“You are the same today as you will be ten years from now except for two things. The people you meet and the books you read.” A fantastic quote from a famous author and public speaker.
It has been over thirty-five years since Charlie Jones, the key note speaker at an Amway conference held at Brown’s resort in upstate New York said those words to me. I was in the front row of the room. There was no stage so the speaker was at ground level and the room small so he was only a few feet away and could make eye on contact with the three hundred or so attendees, especially the front row. I swear that when he said those words, he looked straight into my eyes and his words went into my soul.
I have no idea how many books I have read since then but I remember how many I had completely read before that day, including school. I was not a model student, just two books read by the time I had reached my mid-twenties. The first book I ever completed cover to cover was a really sick who done it called “Black Christmas.” It had absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, by some author I don’t know, nor do I care to remember. I had found that book while working as a truck driver. There were always large blocks of wait time, either to load or unload. It was laying behind my seat so I picked it up and just started to reading. When I finished it, I got so excited that I had read it all, I ran up to the men unloading my truck and exclaimed my victory over the written word. The event did not receive the ovation it was due, only blank stares that emanated, “big deal.”
It would be a few more years before I would support another book. It was the one that got me into the room that day to hear Charlie speak. The book was “The Go-Getter” by Peter Kyne written in 1921. It’s short, about thirty pages but what a punch it packs. The story is about a man who has all the odds against him in life. He is tasked with acquiring a blue vase for a very special person whom he does not want to let down. But what he doesn’t know is the person who sent him on the errand has purposely stacked the odds against him for a reason I won’t reveal so as not to spoil the reason to read it. I keep a couple of copies of the book at the ready when I run across someone worthy of receiving a copy. I think it should be required reading for all high school students. In fact, if you purchase an annual membership to my Substack, I will send you a hardback copy of the Go-Getter for free. Sorry for the shameless promo but I feel the book is that good.
The book that made the most difference in me is the book that no one ever really finishes reading. This book has so much information in it, that it can’t be totally comprehended by a quick and simple reading. It can be studied for a life time and yet it reveals new truths about the world, your inner self and your overall purpose for existing each time though. This book was written by multiple authors and took thousands of years to collate. It is the most published book ever and has been translated into every language imaginable. Yet it is the most ignored book ever written. This book has the answer to every question, problem, aches and challenges that face the human condition. If followed in its original formula it would end all wars, save countless lives and balance budgets worldwide. My wife points out the main thing that promoted our long lasting relationship is living the life model found in this book. If you have not deduced by now, I am speaking of the Bible. The times in my life that were the most heart wrenching, overwhelming, and brought me to the edge of economic, mental, and or physical ruin are the times I hurried through life without God in control. After thirty-five years of life behind me from hearing Charlie “Tremendous” Jones on that weekend so many years ago I have concluded that, “All the wisdom, knowledge, and answers that man needs to live a tremendous life are found in the bible”
I still do not read very fast and I don’t comprehend always what I read. If I am reading something I want to learn I underline it, make notes, and re-read what didn’t stick. And usually, I have to force myself to sit down and read but, each time I complete a novel that I read for fun or a book to help me be better I am filled with the same sense of accomplishment that I felt when I finished Black Christmas and I hear Charlie in my head and heart say you are not the same today.