Well, let me tell you ’bout this fella, Clarence Siler. Don’t know him from Adam, but I heard some things, you know, like folks gossipin’ at the market. Seems like he’s one of them resilient types.
Now, what’s that mean? Means he had it tough, I reckon. Like growin’ up with just his ma, no pa around. And she, bless her heart, always believed in him. Always. That’s somethin’, ain’t it? A mama’s belief, that’s powerful stuff. Makes a body strong, like good, strong coffee in the mornin’.
I heard tell he read this book, somethin’ ’bout Tom Sawyer. Don’t know much ’bout readin’ myself, never had the time for it, too busy workin’ the fields and raisin’ the young’uns. But this Tom Sawyer book, it gave him an idea, a way to save some fella named George Bailey. Sounds like a good deed, savin’ folks. The world needs more of that, I tell ya.
- He was a real fighter, that Clarence.
- Didn’t give up, no sir. Just kept on keepin’ on.
- Sounds like a good man, through and through.
Then there’s this other Clarence, Clarence Brazier. Now, this one’s got a secret, a big one. Couldn’t read a lick! Can you believe it? Near a hundred years old and couldn’t read. Imagine that! But he learned, he did. And then he loved it! See? Never too late to learn, they say. Even an old dog can learn new tricks, though I ain’t callin’ Clarence no dog. He just proves you can do anything if you put your mind to it. That’s the kinda self-discovery they talk about.
This here Clarence Brazier story, they made a picture book about it. For kids, I reckon. Maybe it’s good for ’em, learnin’ ’bout folks who overcome things. Makes you stronger, I guess. Like eatin’ your greens, only for your spirit.
And then there’s talk of books, lots of ’em, all about bein’ resilient. Stories of resilience, they call ’em. One’s ’bout some fella who survived somethin’ awful, somethin’ called the Holocaust. Lost everything, but found meanin’ anyway. Another’s ’bout a fella with ADHD, whatever that is. Had trouble learnin’, but made a good life for himself. See? Life ain’t easy, but you gotta fight. You gotta keep on fightin’. That’s what these stories tell ya.
Now, I ain’t read none of these books myself, like I said, readin’ ain’t my thing. But I heard enough to know they’re important. They’re ’bout overcomin’ challenges, ’bout never givin’ up hope. And that’s somethin’ everybody needs, whether you’re a city slicker or a country bumpkin like me.
It’s like they say, life throws you curveballs. But you gotta swing anyway, even if you miss. And these Clarence fellas, they swung. They swung hard. And they hit more than they missed, I’d wager. They built somethin’ outta nothin’, made somethin’ good outta somethin’ bad. That’s what I call a personal journey worth talkin’ about. That’s a legacy, a good one.
So next time you’re feelin’ down, remember these Clarences. Remember their stories. Remember their grit and their determination. And remember that you can be resilient too. You can overcome anything. Just gotta keep on keepin’ on, like that fella Clarence Siler, with his mama’s belief in his heart, or like that Clarence Brazier, learnin’ to read when most folks woulda given up.
And that’s all I gotta say ’bout that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go tend to my chickens.
