When I was a kid, I grew up in a woodsy, rural area that was at the bottom of a huge hill nestled in the Daniel Boone National Forest. This area was on the Rockcastle/Jackson County line.

It was and still is, a beautiful and breathtaking place. For those of you who don't know, an Urban Dictionary definition of "holler" is "a small rising valley region between two hills or mountains."

While living in the holler, I internalized some things that help me be the man I am today.

1. Family is always a short walking distance away

My mamaw, my papaw, one of my uncles, two of my aunts, two of my cousins, my older brother and sister, my mom, and I lived in this holler.

Whenever we wanted to go see family, all we had to do was walk to their houses. Some people have to travel a lot of miles to see their family, but some of my family was fairly close to me.

2. Winters required four-wheel drive cars and a lot of space heaters

Whenever there was snow on the ground in the holler, it made it harder to get in or out. I remember to go to school, one of my aunts or my mom would have to use a truck or an SUV to get us to the bus, which was at the top of the hill.

Winters were especially difficult down in the holler because we did not have central heat and air growing up. Momma would always make it work though, sometimes using the kitchen oven to heat the house and space heaters to heat our rooms. I also remember we would have to plastic cover the windows so that the heat wouldn't escape through the windows.

3. Whatever any adult said was the law

I remember I talked back to one of my aunts one time and I got whipped with a switch (a limb from a tree).

Papaw and Mamaw were the undisputed king and queen of the holler and anything they said or told us was gospel. My uncle, my aunts, my mamaw and papaw, and my momma taught me how to respect anyone we come in contact with.

They taught me to be a gentleman when I am on a date with a girl, doing things such as holding doors open for them, carrying heavy things for them, and other stuff that a gentleman does.

My papaw died in 2008 from brain and lung cancer, but I know he still watches over me and I do things to make him proud.

4. Sundays after church, Easter, and Thanksgiving were always at Mamaw's house

Whenever it was Easter, Thanksgiving, or Sundays after church, Mamaw and our family would always fix a lot of food and we never went hungry in Mamaw's house. My momma's house is like this too, in that we never go hungry in her house.

5. Even though I live in a city now and wear Nikes, the country roots I have from my childhood will always stay with me

From a glance, people may think I'm a person who lives in the city, due to me wearing Nikes and drinking Starbucks coffee. But deep down in my soul, I am country through and through.