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By Stephanie Dean

For the Enterprise

No matter where you go in Davie County, somebody knows David Bowles.

But he’s greeted by the nickname “Shorty,” a name dubbed by his former classmates in school.

“I never got tall, and my friends started calling me ‘Shorty.’ Now, when people say, ‘David Bowles’ – no one knows who they’re talking about. But when they say ‘Shorty’ – everyone knows me by that name. I’m good with it.”

The fact is, Shorty stands as tall as any man you’ll ever meet.

Whatever’s lacking in stature, he more than makes up for with a giant heart and friendly smile for everyone. He knows no stranger.

Shorty has yet to walk into a restaurant for a meal where local folks don’t stop at his table, saying “Hey Shorty” and giving him a friendly pat on the back.

But it’s not just Shorty’s personality and kind manner that has earned him a wide circle of lifelong friends – and a somewhat iconic status in this neck of the woods. Much is due to his long history of dance calling and providing vocals as a music performer – so much so that his reputation precedes him.

Over the years, he developed a passion for singing.

Shorty grew up singing at Yadkin Valley Baptist Church where he attended with his family. At one time Shorty even stood in as the assistant choir director, filling in when the director wasn’t there.

“Whenever I started out in church, I loved singing to music ever since I was big enough to start singing. I always loved to get up there.  It was just a gift from God, I reckon.

“I went from that to the young people’s choir and also sang at Farmington Elementary School. They had school programs and had groups of kids sing as a trio or quartet and they’d ask me to sing. I just listened to how everybody else sang to start with and whenever I started singing, I sang it in my tone and voice – and everyone seemed to enjoy it.”

Shorty began by singing gospel songs. As he got older and after getting his driver’s license, he went to places where they made music. Some people who knew Shorty would ask him to sing with them.

“It’s been a good hobby throughout my life.”

Now a member of Fellowship Baptist Church, Shorty sings with the choir and often sings solo – and he opens up the Sunday School lesson with a hymn.

But singing is only one of Shorty’s hobbies.

On any given day you might find him at a car show or tractor pull. And then, there’s his love for live music and dancing. Shorty enjoys going to events where people make music, sing, and dance.

“We started dancing in elementary school – starting with the Virginia Reel – something like a big circle where you do different steps and body turns.”

As Shorty got older and even after going to work full time, he still went to dances and to hear music

He began going to places where they had different forms of dancing – square dancing, two-step, and clogging. He danced his way through high school and beyond.

And after high school, he still went but expanded his talents – learning to call square dances.

“Different places would get me to come and call square dances for them. They held dances at the Farmington School in the gym, at the Farmington Fire Dept., in Mocksville at the Bear Creek Barn dance, in Clemmons at the VFW, and at the American Legion in Winston-Salem.

“The teenagers would go there for sock hops every so often, not country but old-time rock and roll. On down the road, different bands starting coming to the American Legion – country and bluegrass bands would come and they’d ask me to sing a few songs with them. As far as the square dancing, I learned how to square dance before I learned how to call the dances.”

At one time, Shorty belonged to a clogging club called the Freestyle Swingers. They met at a man’s house in his barn, the gym at the school, or the old Mocksville High School, now known as the Brock Center. He danced in the competitions, and their group won many awards for clogging.

“We’d go different places, hold competitions in other towns and compete against other clogging teams. We’d start at 9 in the morning and have various groups – and maybe at midnight, it’d be over. There were different age groups, classes, and style competitions. We’d go all day. Sometimes we’d get ribbons and sometimes we’d get trophies.”

After Shorty learned to call square dancing, different bands would ask him to call for them.

When the Crosby Golf Tournament was held with celebrities in attendance, they’d have special bands perform at the Whip-O-Will Farm. The organizers called Shorty to come and call the square dances. It was here Shorty got to know Kathyrn Crosby, and she gifted him a personally autographed book on the life of her husband, Bing Crosby.

“Kathryn would come to the square dance which was a special, private event with dinner, music, and dancing. We did that event for three years – she was a nice lady and enjoyed dancing with me.”

Today, when Shorty’s not setting up and handling the soundboard for Schoolhouse Music Jam on Thursday nights at the Farmington Community Center, you can find him attending the New Cana Men’s Prayer Breakfast that’s held on Thursday mornings at 7 at the restaurant, 801 Southern Kitchen and Pancake House in Advance.

“When they started a prayer breakfast in Davie County, a good friend of mine, George Wilson, invited me. Friends meet and talk about Jesus and the Bible. It’s good fellowship time.”

On Oct. 12, Shorty will be 81. Looking back, he gives credit to his parents.

“It was Mama and Daddy who taught me the right stuff at home and carried me to church where the preacher and Sunday school teachers taught me lots of stuff to make me want to go to church and serve the Lord. That kept me out of trouble and from doing something I shouldn’t,” he said.

“The main thing’s knowing where you’re going when you die – when the rapture comes. I’ve had a good life, and that’s because of the way I was raised up as a young’un, I reckon.”

As far as the future: “As long as I’m able, I will sing praises to the Lord for all the things he’s done for me; for He’s the best friend you’ll ever have.”