First, let me tell you what this memoir is not about. It is not about some super smart individual who has accomplished great things in his life. It is not about an individual who has a high Intelligence Quotient and graduated at the top of his class from America's great universities. It is not about someone who was born into great wealth with a silver spoon in his mouth. Nor is it about someone who has great skills in athletics or the arts and entertainment. This memoir is about a young man whose parents were hard-working, God- fearing people who poured everything they had to offer into their children. They were thankful and humble people who worked on a farm and ran a country store for decades. I grew up on that farm in North Carolina. It's about a man who worked hard, tried to play by the rules when they were often unfair. It's about a man who received some measure of success despite or in spite of barriers of race an inequality. It is about a man who fought anxiety, insecurity and many other traumas to rise above them to reach some sanity in his life. It's about a man who believed his parents when they told him that with education, hard work and determination he could achieve great things in his life. It's about the great people who have knowingly and many others who unknowingly touched my life and encouraged me to reach for a better life than the lives of my ancestors. It's about a man who, during uncertain times in his life was guided by the unseen hand of God.
While my story and background are not unique, it clearly shows what can happen when doors are opened to individuals like me and we are given the opportunity to succeed or fail.
