| Terry 的个人资料AudioBookMan照片日志列表 |  工具  帮助 |
AudioBookManHome of the Sound and the Furry |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
For Free Distribution
7月18日 The Sod of KansasWhen I first started kicking, I lived in a “soddy” —a sod house. I have a picture of my mother there, and I was with her, but they didn’t know at that time whether I was a boy or a girl. Then our new frame house was finished, and we moved into it. A few weeks after the move, I was born on October 3, 1902…Our home was on a farm three miles southeast of Quinter, in the high plains of western Kansas…
And so began the life of Ralph Waldo McBurney as related in his autobiography, My First 100 Years, published by Leathers Publishing in 2004, and re-published on audio CD by AudioBookMan in 2007—Waldo’s life story, in his own words, and in his own voice.
I won’t spoil the story by telling you about his life. He wrote and read a book that will tell you that, and besides, I couldn’t recount it nearly as well as the one who lived it. And I won’t tell you about his faith, philosophy, or accomplishments. His writings capture such facts and relate them adequately. What I will tell you about is the extraordinary man I was privileged to meet and who shared the most precious of commodities—his time.
I arrived in Quinter after two letters and one phone call. I offered a proposal, he asked a few intelligent questions, I answered them, and my offer was accepted. As promised, Waldo called to invite me to Quinter when he was ready. From those few exchanges, I knew I was dealing with an old-style businessman—the kind who is happy only if all parties are served well in a transaction.
His letters were in legible longhand, and his phone voice was strong. Words were carefully chosen, truthful, serious. If I had not known beforehand, I never would have believed that my correspondent was 104 years of age. At our first in-person meeting, we adopted a work schedule that I nearly objected to as overly ambitious, but there was work to be done, and Waldo had obligations other than entertaining this youngster for too long. I remember chuckling at the thought of negotiating for the sequel, My Second 100 Years, but I didn’t think I’d live long enough to publish it.
We worked closely for four and one-half days—long enough to note some similarities and grow fond of one another despite the half-century age difference. He treated me like family, and introduced me to his town as though I was a son come home to visit after a long voyage. Taking leave was difficult, and was only accomplished by the promise of an event to celebrate the release of our audio book collaboration a few months hence. To my delight, his family suggested a combination book release/birthday party near the beginning of October when Waldo would turn 105 years of age.
The party and the book were successes. When Waldo the businessman totaled up the sales for Waldo the author, he confided to me that he had worried about the potential of my idea, and then he paid me the highest compliment I could have received by saying that I had taught him something. But that was part of Waldo’s success—never stop learning.
I went numb when I read the words, “Sad to let you know of Waldo’s passing at 9:00 PM tonight, July 8, 2009.”
Waldo returns to the sod of the high plains of western Kansas. The sod he watered with his sweat and fertilized with his footsteps may hold his remains, but it cannot hold him. Today, Heaven’s band has a new harmonica player, and Waldo has a centuries worth of accumulated stories to tell. 7月16日 How To Mislead HistoryCartography was not my forte, so I doubt that I could find it again, but it tells my storied past and still holds what I held dear.
Confederate money, a fireman's badge earned, and wire cables—useless bundles on their way to be used again, providing sustenance through their journey.
Some future hiker, an anthropologist perhaps, or a fortune seeker with a metal detector, might pass by this mountainside resting place, dig beneath the black stone marker, and make assumptions that are not true.
They will reassemble a fiction about a firefighter from the 1860s, who, for the cause, breached the dividing line, pushed his way into northern Pennsylvania for wire to win their war.
They will craft a teary end wherein the hero buried his valuables lest they be stolen at his capture, and his war was lost for the want of wire, and he was never heard from again.
It was not my intent to mislead; I’m sure I hardly understood the concept.
Perhaps essential clues were missing—the bubble gum scent long gone from the play money, and the Maxwell House blue was rusted away.
It is the time capsule of an eight-year old.
My worldly treasures in a coffee can. 5月10日 The Power of a Smile and a Single WordMy Saturday morning list of errands usually takes me to Moon Valley Cleaners, where I trade this week's stains (and a bit of cash) for last week's wardrobe, which should now be stain-free. I found them years ago when I ran out of clean clothes, and got tired of hearing, "You're a smart guy. You can figure out how the washing machine works." HA! I was even smarter than that! Bill and Susie are happy to do my laundry--well, most of it.
And so it was that I presented myself at their counter this morning to make our weekly trade. Standing next to me was a woman set to make her own trade. Just seeing her there reaffirmed my choice. I'll bet she knows how to work a washing machine, yet she comes here to have it done. I knew this was a very smart woman.
They brought my pressed shirts and pants and hung them on the rack so that they were between me and my smart fellow customer. I gave over the money, and the attendant disappeared to make change. While he was gone, I casually looked over the shirt hanging on the outside of the bundle to make sure the stains were gone. It had been a spaghetti day when I wore it last. The smart woman looked at the shirt, too, and then turned to me, flashed the largest smile I'd seen all week and said, "Snappy!"
The world seemed to move in slow motion, and I was transported back to high school and the day a girl I didn't know stopped me in the hall to tell me I had beautiful eyes. I remember my reply as if it was yesterday. As I was picking up my dropped books I said, "Herfel snork baraaak gleep!" I never saw that girl again. This time it would be different. I'm not a pimply-faced teenager, I'm a seasoned, well-spoken gentleman, and I am capable of saying something profound. I was horrified to hear the words that tumbled out of my face. "This ole thing?"
Her smile was still there, and I saw in it the smile of a dear friend, now departed, and whom I miss terribly. The likeness was uncanny, and "Snappy" is a word she would have used comfortably. I realized I had been given a great gift, and my spirit has soared all day because of a smile and a single word.
My transaction was complete, and I grabbed my bundle of clothes, stuffed my change in my pocket, smiled and said, "See ya."
"See ya," she said.
I hope I do. 3月25日 Introducing Professor StanI'm pleased to announce the publication of Easy Times: A Beginning Multiplication Tutorial.
It's an interactive, self-study audio CD designed to teach the times tables (ones through twelves) to elementary students, and was produced for homeschooled children, or any child who needs extra help learning them. Easy Times is also a great gift for grandchildren.
In a comfortable, easy style, Professor Stan leads the memorization exercises as he covers multiplying by zero, the commutative property of multiplication, and the concept of a dozen. Professor Stan is already hard at work on Summing Up, an addition tutorial.
No one is more connected to local homeschool networks than a homeschooling parent. If you are one, and would like to distribute Easy Times to your circle of friends, please send me a note by clicking HERE.  1月28日 More From the E-Mail BagHello Terry,
Dear David, Sincerely, |
Always Free Shipping
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
发送私人消息
订阅 RSS 源
告诉朋友
添加到 Live.com
添加至您的网络
订阅提醒|
|
