Hey there, friend! My name is Kevin McAllister, aside from the fact that my name is spelled differently from the character in the movie, “Home Alone,” folks often bring up the fact that I have the same name. No worries, I’ve embraced it. Go ahead and bring it up! Lol.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, here’s a little about me. I am a 6-Year Navy Submarine Veteran. Perhaps that is my one big, claim to fame. I dunno. I served my enlistment during the end of the Cold War (1991). The ship I sailed on (if you can call it sailing under the water!) was a 688 Class, fast attack submarine named the USS Augusta (now decommissioned). Goodness, how time flies! I am proud to have served and have no regrets – with the exception that I didn’t say in for 20 and retire. At any rate, scroll to the bottom if you want to see a short video on submarine life.
I spent a couple of decades in pastoral ministry and was bi-vocational (meaning I worked a secular job as well as ministry work), on and off throughout that time. Having a large family and being bi-vocational, as well as the 24-7 demands of the ministry, it became an untenable occupation. My family was and is important to me and something other than my family needed to give way. Thus, I resigned myself from ministry in 2018.
Oh, and about the family. Mine is somewhat of an outlier in today’s society. I have 9 children, and 5 grandchildren. My wife and I have been married for over 33 years. I often don’t offer information about the family as it’s a mixed bag on the responses I get. Sometimes there’s negative comments, sometimes there’s nosey comments (how do you feed all those kids!), and sometimes it’s just a cynical look. I do enjoy the positive feedback when it comes. Regardless of the response, I am thankful for every single one of my children (and grandchildren). Each of them are a blessing!
I’ve been in sales now for about a decade. I really enjoy this type of work. At the time of this writing, I work for Mattress Firm. Yes, I sell mattresses. I sell sleep! Ha! Yes, Mattress Firm…surely you’ve heard the joke (or funny suspicion) that Mattress Firm is just a front for an illegal business, some money laundering joint or something. People say they drive by and never see anyone in the parking lot. Well, it is a legit business my friend, and it’s been a pretty great job. I sell consultatively, and I like to help people, so it’s a pretty great fit for me at the moment.
Over the last 5 years, I’ve sold close to $6 million in finalized sales to nearly 5,000 customers! That’s a lot of beds, and a lot of experience helping folks find a great night’s sleep. This brings me to why I’m creating this blog. My intent is to talk/write mostly about sleep – tie in some videos that I either link to or produce. But I also want to be personal. Relatable. Talk about health stuff. Things I’m learning about regarding health. Maybe share about some of my journey on learning to be more healthy. Life stuff too. I’ve made a blog category for that. Maybe I can share some inspiration. Some thoughts. Some wisdom. I dunno – maybe some dumb dad jokes. We’ll see where it goes. Maybe this is all just therapy for me, ha! So there it is: Sleep, Health, and Life.
Oh, wait, in the interest of full disclosure, I do have an additional motive in telling you about sleep-related topics. I would be honored to sell you a mattress. Whatever your budget is, I will work with you to find the best option that I know of based on your sleep needs and budget. I will take care of you like a member of my family if decide to have me help you. Just reach out.
Peace, be well, and get a great night sleep.
~Kevin
