He grew up in the days where people actually sat on their front porches and conversed with each other. His stories reflect this fact. Doctor Gibbs is the main character in his first story about a man who refuses to water his trees because he says that it causes the roots to grow shallow. He believed in putting his trees through adverse situations in order to toughen them up. He uses this as an example of life. Gulley says that instead of praying for his children to escape tough, trying times, he prays for well-developed, strong roots so that they will be able to weather the storms of life successfully.