THE VALUE OF A GOOD STORY: Part Two

by Larry Tyler Columnist & Featured Contributor,?BIZCATALYST360.com

Daddy and the salesman walked down the road toward the tobacco barn and when the man came back his face was red and he was acting really happy. Even at six, I knew the barn was where daddy kept his lemonade which later in life I found out was really moonshine. The salesman left me the book and said I would be getting more monthly.

That night Daddy let me stay up late devouring the book from cover to cover. The book had stories, full-color illustrations, science, poetry and the books were made to make learning fun. Thanks to those books by the end of the first grade I was way ahead of my class in reading and growing in that skill daily. I read Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Aladdin, history and more.

I would sit by the creek reading. In my mind, I traveled on great journeys, fought in great battles, went to the moon and rode with notorious outlaws. I was hooked on learning and wanted more. I had a library card by first grade. By twelve I was reading Henry David Thoreau. By sixteen my quest for knowledge took me out of school and set me on my quest of learning. I spent five years on the road playing music.