There it is! Who would have thought that book that my coach recommended to turn my life around would be on the shelf at the airport book shop, of all places? And only $25.95, this is my lucky day indeed.
I’m an hour early for my flight so I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity for some valuable Me time and dive into this timeless beacon, illuminating paths to wisdom, resilience, and self-discovery.
An hour later my flight number is announced and my presence required at the boarding gate.
I’ve had time to read the introduction, preface, foreword and chapter one, all about the author’s epic rise from desperate childhood trauma to world renowned best-selling author, speaker and philanthropist. This guy is amazing!
His story starts when he was stepped on by an elephant in his impoverished Indian village when he was only 3 years old. He was carried 10 miles to a bush hospital by his 80-year-old grandfather, who collapsed at the front door and died from a heart attack.
The author was placed in an induced coma for 2 years during which time his single mother only left his side to feed his 7 starving siblings. Ironically, the sight of her mangled son opening his eyes for the first time in 24 long months was more than she could bear and she expired with her head plummeting onto his chest.
With makeshift callipers, a rudimentary prosthetic arm, and a ski-type mask to hide the horrific scarring, he returned to where his family hut used to be only to find it had been recently taken by a monsoonal flood along with his 3 older brothers and 2 sisters.
He was now the man of the house and immediately took on the responsibilities of provider, nurse, cook and educator, since the school was also destroyed in the flood.
He never complained and cheerfully accepted his role, rejoicing in the hard-earned achievements of his 2 remaining younger brothers. He always knew he was bound for greatness and dreamed of breaking the shackles of poverty and hardship to lead an influential life helping others less fortunate than himself to rise above adversity and enjoy fulfillment and happiness.
His single eye grew strong and with the help of a wise village elder he learned to read, the thrill leading to an addiction that consumed all his “spare” time. One day he managed to grasp a pencil in his contorted left hand and imitated the script he had been reading. “Not bad” he thought realising that he could now write. At that moment he recognised his destiny and nothing could hold him back.
When his brothers were old enough to work they were adopted by a loving couple who had lost their children to a fatal virus. They could only afford to take on the two boys so our hero was on his own to make his way, as he always knew, to the top.
He stowed away on a freighter to America. He would happily have enlisted as crew but his crippled body prohibited him from performing the rigorous duties of a sailor.
He slipped unseen from the ship and took haven on the streets of San Fransisco, where survival required guile and cunning. He never begged but he became an accomplished thief.
I sensed my boarding call would come shortly so I skimmed through the rest of Chapter One.
Our hero knocked on doors day in, day out until an enlightened publisher saw past his deformities and agreed to read a scruffily stapled manuscript detailing the trials and tribulations endured to get to this hopefully pivotal point in time.
The publisher gave him lodging and mentored him as he transformed his draft into a published work. Sales were astronomical as everyday folk clambered to learn the exploits of an inspirational crippled superhero.
The world couldn’t get enough; he was ushered from television interviews to book signings to corporate motivational speaking events and even a meeting with the President.
This book is his masterpiece, a gift to everyone wanting to rise above their lowly-born tags, oppression and affliction to become icons in their own right.
Chapter One ended with the writer declaring, “You can do this too!”
I closed the book and placed it on the seat beside me as I attempted to decode the cosmic signal I had just intercepted.
A brief moment of reflection ensued before I concluded that I didn’t really think I wanted to go out and get stomped on by an elephant.
I felt unworthy. My petty problems paled into insignificance compared to the writer’s miraculous manifestations. I can’t imagine experiencing such depths of despair and his altitudinous achievements are surely beyond anything I could dream of.
I took comfort in my ordinariness; my pain is bearable, my frustrations are liveable, my aspirations are achievable and I am a valued member of an only slightly dysfunctional family. I’m doing OK.
The flight call snapped me out of my daydream and I grabbed my overnight bag, sprang up from my seat and walked briskly toward Gate 13.
My bag securely stowed in the overhead locker, I clicked my seatbelt and peered out the porthole of my 11-seater single-engine flying cigar to wonder at the ease at which a mighty Airbus A380 gracefully parted company with terra firma, with 850 passengers aboard. I wasn’t envious or anxious, I was comfortable enough and had confidence that my captain could easily manage the low-tech piloting demands.
Feeling snug and smug, I took out the tourist guide from the pouch on the back of the seat in front of me and realised I had left my life-changing operation manual on the vacant seat in the airport lounge.
I smiled. It was only $25.95.