Dear Fam,
On March 25, 2019, I found a copy of a book written by two National Public Radio (“NPR”) reporters, Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, on the common prison book cart. The “book cart” is where literally hundreds of books are exchanged among inmates throughout the day. The name of the book is, “This I Believe, The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women.” It finds its origin from Edward R. Murrow’s 1950’s series by the same name. More about “This I Believe” can be found at www.thisIbelieve.org.
The book contains over 80 essays, each around 300 words, spanning from the 1952 through 2006 from the likes of Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Sarah Adams, Jackie Robinson, Eleanor Roosevelt, John McCain, Penn Jillette, Isabel Allende, Pius Kamau, Warren Christopher, Dr. Ben Carson, Newt Gingrich, Leonard Berstein, Cecile Gilmer, and many more from people I have never heard of previously.
Topics range from “I Believe in America,” to “I Believe in The Rule of Law,” to “I Believe in Happy Talk,” to “I Believe Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day,” and many more poignant subjects. Many speak of their faith in God, others not. Others speak of love, healing, forgiveness, and others about anger and justice. It is a very interesting an worthwhile read. We learn so much about others by listening to their points of view. As I have always said, we can never try too hard to listen to, and understand, our fellow human beings.
In 2006, over 20,000 individuals had submitted their own “This I Believe” essays to www.thisIbelieve.org. Who knows how many essays have been submitted now. It has been over 13 years since the book was published.
With Annette’s help, in a coming day, probably later this week, I will submit my own “This I Believe” to the www.thisIbelieve.org website. I hope you will watch for it from me, and also at www.bellohutch.com. I would love to hear your comments and thoughts. In addition to responding to me directly, if you choose you may also post your comments at bellohutch.com.
Love and respect.
Life in the Extreme, Matt