Chapter 13: A Light On My Path

Page 28

I have now lived long enough to see the truth of this law come to bear

on the younger generations that I have watched grow up. Parents teach your children to live good lives in their youth so their level of misery later as adults will be minimized. That is when the payback arrives! The teaching should start with the true meaning of “honoring your mother and father;”

that the activities of children can either honor or dishonor parents.

I was confronted with stealing, drinking, fornication, homosexuality, smoking and to some other problems that are common to mankind. Listen to

the word of God on what we are confronted with during this earthly life.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the

temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor. 10:13

My family was poor so I started to earn my own money to spend at

the age of seven. I shined shoes outside of seven bars in South Minneapolis by myself. Can you imagine allowing a seven year old to do something like that in these days? Not a chance. Times have changed. Our society is not so innocent today, mainly because we can’t seem to administer justice in a

way that keeps from recycling criminals or deterring crime; that is my humble opinion. By the time I was ten years old, I had paper routes and was literally buying my own clothes. I didn’t seem to mind because that is what my parents expected of me. If I wanted something, their message was to go

out and earn the money to pay for it.

Both mom and dad had some business aspirations. When I shined shoes in south Minneapolis, it was only a few blocks from a bar that they

owned. The bar business didn’t pan out and a later adventure in a Chinese take out restaurant didn’t make it either. Still, they imparted a sense of entrepreneurism into me that has lasted all my life. My father was a music writer and musician. At one point he had his own band. He played several

instruments including the piano, banjo, clarinet, guitar, drums, saxophone and the bones. I saw him play these instruments and he was very gifted.