Finding The Gold, My Auto 4 The Month

All The Gold In California by Larry Gatlin. This book is my pic of the week. Yes, I've always loved his music, but I knew little about the man behind it. A rude awakening awaited me.

Liking something about someone probably encourages us to read about them even when we may not agree with their lifestyle. For sure, we can learn from anyone, whether to be more like they are or more NOT like they are.

In Larry's case, I found him to be genuinely honest about his steamy lifestyle as a performing artist. It made him real to the reader. No pretenses.

NOTE: He left out any thing that would be offensive to his beloved wife of umpteen years. By that I mean, he never mentioned any juicy news about some sordid affair he had. I've heard he had them, but if he did, he decidedly left out the details. I didn't' get the sense that he was trying to hide anything, but that it was out of respect to his wife. That was my take. You may have a different one. But having read who he was and who he came to be gave me the sense that indeed he loves his wife.

Yet, he was brutally and painfully honest about his drug addictions. He was just as revealing when sharing the disturbing challenges he had with his fans. Or should I say, the lack thereof. Fans, that is. I guess I never knew there was a deficit. After all, I had been a fan and didn't know there was a reason not to be one!

Then there was his refusal to "separate" from his brothers; it cost him. But to him the greater cost would have been to have left them behind. He believed in them. And it mattered not what the industry tried to convince him.

He concluded that his autobiography could have been much longer than the published copy. I would have been glad to have read the much more! Now that's a good story teller, one that makes you not want their story to end.

Hats off to you, Larry, wherever you are! May you continue to find peace in your life.

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