George Dawson

In my haze of unemployment I've found numerous things to fill my days: internships, volunteering, reading, coffee chats with girlfriends in similar positions and of course, wedding planning. All have been rewarding and given me a greater purpose in my days, but I have found one stands out from the rest: reading. I have read a bunch of online PR publications and read about branding daily (sorry for the non-share, I will pick up my game). The biggest reading project I've had is Life is So Good, a biography by George Dawson. Far.Out.

George Dawson learned to read at 98 years old. He spent his entire life remembering things because he couldn't read and he couldn't write. If someone gave him directions, it was up to him to remember them accurately. In diners, he would order what he saw other people were eating because he couldn't read a menu. This book brought tears to my eyes. This man worked so hard his entire life and never took one moment that God gave him on this earth for granted. George started work at age 4 at his parents cotton farm. When he was 11 he moved away to work on another farm in a neighboring town to him. Never once in his life was a complaint about his position in life or the fact that he had to work hard.

Every once in a while you get a window into the life of someone else. This is one window I will keep in my mind. I never want to forget how hard this man worked and how much he lived and loved life, because I think there is a beautiful lesson in it. A lesson of being thankful to be given the life you have.