Page 26 - Abacoa Community News- August '24

Page 26, Abacoa
Book Review

The Book Of Charlie: Wisdom patients’ suffering, much thought,” he would reply, except to add that his
he was trained in
mother’s advice to “Do the right thing” covers a lot of
From The Remarkable Life its application and situations. But among the items Charlie’s family found
Of A 109-Year-Old Man became one of the when he was gone was a single sheet of notepaper on
which he had written a list of 15 definitive rules that serve
military’s leading
anesthesiologists, perfectly as a guide to a successful life.
By Nils A. Shapiro training many others I will list only five here and urge you to read this book
David Von Drehle was under his command. to get the full terrific story … and the other 10 secrets
already a noted writer—a Charlie was you will want to know of Charlie’s well-lived life:
columnist and editor at the married more than Savor special moments.
Washington Post and author once. Life was not Cry when you need to.
of four earlier successful always ideal. In his Feel deeply.
books—when he decided final years he was Take a chance.
to move with his wife and interviewed many Enjoy wonder.
four young children to times by the media
Kansas City, Mo. But he and asked about his
had no idea when he first philosophy of life.
met the elderly neighbor “I haven’t given it
who lived in the house across the street, who said he was
“washing his girlfriend’s car,” that it was a moment that
would change his life forever.
For that man was Charlie White, already 102 years
of age—a retired physician who had been born before
the invention of radio and lived long enough to use a
smartphone; a man born soon after the first flight of the
Wright Brothers who later watched man’s landing on the Feeling like you paid too
moon, and whose own medical practice began before the much in taxes this year?
discovery of penicillin, was limited to comforting the
patient so that the body could heal itself … and continued
through the discovery of antibiotics and today’s latest Learn about investment strategies
pharmaceutical and surgical advances. that could potentially lower next year’s
But from the friendship that developed between these tax bill. Contact your financial advisor
two men, and which prompted this bestselling book, was today to learn how.
the author’s evolving awareness of the extraordinary
wisdom and positive philosophy that had enabled Charlie
to survive all that life had placed in his path those many
years. He had taken to heart the lesson his mother had Sally S Stahl, CFP®, AAMS™
taught him from an early age: Do the right thing. Financial Advisor
For Von Drehle, this became an opportunity to pass
along to his own children the kinds of lessons he had 1851 W Indiantown Rd Ste 106
always hoped he could provide for them. Jupiter, FL 33458
The following excerpt makes it clear that everyone 561-748-7600
fortunate enough to read this wonderful book can derive
that same benefit:
“Charlie was a man of science. As a physician, he
knew how the human body goes—and how it stops. He
was the first to say that his extraordinary life span was
a fluke of genetics and fortune. Still, as I’ve reflected
on this remarkable friend, I’ve come to see that he was
more than a living history lesson, and more than just the
winner of a genetic Powerball. He was a case study in
how to thrive—not just survive but thrive—through any
span of years, short or long. People often asked him
about the secret of longevity, and Charlie was always
scrupulously honest: there’s no secret, just luck. But if
he knew no secrets to a long life, he knew plenty about
a happy life. Through tragedy and loss, poverty and
setbacks, missteps and blown chances, he maintained a
steadiness, an evenness, and a self-reliance that today
might be called resilience. He had a gift for seizing joy,
grabbing opportunities, and holding on to things that
matter. And he had an unusual knack for an even more
difficult task: letting go of all the rest.”
There were many highs and lows in a life as long
as this. And witnessing them over more than a century
through Charlie’s eyes is a remarkable experience,
especially in the words of such a gifted writer. As just a
few of many, many examples:
Dr. Charlie White’s medical career began in the depths
of the Great Depression of the early 1930s, when making
house calls was a typical way to treat patients. The
situation sometimes called for the emergency removal of
a child’s tonsils. At such and similar occasions, parents
who literally could not afford a nickel in payment instead
invited the doctor for dinner or offered anything he would
like to take from their cupboard.
Charlie had a tough childhood. His father, whom
he loved dearly, was a pastor. One day, when the man
was entering the elevator in an office building the
inexperienced operator of the elevator accidentally raised
it and Charlie’s father slipped and fell many floors into
the empty chute and was killed. Charlie’s mother was left
with five children and no source of income.
One of Charlie’s high school buddies owned a
1917 Model T Ford touring car with bicycle fenders,
Chesterfield seats and a fold-up canopy. Several of
the guys decided to set out for California after their
graduation in May 1922, taking on farm work to pay their
way cross country. The description of that trip includes
instructions on how to drive that Model T.
Charlie volunteered and served in the U.S. Army Air
Force. When anesthesia was discovered as a way to ease