kind of artwork. Some people like to see paintings or music or things like that, but I liked things that were made from wood.

And I've always done a little bit of woodworking, just little projects, make a picture frame or make a box or whatever I needed, build some shelves or something. But woodturning was always what caught my eye any time I saw something that had been turned on a lathe. I was always passionate about wanting to become a woodturner, but the resources just weren't there. It wasn't something that they taught in school or anything, and there was no one around here or anybody. So it really wasn't until just a couple of years ago that I actually started and got into woodturning, and I kind of forced myself into learning it.

So I've been thinking about retirement and what am I going to do? I've been a bit afraid to retire and not having anything to do. And I wanted a woodworking shop and something I could do that would keep me busy, and I really wanted to get into woodturning. So now with available videos and things online, I started watching videos, and I said, okay. It dawned on me. I said, I think I can do this. So I bought a lathe, and I started paying more and more attention to the videos and trying to mimic exactly what they were doing. And it was actually Craft Supplies USA. It's videos of Mike and Kirk, and I would watch them, and I would have my phone or tablet or something next to me by the lathe. And they would do something and explain what they were doing, and I'd pause it, and I would do it. And then go to the next part of it and do it, and I think I've probably successfully mimicked everything that they've made in the videos. 

And then even now, every time I put out a new video, I'm, all right, let me get my order together. This is my first class with a live instructor and everything. It's wonderful.

So, okay. Yeah, so the reason that I was a little afraid to retire is, unfortunately, because of my past and the things that I've done and I've been through, I've literally witnessed firsthand some of the worst evil that this world has to offer. And as a result, I do deal with PTSD issues. And that's pretty tough to even come out and talk about, you know, just even saying those letters is tough. But one of the things, the biggest thing that helps me is just keeping my mind busy and staying occupied and woodturning. And woodturning has fulfilled everything.

When I'm on the lathe turning something, my mind is entirely focused on everything from safety to, you know, whatever it is that I'm making. And most of the time, even when I've got something on the lathe, I put a piece of wood on there and have no idea what I'm going to make. Yeah, because I have tried to sit down and draw, you know, something that I want to make and I can't. I can't think of it. I just don't have that imagination or something. But so I come up with a rough idea and then I just put the tool to the wood and just kind of let things fall into place. You know, the design just kind of works itself out. And so that keeps my mind busy.

And then when I'm not turning, I'm thinking about what I'm going to turn next or, you know, I may have pieces of wood sitting there that I've been thinking for months. What am I going to do with it? What do I want to do with it? You want to make sure you do the right thing and not just turn it into firewood.

But yeah, from the mental side of things, woodturning has literally saved me. It has saved my mind and everything. So I think that has become my retirement plan as far as a workshop. And we're trying to get all that together now, trying to get, you know, a shop space and get all the tools and items and everything needed. And then eventually, you know, hopefully I'll have everything together. And when I retire, I won't have to worry about not having anything to do. So yeah, and I definitely don't want to continue to work, you know. I'd rather spend out the last of my days doing something that I truly love and enjoy doing.

If someone was looking and thinking and getting into woodturning, I would highly recommend it. Even if it's just a hint of interest, try it. And if you don't like it, you know, you can always pick something else.

But I highly recommend it because it's not just a therapy for your mind, but you challenge your creativity and everything. And it's something that you can continually learn. I don't, I think that the possibilities with woodturning is infinite. There's so many things. And just when you think that, you know, that I've run out of ideas, more will come and, you know, somebody else or, you know, there's inspiration out there all over the place. You could spend a lifetime learning woodturning and new ideas and things. So I would, if you had the least bit of interest, I would highly recommend it.

One of the things, another thing that I would like to get to the point where I could actually help others myself, teaching them, helping them to get into woodturning or, you know, whatever, but especially those that are in a similar state as myself. I would be willing to help anyone, but I have friends, other friends, you know, that are in the same, been through some of the same things that I've been through and they deal with the same issues and, you know, these are the people that, they're my lifelines, they're, you know, we talk to each other every day and we're each other's support. But I can be that support to others and help get them into woodturning and teach them and hopefully, you know, it's something that helps keep their mind busy and, you know, it helps them mentally and therapeutically. It's exciting.

And I mean it because I've just been, I've struggled, sorry, and emotional. I've struggled so bad, you know. And woodturning has brought life back in me. And to have this opportunity literally, it's just adding to saving my life, I guess. So I can't, yeah, I just can't thank y'all enough. I'm still figuring it out. I don't have it figured out, but I'm getting better.

And now, like my brother with his fishing, I'm either turning or thinking about turning or dreaming about turning when I sleep, hopefully. That's one of my downfalls, I rarely sleep. And when I'm on a sleeping schedule, it's only about three hours a night or something. I think part of me is afraid of my dreams, because I have such a horrible nightmare and things. I think my mind just says, no, I'm not going back there. There's no sense in reliving any of that. I've lost six friends to suicide. I can't say that, but I just, you know, I've told myself, I'll be damned if I let the evil win. It's not happening. I'm not a quitter, you know, it’s not getting me.

And, you know, think about the people that I love and care about and all the things. So, yeah, but it's hard, you know, it's almost like it doesn't surprise me anymore. You know, somebody calls and says, hey, such and such is gone. Every 22 minutes, a veteran's killing himself. That's absurd. And I'm hoping, you know, I help as many as I can before, you know, my time's up.

There's a thing about, you know, and not taking away from the real heroes. The real heroes gave their lives. But, you know, some people pay for it with their lives, and others pay for it for the rest of their lives, you know. But I wouldn't change a thing and do it all over again. My entire life was, you know, when I look back and what God led me, and every little thing that I did, you know, I was starting karate at an early age. And, you know, everything was built and prepped for what I was going to be doing. And it was, I knew I was a protector and someone that's going to fight for people. So, and looking back, I wouldn't, going back, I wouldn't change a bit of it. I’d still do it.