Steal This Book: How a Librarian Helped a Book Thief Become a Judge
Retired Arkansas judge and civil rights movement veteran Judge Olly Neal tells a heartwarming story on Storycorps about how a high school librarian helped him succeed in life.
Just imagine, we have no idea how much a small, anonymous kindness may impact someone else’s life in a positive way. When Neal was a high school student with a reputation for cursing and fighting to maintain with his peers, he saw a book in the high school library that interested him, but was embarrassed to check it out. He was afraid the girls working at the checkout desk would tell his frirends that he was reading a book, and damage his tough reputation. He decided to steal the book.
Then, after he read it, he brought it back to the same spot where he had found it. Listen to Judge Neal’s story to find out what the librarian did that changed his life.
Preserving a Legacy of Experience and Inspiration
Storycorps is a fantastic project in which people’s stories are recorded while they are interviewed by a loved one. The stories are recorded, preserved and indexed, and one is broadcast on National Public Radio once a week.
Personal Impact
Every person has touching, tragic, and inspiring stories to tell about his or her own life. I remember fondly the family stories my grandmother told me over and over when I was a child. Tell someone who inspired you how grateful you are. Gratitude is powerful. Tell your stories to your loved ones. Ask your dear ones to tell their stories to you. People older than you have a lifetime of stories saved up, and had an interesting life before you were born.
If your elders told you stories when you were small, ask them to tell you the same stories again as a grown-up. I have learned from personal experience that they may have omitted several juicy details from the earlier versions.
Please share in a comment about someone who has inspired you, and about loved ones who have told you their stories or listened to yours.
