I was snuggled into my couch reading a book and this passage really struck me. In a season where we're grateful for what we have, it's uplifting to see someone who worked so hard for it to become a neurosurgeon. Ben Carson, One Nation, pp. xv - xvi: "Well, you know, we did live in dire poverty. And one of the things that I hated was poverty. You know, some people hate spiders, some people hate snakes . . . I hated poverty. I couldn't stand it. [laughter] But, you know, my mother couldn't stand the fact that we were doing poorly in school. And she prayed and she asked God to give her wisdom . . . what could she do to get her young sons to understand the importance of developing their minds, so that they could control their own lives? And you know what, God gave her the wisdom . . . at least in her opinion. My brother and I didn't think it was that wise. Because it was to turn off the TV, let us watch only two or three TV programs during the week, and with all that spare time read two books apiece from the Detroit Public Libraries and submit to her written book reports which she couldn't read (Note: Ben's mother was illiterate), but we didn't know that. She'd put check marks and highlights and stuff-but, you know I just hated this. And my friends were out having a good time. Her friends would criticize her. They would say, "You can't make boys stay in the house reading books, they'll hate you." And I would overhear them and say, "Mother, you know they're right." But she didn't care, you know. But, after a while, I actually began to enjoy reading those books, because we were very poor. But between the covers of those books I could go anywhere, I could be anybody, I could do anything. I began to read about people of great accomplishment. And as I read those stories I began to see a connecting thread. I began to see that the person who has the most to do with you and what happens to you in life, is you. You make decisions. You decide how much energy you want to put behind that decision. And I came to understand that I had control of my own destiny. And at that point I didn't hate poverty anymore, because I knew it was only temporary. I knew I could change that. It was incredibly liberating for me, made all the difference."
Is this a book you would recommend, @Jim DiGriz? I’m on the lookout for some new reading material that leans toward non fiction
I would, but despite the excerpt I gave this isn't a book about inspiration. There're a lot of problems in this country but instead of working together to solve them, we have citizens hating each other because of different ideologies and elected officials hating each other because of different parties. Dr. Carson goes through the problems he sees and recommends things that people can do to solve them. (I'm only a third of the way through, but this does look promising. And I want to do more for this country than just vote.) Now, if you're looking for a book about inspiration I'd recommend Hard Call by John McCain. He goes through the basic components needed to make a good decision and has several stories from people in history for each step. If a study in good decision-making doesn't appeal to you, then I'd still read it for the stories. And if you don't have time for all the stories (because as they say down South, this book's a thick 'un), then read the story of the woman from Liberia who led her country into stability despite the fact that it had been ruled by one bloodthirsty warlord after another. (P.S. I'm betting a city the size of Carson City has this at the library. And if I'm wrong, I owe you a drink then next time I'm at the ranch!)
