A Great Man

I read the biography of George W. Carver entitled "George Washington Carver: The Man Who Overcame" by Lawrence Elliot today. I picked it up and couldn't put it back down. Whenever I engage in an episode of self-pity I try to think about the odds that those before me had to overcome. Reading about Dr. Carver and his accomplishments despite his VERY humble beginnings filled me with immense feeling of pride and gave me a definite source of inspiration.

What stuck with me most was a line in the book where Dr. Carver in his youth thought to himself during a personally trying time, "If God wanted my life to be easy and uncomplicated, he wouldn't have made me, of all things, a black man." I related to the fact that he could find humor in the midst of stressful circumstances, something that I believe comes from a deep inner understanding that it is all in God's hands.

I also admired his tireless and endless pursuit of knowledge. I too have an insatiable intellectual curiosity, a want to know everything about everything. I admired that he followed through with his curiosity to obtain a mastery of a variety of subjects, something that I definitely aspire to.

Last but not least, if I learned anything from his story, I learned the power of possessing a giving heart. Dr. Carver had an almost completely selfless existence. To be real with myself, I know I couldn't be completely selfless like him to the point where I'm dressing like a pauper and caring not about any form of income. I like nice things too much. But I do want to live more of a selfless existence. In the book, there was a point in Dr. Carver's life where he had to decide between pursuing an academic career and a career in the arts. He (obviously) chose an academic career because to him, a career in the arts was the path to a selfish existence. Going on to college and graduate school would allow him to learn a set of skills that would equip him to be able to serve others. I personally struggle with this decision almost daily between just going to law school or pursuing a career as a music industry exec. I know that I want to help others whichever path I ultimately choose, but I know that a law degree would allow me to help others in ways that a music exec could only dream...I wonder if I'm being selfish by doing what I'm doing...God and I are going to have to talk about that one...