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When
it came time to write for a personal project, I knew I
wanted to write about something important. I questioned
what is important to people? What would be so important
that someone would die for it?
That
led to much research looking for possible leaders worth writing
about. I finally selected a diverse group of 18 individuals
who represented different countries, cultures, religions, age
groups and occupations. Some were born in poverty,
some in wealth and others in between.
What
they shared in common was a belief in something that was worth
pursuing no matter what. What the belief was varied
by each individual. They pursued what they thought
was right, not for fame or riches, but because it seemed the
right thing to do.
As
long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a writer. I
don't know if people choose to be writers or if we are chosen. I
would type stories on a manual Royal typewriter as a child,
and even make my own book cover with a piece of heavy red paper.
Growing
up in the Bootheel of Missouri, opportunities are limited for
someone who wants to write. I always knew I would
have to leave, so it would be best not to be too attached to
people or to things.
I
grew up with my grandparents because my mother was too ill to
take care of my sister and me. She committed suicide
when I was five years old in an area called Soulard in St. Louis. We
were not there when it happened, but my early exposure to death
led to a fascination of what happens when we die. Do
people make the most of their earthly lives? Is this
the only life that we have? Shouldn't every life
count for something?
I
did leave the Bootheel and go to college, obtaining a Bachelor
of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia. One
of the things taught in journalism school is that the death
of thousands is a statistic, but the death of one is a tragedy. People
can identify with the story of one individual, where the other
is too much to comprehend.
Like
the individuals who I write about, I know that we each have
a finite amount of time in this life. This book represents
my own legacy in tribute to those who paid the ultimate price. Their
stories need to be retold and kept alive for each generation.
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