Michael A. Ball

When Mike was 14, the sudden death of his father set him on a quest for peace of mind that resulted in a lifetime of public service as a U.S. Marine, Alabama State Trooper, criminal investigator and hostage negotiator with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, that eventually culminated with a 20-year stint as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives.

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During the brief time they were together, Leldon Ball taught his son lessons about life, love, friendship, and faith that would remain with Mike and guide him through the challenges of the moral dilemmas that bombarded him from the world of law enforcement, politics, and within himself. 

 

 A few months before the 2014 legislative session, the release of Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants prompted Mike to recognize that his success in law enforcement and politics was directly related to the faith and wisdom gained from his struggles to overcome the many giants he had encountered throughout his life.

 

The book helped Mike to recognize that his father began training him to be a shepherd from the first moment they met, and it had continued throughout his life.  Along the way, he encountered others who helped mentor him to be a better shepherd until at some point Mike began to mentor others with a desire to be shepherds.    

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Using the moral compass his father had given to him, investigative skills developed from his professional career, and wisdom gleaned from many years of personal introspection, Mike navigated through a long series of ethical and moral dilemmas arising from an avalanche of political scandals at the highest levels of Alabama state government.

  

In 2022, the transformation from politician to philosopher that began in 2013 was complete when Mike declined to run for a fifth term in the Alabama Legislature and to publish his memoir, Picking, Politicking, and Pontificating: How an Ex-Cop Legalized Cannabis While Fighting Corruption.    

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Mike now devotes his time to storytelling, singing, playing music, and celebrating his narrow escape from partisan politics with his soul intact.  But most of all, he is grateful for the Unseen Hand that has led him to the peace of mind that only love brings.