Call Me Herman

The very thought of writing the story of my life had a certain self-aggrandizement in it. The egotism of working on my life's story hounded me throughout the process. Yet, this is the way my life was lived from my point of view, and I'm not about to sugar coat it. Looking back, the circumstances of my existence walking upright on the blue planet earth, have been different - pathetic at times - but usually happy and humorousI have always recognized that I am one of the most fortunate men alive. Somehow, someway, no matter what the circumstances, I have always managed to be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things. No matter how dismal the situation, nor how joyous, I always tried to make the best of it. Some would call it luck, but I have always believed that the Lord loves me in particular, because few human beings have been blessed as I have. One man just can't be that lucky. Through sheer determination, I managed to escape abject poverty and rise to the top of whatever I was doing. In our darkest hours, my darling mother would always say, "We may be down and out right now, but remember, we are educated people, and we will survive." I worked constantly throughout my life to gain an education. It was most difficult, but hard work paid off - it always did. I would never have experienced the things I'll tell you about without the hard work and dedication to become educated. Having been an insatiable reader all my life, the printed page broadened my horizon and gave me goals to achieve. Early on I decided that I would not be bothered with what others thought of me. As long as I was satisfied with me, that was enough. There were times that I was disappointed with me, and that forced me to try harder.The cornerstone of my existence has been my abiding faith in the Lord. Having a strong prayer life, I always looked for miracles, and usually I found them. I will not preach to you nor lecture you about my beliefs. However, as you read my book, you will wonder, "How did he do that? How did he survive that? And, how can one man be that lucky?"I'm a trial lawyer. That means I can tell a story that will keep your attention. To keep your interest, I must sometimes color my yarn with description, exaggeration, remorse, regret and sometimes outright lies. The lies aren't intentional. They come about by the way I remember the events and incorporated them into the story. Hopefully, there aren't many, but, at my age, I am sure there are some.