Community Convo: Meet Brandon Leatherman

Our area is vast and tucked away in the rolling hills, and villages are pockets of residents and friends we’ve never heard from. There are houses and businesses we pass by without ever stepping foot through the door or extending a hand in welcome. Who are they? What are they thinking about? Each week we will travel to a new doorstep. This week, we voyage to a small burg where an interesting friend awaits.

Meet Brandon Leatherman, who lives in Fredericksburg. He does data conversion at Western Reserve Group in Wooster. He tells us that he is in an odd transition period right now. He was an actor and writer but says there isn’t a huge demand for that kind of thing around here, and both acting and writing fizzled out for him. He enjoys reading and is trying his hand at repainting old furniture. He loves the ocean and nautical stuff and is fascinated (semi-obsessed?) with hurricanes. He said it’s been years since he had a decent vice. We asked Brandon a few questions. Let’s see what he has to say.

What is your favorite or least favorite thing about living in rural Ohio?

My least favorite thing are the winters. The older I get the less I like the cold and the snow. Give me sunny and 80 all year round. My favorite thing is our location. My family and I have discovered that there are a lot of interesting and unusual things to do within three hours of where we live.

If you had to write one new law that everyone had to obey, what law would you create?

Everyone has to try Indian food once in their life. Absolutely delicious.

Besides family, what is the biggest passion in your life, what have you done to attain it?

Not too long ago I would have said acting was my biggest passion, but that’s been put on a shelf for later. I love Jesus and I love my family, and right now I’m good with not having any other passions.

What is one piece of advice you would give yourself at 18?

I would tell myself to save my money. To stop smoking. To find a good job and stick with it. And to invest money in a couple little startup companies named Amazon, Apple, or Google.

How many friends do you have on Facebook and how many of them actually mean something to you?

As I write this, I have 482 friends on Facebook. They all mean something to me, but in varying degrees. A few are people who have made- or are currently making- a tremendous impact on my life. Most are people I know in passing, and if they’d unfriend me, I’d honestly probably never know it. But each one of the 482 has left a mark on my life in one way or another, and none are without meaning to me.