Cherish These Years
A drive with legendary filmmaker Randall Wallace, an inspiring friend named Robin Blakeley, and the virtues that don't fade
David Brooks distinguishes between two kinds of virtues in his book The Road to Character: the résumé virtues—the ones you list on your résumé, the skills that bring external success—and the eulogy virtues, the deeper ones talked about at your funeral, the qualities at the core of who you are: whether you’re kind, brave, honest, or faithful, and what kind of relationships you formed.
Most of us would say the eulogy virtues matter more. Most of us spend our lives chasing the résumé ones anyway.
When I think about my friend Robin Blakeley, his eulogy virtues come to mind first, and they only seem to grow stronger over time. Robin is a man who lives with a unique mixture of childlike wonder and courageous strength. He speaks life into people, connects disparate groups together, and champions noble causes. He is a true warrior poet.
I first met Robin through the agency Pursuant, which we both worked at years ago. Our resume virtues at the time were Creative Director (me) and President of Pursuant Sports (Robin). Robin’s previous resume included work as a sports agent for clients such as NBA stars Spud Webb and Karl Malone. But what really drew me to him was seeing a full-sized BRAVEHEART movie poster in his office a few weeks after he joined the Pursuant team. It led me to ask for some time to get lunch together. We ended up having more in common than either of us could have known. We talked about BRAVEHEART, of course. We shared prodigal stories of returning home, the masculine journey, love lost and found, dreams, and having the courage to follow a free heart.
Robin and I stayed connected, but, like most friendships, proximity creates a practical distance, and it had been a few years since we last connected. I was sitting in my backyard by the pool when Robin’s number popped up on my phone. He had two reasons for calling that day. One was to see if Wonder Road Films would be interested and available to learn more about a potential video commercial client. The other was far more interesting.
Robin asked if by any chance I had any way at all to contact Randall Wallace, the screenwriter for BRAVEHEART and the director of the films SECRETARIAT, WE WERE SOLDIERS, and THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. Robin wanted to invite Randall to be a key part of an event called Night of Freedom that Braveheart Ministries (not connected to the movie) was hosting in October 2025. Robin serves on the board for Braveheart. Their dream was to have Randall speak, and the singer/songwriter Josh Garrels sing at a unique Braveheart event designed to stir up wonder, beauty, and freedom.
In a wild twist, I said yes but just barely. Without sharing the specifics, over the past year, Randall had responded to a few notes of encouragement I had sent him. I told Robin I was happy to ask him if he would be interested in participating and in performing Randall’s show, Living the Braveheart Life, the night before or the night after the Night of Freedom event.
I asked Randall, and he said he would pass the opportunity along to his team. Shortly after, he said the team was interested in discussing further and sent me the appropriate contact info for next steps. After further discussion with Randall’s team, we landed on just doing the Night of Freedom event in October 2025.
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A few weeks before the event, Robin asked if I wanted to pick Randall up at the airport and take him to his hotel. This was one of the easiest “yes” answers I’ve ever given.
As the days approached, I spent time asking God what he wanted me to know or do with that time. I had told anyone and everyone that Randall was one of my top choices to direct One Night In A Thousand Years. Was this the time to bring that up? What are the odds we would be riding together in my car in Dallas in the middle of trying to develop One Night into a feature film?
God made it clear after a lot of listening prayer that wasn’t the time or place. I kept coming back to a specific passage from Randall’s memoir, Living the Braveheart Life, that had stuck with me ever since I read it several years ago. Randall talked about a time shortly after his divorce, when he was at a low point in his career, when he got on his knees and surrendered everything to God. He specifically said he would not bow down to anyone in Hollywood but only wanted to please God. He did not want to run from his problems but face them head-on and be the kind of father his sons both wanted and needed.
My sense was the two most important things I could do on our car ride were to be present and to share how much that specific story had anchored me since I read it. I decided to write a thank-you note in case something derailed the timing, included a few lines about how much Randall’s work had inspired both the true-story and fictional versions of One Night, and enclosed a QR code linking to the audiobook.
The day finally arrived to pick up Randall at the airport. We connected over text message to coordinate the pickup spot, and before I knew it, he was walking up to shake my hand. I opened the trunk of my car and realized I hadn’t moved my 10-year-old son’s Spider-Man blanket. Not very professional in my turn as an Uber driver. I wondered what Randall would say. This was definitely not a Hollywood-worthy limo experience.
Randall laughed a kind, fatherly laugh and said, “I love that!” When we got into the car, he looked at me and said, “Cherish these times with your kids. They go by so fast. There is nothing in this world like being a parent and a father.” I immediately felt at peace.
We talked about where he had come from and some anecdotal details, which led to something that surprised both of us: a conversation about divorce and marriage. He was surprised to learn I had been through that at my “young” age. We shared a bit about our experiences with it. I was able to personally share how much his story of surrender from Living the Braveheart Life meant to me. Somehow we moved on to talking about how much Jesus must have laughed and what it would be like to experience that in person, face-to-face, one day. Maybe suffering somehow surfaces laughter too.
Something came up about SMU, and I shared that they are one of my and my business partner’s company’s biggest clients. That led Randall to share about how someone from SMU was one of his biggest investors in an indie film he was developing. Then he moved into the crazy world of indie film development and fundraising, casting, and some wild stories about how the film he was working on never came to fruition. I talked about how it’s a miracle that any movie ever gets made and how it’s even more incredible when everyone brings their “A” game, and something like BRAVEHEART is created.
Right about that time we pulled up to the hotel. My plan was to walk Randall into the front, but it turns out there was a massive parade going through the area, so the valet attendants wanted me to drop him off and leave ASAP.
As we were getting out of the car, Randall said, so what’s your business do?
I said, “Oh, we’re filmmakers. The company is called Wonder Road Films. I actually started in film a long time ago in LA, but God asked me to give it all up for a time, and then years later returned it to me. We mostly make commercial projects but are developing a feature now.”
Randall flashed a surprised, amused grin.
The hotel attendant was getting impatient at this point and really wanted me to leave asap.
Randall reached out his hand to shake mine, then pulled me in for a hug. He told me he really appreciated the time and hoped we would get to talk in more depth later that night at the event.
I drove away from the hotel, listening to the soundtrack of BRAVEHEART, full of gratitude.
I didn’t get to talk to Randall at the event, but I did hear him share epic stories from making BRAVEHEART and even deeper truths about creativity, freedom, and the gospel. My heart was both full and free.
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Several months later, during another session of listening prayer, I felt the Lord prompting me to ask Robin to join the One Night film team as an executive producer, with a specific focus on helping us raise funds to make the movie. I couldn’t imagine a better fit for this role, as the One Night story explores rich themes of mentorship, wonder, courage, beauty, and the journey of becoming the kind of man who lives life to the fullest.
I set a meeting with Robin, and we met at a La La Land cafe, which felt appropriate. After catching up on life and recalling some of the stories from the Night of Freedom event, I put the opportunity before him. He got a classic Robin gleam in his eye, thought for a bit, and then said, I think I’m supposed to do this, but let me ask the Lord about it before confirming.
A couple of days later Robin called and said, “I want you to know I prayed about it and God said it’s a yes. I’m in to march with you and the rest of the team.”
Randall said to cherish these years because they go fast. Robin has always lived that way: present, firmly rooted, quick to say yes to what matters. His “yes” didn’t just mean joining a team. It set a fundraising night in motion that I’m still amazed by. That night comes next.
Until then: Go. Be courageous and true.
Crazy how God webs together networks