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Charles White, MD, died in 2014 and lived through all but five years of the 20th century. He either watched or experienced historical events that many of us only ever read about, and he was blessed to be able to remember much of it into his extreme years. How did he do it? Dr. White insisted until the end that he simply possessed amazing genes. One cannot argue that, but after reading about his life, one can also argue that he also possessed the unfathomable gift for living life to the fullest and knowing which parts to hold fast to and which to simply let go. Completely let go.
He lost his reverend father while still in grade school, but he consistently recalled one of his sermons: “We must forget past failures, for many times we forget the things of today in lamenting the failures of the past… Some men regret the last rays of the setting sun, while others look toward the east for the first light of dawn.”
Charlie was determined to focus on the joyful version of his life, and the author posits that this determination not only contributed to his longevity; it also made him a happier person. The message is very simple: People can choose which life experiences to stress, they can dwell on defeat or determine to see the beauty that is wherever you look. Charlie made those decisions at a very young age (consciously or not) and did everything during his life based on that choice. Reading about how he managed various challenges and opportunities was laugh-out-loud uplifting and delightfully surprising in almost every instance.
This man lived a grand existence, but he also underwent some enormous and significant hardships, any of which could easily have set him on a path of despair and hopelessness. According to the author, he did not deny that those were painful moments, but he absolutely refused to allow any of them to define him. He truly got up every time he fell or was pushed down, leaving a legacy of optimism for his family. This concept was the most difficult for me, as my ancestors of his generation did not exhibit such positivity. Thus, I have no similar family lore of overcoming adversity to pass along to subsequent generations.
Therefore, I shall develop my own collection of uplifting tales for my progeny and avoid the one thing that makes me pity poor Charlie: He did not get to control his own narrative. The author is not related to Charlie but lived across the street from him during his final decades. While Von Drehle writes very readable prose, he cannot resist any opportunity to describe every negative aspect of the distasteful historical events that Charlie passed through. When Charlie told his stories, he always recalled the positive, uplifting and exciting portions of his life, while the author uses more ink to remind the reader of the multiple ways people were cruel toward each other.
Despite this pattern, I am happy to recommend The Book of Charlie, especially to people who have endured physical and psychological pain. It is very uplifting to learn of at least one person who did not deny that darkness exists, but simply refused to sink into it.
Keep your daubers up.
Rated: None. Three instances of very mild curse words.
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